Michael Menduno, editor-in-chief of the InDEPTH online diving magazine and the man who coined the term “technical diving”, has suffered a stroke and remains in hospital.
Based in Florida, Menduno, often referred to as M2, is said to be taking his first steps towards recovery with the support of his wife, though at present he remains unable to communicate.
“Michael is more than just an editor – he is a pioneer, a storyteller and a guiding voice who has given so much to all of us in the diving and technical-diving community,” stated cave-diver and contributor Stratis Kas in announcing what had occurred. “His vision, passion and tireless dedication have helped shape the way we see and share our underwater world.”
It was Menduno who started and edited the influential aquaCORPS: The Journal for Technical Diving and its sister-magazine Technical Diver. Published between 1990 and 1996, the titles played a pivotal role in bringing advanced diving techniques into mainstream awareness.
Menduno was instrumental in organising major events such as the Tek, EUROTek and ASIATek conferences and the early Rebreather Forums, as well as RF4 in Malta in 2023. He worked closely with Captain Billy Deans in the early 1990s to establish the first US technical-diving training centre.
InDEPTH has continued the tradition of high-quality tech-diving journalism established by Meduno in the ’90s, and he also writes for other diving publications. His three-part feature The Diving Technical Revolution can be found on Divernet, which wishes him a full and speedy recovery.
