History of Diving Museum

06/09/2026

05/30/2026

Did you miss last week's Immerse Yourself with Dr. Nochetto of DAN? Worry not! The whole presentation is available on our YouTube channel here:

Dr. Matías Nochetto has been involved with Divers Alert Network (DA...

05/27/2026

Sponge diver and five men on a boat, Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Real photo postcard, 1907.

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, we honor all those lost serving in the U.S. military.

The History of Diving Museum pays special tribute to the divers of the U.S. Navy. To date, there have been seven Navy diver recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Frank William Crilley was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1929, for his heroic efforts in 1915 to rescue fellow diver William F. Loughman at a depth of 250 feet during the salvage of the USS F-4, the United States’ first submarine to be lost at sea.

Thomas Eadie was awarded in 1928 for the rescue of chief torpedoman Fred Michels from a depth of 102 feet during the salvage of the USS S-4 in 1927. The rescue took 2 hours of dangerous underwater labor after an air line had been fouled.

William Badders, Orson L. Crandall, Jamers Harper McDonald, and John Mihalowski each received the Medal of Honor in 1939 for their heroic efforts in rescuing 33 sailors from the wreck of the USS Squalus, lying at 243 feet beneath the waves. Four dives were performed to lower a rescue chamber to the submarine, bringing the survivors up in groups until all were safe. A fifth dive was performed to search for additional survivors, but none were found. 26 men perished in the flooded sections of the Squalus.

Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg was the last U.S. Navy diver to receive the Medal of Honor. He was awarded posthumously, after rescuing two divers during the salvage operation of Pearl Harbor in 1945. It took Hammerberg five hours to find diver George Fuller, pinned underwater by a steel plate. Fuller was rescued, and Hammerberg pushed on to the second diver, Earl Brown. A cave-in on the wreckage occurred, crushing Hammerberg, but Brown was saved thanks to his efforts.

Thank you to all those who have served, or are currently serving in the military. From now until Labor Day, the History of Diving Museum is participating in Blue Star Museums, which offers free museum admission to active duty members of the military and up to five family members. Admission is always discounted for veterans, and we will be hosting guided tours on Flag Day, June 14.

05/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out last Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening of our new exhibit, Prescribed Pressure, and to Divers Alert Network for an incredible talk by Dr. Nochetto!

Be sure to visit and see Prescribed Pressure, which covers the fascinating history of undersea medicine and how pressure can both harm and heal. This exhibit will be open until the end of 2026.

05/17/2026

Thank you to John Christopher Fine for this wonderful article on our event honoring Bob Croft's and his legacy as the "Father of American Free-Diving." Use this link to read the article!

DR. SALLY BAUER (RED) WITH JEFF CROFT (WHITE HAIR GLASSES) SHOWING HDM MEMBERS SARAH & BRAD KING CROFT MEMORABILIA S NOGI STATUETTE IN THE FREE DIVING DISPLAY DR. SALLY BAUER (RED), JULIA SOKOL…

05/17/2026

The Museum was honored to host Bob Croft's son, Jeff Croft, and his wife Karen Croft this weekend for a Celebration of Life in honor of the "Father of American free-diving."

Jeff and his family generously donated Bob Croft's 2016 NOGI award, along with the experimental underwater contact lenses Croft tested during his years with the U.S. Navy. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and to see these wonderful artifacts honoring Bob Croft's legacy added to his display in our Free-Diving exhibit! We look forward to sharing his story for many years to come.

05/13/2026

This Friday, the Museum celebrates free-diving legend Bob Croft. A reception and Celebration of Life will take place from 4 PM to 6 PM on Friday, May 15. Come by the Museum to honor this free-diving pioneer!

Croft was the first free-diver to descend beyond 200 feet (61 meters). His 1967 record-setting dive was achieved with lead weights and a technique called “air packing”, which he invented himself. The technique involves topping off the lungs with quick breaths of air by use of the tongue.

Croft, considered "the father of American free-diving," was also a U.S. Navy diver. He had previously been assigned to a 118-foot deep submarine escape training tank, in which he helped to develop techniques designed to allow submariners to escaped doomed vessels. Prior to his historic dive, it was thought that depths of over 200 feet would not be survivable.

The descending weight with a hand brake on display in the Museum's free-diving exhibit was autographed by Bob Croft before being donated. It was used for all of his record dives, including his last record depth of 240 feet (73 meters).

On Friday, Croft's exhibit will be joined by his 2016 NOGI award. Be sure to join us for the unveiling, along with a meet-and-greet with Croft's family and light refreshments. We'll see you there!