CAHILL, James F., “Jim”

CAHILL, James F., “Jim”

USA (1926-2008)

Last updated: March 24, 2020 at 17:30 pm

Pioneer diver credited with first dives in New England, and possibly the entire U.S. Eastern seaboard; co-founder of National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI); served in World War II and the Korean War; member of the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team, codenamed the “Amphibious Rogers;” Navy SEAL; served as head of Boston Harbor security for the U.S. Navy; founded New England Divers; founded the Hui Kai scuba training camp in Salem (MA) with Buster Crabbe; took part in the filming of the motion picture “Frogmen;” consultant for Sea Hunt; NOGI (Science, 2003); lead subject of Diary of the Depths; Harbormaster for the City of Salem from 1981 to 1991. According to Eric Hanauer, author of Diving pioneers: an oral history of diving in America (1994), “Cousteau invented (scuba diving), but Cahill introduced it to the United States.”

NOGI Award (Science, 2003)
DEMA Hall of Fame (2001)
Diver of the Year (Boston Sea Rovers, 1958)

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