Paul Tzimoulis passes away
mike gray
PAUL TZIMOULIS
It is with the deepest regret that we report the passing of Mr. Paul
Tzimoulis, one of the diving industry's true icons. Paul lost his battle
with pancreatic cancer, and passed away at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada
on Tuesday June 3, 2003. During his five decades in diving, Paul was a
mentor and friend to countless senior members of the diving community,
some of who were able to visit him and his wife, Geri Murphy, during
recent weeks.
The following account of Paul's career is edited from Pioneers In
Diving, by Edward C. Carigle, and is reproduced with Ed's permission.
More on Paul's career can be found at www.hds.org. Plans for a memorial
service have been undertaken and will be announced at a later date.
PAUL J. TZIMOULIS
Paul J. Tzimoulis is one of the true pioneers in sport diving. He has
encouraged photography, diving research and safety, and conservation in
the underwater world by
writing hundreds of articles to the public about diving. His
management skills were very evident in the 34 years that he was the
guiding force in dramatically building the grand daddy of diving
magazines, Skin Diver Magazine.
He is an excellent writer and underwater photographer. One of his great
skills as a very
productive manager is drawing out the very best of people that work with
him. Paul's class and character come shinning through as a lecturer and
Master of Ceremonies. He is a gifted leader.
Tzimoulis has devoted over 45 years to diving and campaigning to
preserve the world beneath the waves. He has an exceptionally wide
range of experiences and is extremely knowledgeable. His significant
influence in the world-wide diving community has made a major impact on
the advancement of diving.
Paul Tzimoulis was born November 16, 1936 in New York, NY. He grew up
in New York and
Connecticut. In 1951, Tzimoulis began free diving to explore the lakes
of Connecticut. He bought a gum rubber facemask and a pair of fins from
a sporting good store. Being an avid fisherman, his natural curiosity
lead to asking where bass were hiding in his neighborhood lake. He
began his search to answer this question by free
diving. Soon he wanted to stay underwater longer. As an early
adventurer scuba diving in 1953, Tzimoulis experimented with homemade
scuba. Over the next few years, he used a converted Air Force oxygen
rebreather to expand his underwater exploration. This diving rig
provided him the underwater capabilities to find out about bass - and a
lot of other marine life.
His first real interest in diving was the result of a two-month trip to
Miami, Florida, in the fall of 1954. He was very impressed with the
sport diving equipment there. Wanting to stay underwater with less
trouble, he bought his first manufactured scuba rig in 1956, an
AquaLung. In 1957, Tzimoulis opened a scuba training school. Tzimoulis
trained more than 5,000 diving students throughout Connecticut (New
Haven, Bridgeport and Stamford). Expanding his diving even further, in
1957 he began professional sponge diving in Tarpon Springs, FL.
Tzimoulis started and operated one of the first East Coast retail dive
stores in 1958, called the East Haven Diving Center. He also worked with
retailers throughout the U.S. by developing diving promotional
activities - including underwater film festivals, dive seminars and dive
events. Tzimoulis began exploring the waters of the entire east coast,
from Bar Harbor in Maine, to Key West in Florida. He quickly became a
nationally- recognized authority on wreck diving, underwater
photography, treasure hunting and underwater natural history.
Soon Tzimoulis was diving in Bermuda, Bimini, Nassau, Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands and Grand Cayman. He also worked a salvage inspector in
the Long Island Sound. He became a Certified Scuba Instructor at the
first YMCA Diving Institute, conducted in Boston (1960). Shortly
thereafter, he was appointed to the YMCA Board of Examiners for YMCA
Diving Instructor Certification. Tzimoulis was the Customer Service
Manager for U.S. Divers Company at their Stamford, Connecticut facility
from 1959 to 1961. He subsequently served as East Coast Sales Manager
for Sportsways, Inc. (1961 to 1963) - calling on retail dive stores from
Maine to Key West. In 1962, Tzimoulis received his NAUI Instructor
Certification (#347) and soon joined the Eastern NAUI Board of
Instructor Examiners. He became a PADI Instructor (#125) during their
first year of
existence, 1966. He also served on the teaching faculty of these
organizations - training and certifying instructors.
For many years, Paul Tzimoulis has been keenly aware of the need for
marine ecological study and underwater conservation. He joined the
American Littoral Society in 1961 when it first started. In December
1962, Skin Diver Magazine published an article by Tzimoulis, "Our
Vanishing Wrecks." By early 1963, he organized the Committee For The
Preservation Of undersea Wrecks. As Chairman of the Marine Preserves
Committee of the American Littoral Society, Tzimoulis led a campaign to
save the wreck of the U.S.S. San Diego, which lies off the South Shore
of Long Island. The campaign Tzimoulis started gained national
recognition with an article in the August 16, 1963 issue of Life
Magazine and a television interview by Hugh Downs on the Today Show. His
serious involvement in scuba training included him serving on the Board
of Advisors of NAUI, PADI and YMCA.
