Our January 11 Speaker is Nick Icorn
Monday, December 21st, 2009NICK ICORN, “Keeper of the Flame”
Nick was born in Hollywood, California. He always had an interest in the ocean. From the age of eight he would go tent camping on southern California beaches. He learned to swim in the Huntington Beach surf and in the pool by the pier. He entered high school in 1943. He was kicked out of the Merchant Marines when they found out he had lied about his age and was only 14. His mother helped him enlist in the United States Marines in 1944. He served in the Philippines and Saipan in the aftermath of WWII.
He married Marilyn in 1950. His diving career began one day at her uncle’s home where in a pool he donned a mask and fins for the first time.
Nick was part of the first formal Underwater Instructors Course. He holds Instructor certifications from the YMCA, Los Angeles County, NAUI, SSI, PADI and NASDS. In 1969 he became the first Executive Director of PADI developing programs and standards. Under his leadership their instructor base went from 234 to over 12,000 worldwide. He wrote numerous training manuals for the industry including the first, “Standards and Procedures Manual,” and the “Basic Scuba Course,” and the, “Course Director’s Manual.”
He worked for many of the US diving manufacturers including US Cavalero, Ocean Dynamics, Healthways, US Divers, and Sherwood Selpac as an engineer helping in the design evolution of diving equipment.
His honors include two NOGI awards, the DEMA Reaching Out Award, The California Scuba Service Award, the Conrad Limbaugh Memorial Award, International Legends of Diving Award, and is a member of the NAUI Hall of Honor.
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Maldives, Belize, Hawaii and of course Southern California are some of the places he has been diving. His only diving accident was in the 1970’s in the Bahamas when he suffered the bends.
He has volunteered hundreds of hours lecturing on the evolution of diving, and often displays pieces from his vast collection of vintage diving equipment.
Oh, and he will be inducted into the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in Grand Cayman just days after our meeting!
http://www.scubahalloffame.com/details/Induction2.html
http://www.portagequarry.com/LegendsWknd/2008Wknd/NickIcorn.html
http://www.portagequarry.com/legendarticles/icorn_041708.htm
http://www.auas-nogi.org/bio_icorn_nick.html