After coming to PADI, he oversaw the introduction of the Recreational Dive Planner – the world’s most popular dive tables, and created the PADI SAFE diver campaign, which reminds divers to “Slowly Ascend from Every dive.” A member of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and the South Pacific Undersea Medicine Society (SPUMS), Richardson has authored dozens of papers and participated in countless workshops. He was also a contributing author to Bennett and Elliott’s Physiology and Medicine of Diving, 5th ed., which is considered the primary authoritative work for doctors and physiologists in the field of diving medicine. He has been recognized for his contributions to diver safety with the 1992 DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year award, as well as with the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society’s Craig Hoffman Memorial Award for 2000.
Going beyond the health and safety of divers, Richardson has also been very involved in the health and diversity of the aquatic world. A co-developer of the Project AWARE program, which promotes underwater awareness, responsibility and education, Richardson now sits on the board of directors of Project AWARE Foundation. In this capacity, he was invited to speak at this year’s International Year of the Reef campaign launch in Washington D.C. to help the program call attention to coral reefs as the safeguard of the underwater environment.
The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame was founded in 2000 by the Cayman Island’s Ministry of Tourism to develop a relationship between the Cayman Islands and the individuals devoted shaping the sport of diving. It holds world-class standards for the inductees, and is dedicated to finding those that go above and beyond its requirements. Richardson joins other great scuba diving legends including Jacques Cousteau, Lloyd Bridges, Al Giddings, Stan Waterman and PADI’s Ralph Erickson, John Cronin and Jack Lavanchy.
To view a brief video about Richardson presented during the Awards Ceremony, click here: http://www.scubahalloffame.com/images/video/2008/richardson.html
PADI congratulates Drew Richardson on this monumental achievement.