Of all professional underwater photographers, few are as widely known
and as easily recognized as Paul Tzimoulis. Beginning in 1957 with just
an Argus C-3 in a plastic bag, the superb underwater photography of
Tzimoulis has developed to a very high level of perfection. He won his
first underwater photo competition in 1959. He was a five-time winner
of the Connecticut Underwater Photography Competitions. Tzimoulis
founded one of the first underwater photography schools, located in San
Salvador, Bahamas. He developed many of the teaching techniques still
used today. Tzimoulis conducted additional underwater photo courses in
Hawaii, Bonaire, Florida Keys, Stella Maris and Chub Cay, Bahamas.
His first article, "Sponge Diving -- Scuba Style," appeared in the
August 1959 Skin Diver. Paul Tzimoulis was chosen Chief Photographer for
the December 1962 world record dive of Hannes Keller to 1,000 feet off
Santa Catalina Island, California. His documentary photos of this
historic event were published in magazines and scientific journals all
over the world. In 1964, the International Underwater Film Festival
held in Santa Monica, California acclaimed Tzimoulis as, "the brightest
young meteor on the horizons of diving's future." At this prestigious
Film Festival, Tzimoulis was awarded a "Special Tribute" for his
documentary filming of the Hannes Keller 1,000-foot deep dive.
He founded and was Executive Director of the first International
Underwater Film Festival held in New York City, held in February 1965.
Tzimoulis helped organize similar events in Philadelphia, Washington,
D.C., Boston and Chicago. One of the early staff members on Skin Diver
Magazine, Paul Tzimoulis joined the Magazine as Assistant Sales Manager
in 1963, with primary responsibility being sales and promotion in the
eastern portion of the United States. For some time, Tzimoulis
continued to supervise the Sportsways warehouse facility in Jersey City,
New Jersey.
Tzimoulis was with Skin Diver Magazine for 34 years (1964-1998). In
1966, at the young age of 29 years old, Paul Tzimoulis was named
Editor/Publisher of Skin Diver. Since then, he served in various
capacities - Editor, Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and Group Vice President
(over several magazines at the parent company of Skin Diver, Petersen
Publishing). During his tenure at Skin Diver, he provided the dynamic
leadership of development of such industry milestones as the
certification care (C-Card), dive travel, dive computers and buoyancy
compensators.
For many years he guided Skin Diver during its largest growth period,
with many publishing innovations and contributions to diving. After a
distinguished career with Skin Diver, Tzimoulis retired as Vice
President, Executive Publisher and Group Publisher for the
Photography/Marine Division of Petersen Magazine Network. Not one for
sitting on his laurels, Tzimoulis returned from retirement to become
Executive Consultant of Sport Diver Magazine and Online Publisher of the
Sport Diver Website.
He has greatly helped protect the legal rights of sport divers and
preservation of the ocean environment. Within just a few years he had
accumulated a tremendous amount of diving, writing, photography,
knowledge about the diving industry and an admirable ability in business
management.
Tzimoulis is one of the founding fathers of dive travel. He devoted 42
years to the
development of dive travel as a sub-industry. He made his first
live-aboard dive cruise of the Bahamas in 1960. Over the next 40 years,
Tzimoulis helped to create many of today's most popular dive
destinations, including: the Bahamas, Bonaire, Roatan, Cayman Islands,
Cozumel, Truk Lagoon, Palau, Yap and many others.
For many years Tzimoulis has conducted seminars, lectures and
presentations on such topics as: dive tourism marketing, dive
destination development, dive resort operation and dive travel
promotion. His most recent seminars have been to audiences such as
ScubaBowl 2000 (200 dive retailers), the Dominican Republic Hotel
Association, the Manta Ray Bay resort staff (Yap) and the Cayman Tourism
Association.
His excellent underwater photography has appeared in numerous magazines,
including Skin Diver, U.S. Camera, Underwater Naturalist, Leisure, Carte
Blanche, Argosy, Sea Venture and several other leading publications. He
has won many honors and tributes for his underwater photography work at
film festivals. He has one of the country's most complete photographic
and research files on diving.
One of his true gifts is the class he shows as Master of Ceremonies for
countless underwater film festivals, award ceremonies and other formal
functions. As a very knowledgeable and polished speaker, he has
conducted Underwater Photography Seminars and courses in many parts of
the world. He has also shared his tremendous first-hand experience in
writing numerous articles on photography.
