International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Vision
Honoring the Founders of Scuba Diving
To support, strengthen and promote those
dedicated to the ocean environments around the world
ISDHF exists to recognize those who have contributed to the success and growth of recreational SCUBA diving in the areas of dive travel, entertainment, art, equipment design and development, education, exploration and adventure. ISDHF will do so through the use of physical and virtual
museums, and by awarding the highest ISDHF recognition to those who have contributed significantly to these fields through their participation and promotion of recreational scuba diving.
Neville Coleman’s acceptance speech.
"To remain dedicated to an ideal for half a lifetime is no easy task, and to accomplish and persevere alone without any measure of encouragement year in and year out against overwhelming criticism and often unbearable odds, requires a great strength of purpose.A spiritual connection (one might say ) I could have spent my entire life in a little green cell with padded walls trying to be somebody else’s idea of normal…..
Instead I set out to confront the greatest of my fears and became a scuba diver.I discovered that the residues of an abusive childhood and a lack of formal education were only barriers in other people’s minds…..
Who can predict what a person might be capable of ?
I never knew, what I couldn’t do! I just dreamt up a life and lived the reality.
Neville and Stan Waterman
I realized that in the water it doesn’t matter what shaped peg you are……… round or square?
UNDERWATER, everybody fits!
A wetsuit makes us all equal, no matter what color, creed , shape or status we may be in society, UNDERWATER we are all on equal terms and we all go down and come up, on our merits as individuals.
Who, knowing my afflictions, could have predicted that in my time in the wilderness I would discover a secret of such magnitude that it would not only design my destiny, but take me to the top of a Profession that didn’t even exist before my time.
Half a lifetime ago, sitting next to the carcass of a giant white pointer shark on a lonely beach in Western Australia, ( scared out of my wits to go back in the water) I made a deal with my spirit.If he kept me alive long enough to see just one of my pictures published in a book, I would dedicate my life to advancing the knowledge of the aquatic environment and conserving the World of Water.
Today there are 65 books with 7000 published pictures and over 100,000,000 reproduced images in print. We both kept our word.
"Every idea’s a survivor, and every daydream, needs a driver"
WHO AM I?
Every morning I get up and go to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and there’s this strange lookin’ old guy staring back… and he echoes words from the past……. "
You know kid, for such a little shit, you shore got a heap of attitude…."
Maybe so I answer, but if that’s true, who did all the work?
He grins, "divine influence of course."
Neville Coleman and Jorina van der Westhuizen
The adventure activity of scuba diving has led this small boy on a fantastic lifetime journey of discovery.
On the way he explored the World of Water and met many thousands of it’s inhabitants; incredible beings with unbelievable lifestyles and behaviours beyond the credibility of science.
As underwater explorers we are all privileged to be in a position to enrich the lives of others and sow the seeds of encouragement by setting examples and evolving as role models.
I am honoured to be here in the presence of so many who through their actions have advanced our understandings of underwater and pioneered the path for future generations of scuba divers across our World of Water."
REMEMBER:
With every dive, you’re more alive, and success? is every breath.