Tzimoulis co-authored a classic book on underwater photography with Hank
Frey, entitled Camera Below (Association Press, 1968). This is one of
the first books published on underwater photography. Camera Below
includes everything from the properties of the underwater environment,
to still and movie equipment and techniques, to photo competitions and
film festivals. The book remains one of the most complete guides to the
art and science of underwater photography.
He is a prolific writer on many other ocean subjects, including marine
life, ocean technology, diving equipment, underwater operations and many
other aspects of the oceans and lakes of the world. In addition to his
wide range of other professional activities, Tzimoulis has been an
active participant in the diving community, including: Chairman, Leonard
Greenstone Diving Safety Award Selection Committee, and several others.
He has been an active member of the Underwater Photographic Society,
National Oceanography
Association, National Association of Underwater Instructors, Cannon
Hunters of Seattle,
Professional Association of Diving Instructors, CEDAM International,
International
Oceanographic Foundation and the American Littoral Society. During his
almost five decades of involvement in diving, Tzimoulis has been
involved in numerous historical milestones:
Early development of the YMCA diver and scuba instructor certification
program.
Creation and development of NAUI.
Creation and development of PADI.
Still photographer for the Hannes Keller 1,000-foot ocean dive.
Discovery and filming of the lost Japanese submarine I-169 in Truk
Lagoon.
Discovery and development of Manta Ray diving in Yap, Micronesia.
Early development and promotion of dive tourism to Palau, Micronesia.
Creation of the Paul Tzimoulis Underwater Photo School at San Salvador,
Bahamas.
Development of early shark diving at Stella Maris, Bahamas.
Development of dive tourism to Bonaire.
Development of dive tourism to the Cayman Islands
Discovery and naming of Stingray City, Grand Cayman
His leadership and tremendous knowledge of the diving industry has
resulted in Tzimoulis being members of several Boards of Directors and
Advisory Boards, including NAUI, the NAUI Diving Association, the
International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame and The Academy of Underwater
Arts and Sciences (Chairman), and many others.
In 2002, Tzimoulis was elected Chairman of The Academy of Underwater
Arts and Sciences. Under his leadership, the Academy has made great
strides in expansion and operational improvement. Since 1957, Paul
Tzimoulis has received more than 50 awards from the diving industry.
These include: the Diver Of The Year Award presented by the Boston Sea
Rovers (1966); Honored Photographer from the International Underwater
Film Festival (1968); the NOGI Award For Sports & Education from the
Underwater Society of America (now presented by The Academy of
Underwater Arts and Sciences) (1969); Hall of Fame Undersea Photography
Award, Hawaii (1971); Oceanus Award - Our Future In Depths Arts Award
(1977); Underwater Photographic Society Outstanding Achievement Award
(1978); Sir Turtle Award from the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism
(1983); Reaching Out Award and induction into the
DEMA Hall of Fame (1997); PADI Outstanding Achievement Award (1998);
induction into the Cayman Islands International Scuba Diving Hall of
Fame (2001); Interspace Pacifica; Boston Underwater Club; the Sir Turtle
Award of the Cayman Islands; and many others.
Paul Tzimoulis and Geri Murphy have worked together since 1975. They
were married in 1987.
©2002 Edward Cargile
Dan Bracuk
: Paul lost his battle
:with pancreatic cancer, and passed away at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada
:on Tuesday June 3, 2003. During his five decades in diving, Paul was a
:mentor and friend to countless senior members of the diving community,
:some of who were able to visit him and his wife, Geri Murphy, during
:recent weeks.
DIR blames deep air.
Dan Bracuk
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will do.
The Best of Rec.Scuba
http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/
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Greg Mossman
news:2rkvdvs809eu67s99...@4ax.com...
> mike gray <omd...@worldnet.att.net> entertained us with:
> : Paul lost his battle
> :with pancreatic cancer, and passed away at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada
> :on Tuesday June 3, 2003. During his five decades in diving, Paul was a
> :mentor and friend to countless senior members of the diving community,
> :some of who were able to visit him and his wife, Geri Murphy, during
> :recent weeks.
>
> DIR blames deep air.
Plus he was PADI trained.
Angel
cancer. It's a bad one. My deapest sympathies to the family and friends.
"mike gray" <omd...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:3EDF4D17...@worldnet.att.net...
> From the HDSUSA list:
>
> PAUL TZIMOULIS
> It is with the deepest regret that we report the passing of Mr. Paul
> Tzimoulis, one of the diving industry's true icons. Paul lost his battle
> with pancreatic cancer, and passed away at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada
> on Tuesday June 3, 2003.
snip