I first met Stan Waterman nearly thirty years ago at a diving hotel near Pappagallo, West Bay that has since “passed away”. He had already then visited Cayman many times. The place was packed with divers and we were treated to an hour’s enthralling presentation by Mr. Waterman of Cayman’s diving pleasures I would never have been able to see.

Volume 2 in the series is one everybody in Cayman should have in their library.

The Historical Diving Society, USA proudly presents the Stan Waterman film collection on DVD. Stan Waterman, one of America’s best-known and most beloved underwater cinematographers, has spent nearly sixty years filming on, under, and around the sea. From the late 1950′s into the 1970′s, Stan took his films on the lecture circuit across the United States. Speaking in churches, gymnasiums, and armories, Stan brought the adventure of underwater exploration to the nation at a time when diving as a sport was still in its infancy. His later career consisted of major motion pictures (Blue Water, White Death in 1968 and Peter Benchley’s The Deep in 1977) and television (American Sportsman, Spirit of Adventure, and Expedition Earth). His film work and ocean ambassadorship has earned Stan many awards including five Emmys, a lifetime Achievement Award from the Boston Sea Rovers, The Historical Diving Society, USA’s Hans Hass Diving to Adventure Award, the DEMA Reaching Out Award to name just a few, and most recently has been named to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. The Discovery Channel produced and broadcast a two-hour biographical special about Mr. Waterman, The Man Who Loves Sharks. Stan also sits on the Historical Diving Society, USA’s Advisory Board.

Now you can own and enjoy Stan’s films. See below for volumes currently available.

Volume 1. The Lost Treasure of the Concepción. Burt Webber’s search for, and eventual discovery of, the 17th Century Spanish treasure galleon lost in a storm on the Caribbean’s Silver Shoals. The film traces the expedition from concept to conclusion and provides insight into the life of a treasure hunter. $15.00

Volume 2. Volume two contains two films about the early days of dive travel to the Cayman Islands. Off the Wall follows Peter Benchley and his family on a diving adventure that includes pirates, shipwrecks, and giant moray eels. Unlimited Air takes us back to the Caymans but this time we travel and dive with Our World Underwater scholarship winner Lisa Truitt. $15.00

Volume 3. Beyond Jaws includes clips from Stan’s earliest dives in 1958 through filming Great White Sharks in Australia with friends Peter Benchley and Rodney Fox. Sharks are the center of attention on these dives, A Quick Trip to Three Oceans is a medley of images from many of Stan’s adventures during the 1960s and 1970s. Stan takes us to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Cocos Island, Papua New Guinea, Yap and many other exotic locations. $15.00

Volume 4. Roughing it in the Coral Sea reveals a tongue-in-cheek exposé of life aboard a multimillion dollar “hell ship”, while Fins to the Right, fins to the Left returns us to Cocos Island for a thorough shark-fest. Together the films offer nearly an hour of Stan’s delightful images and eloquent narration. $15.00

Volume 5
MORA WHEELS (24 Min.) This is the story of the Moray Wheels a Boston-based Scuba club for divers with disabilities. Produced in the 1970′s, Stan follows two students as they undergo their initial dive training in the pool at M. I. T., then make check out dives at the New England Aquarium in Boston. The students face the challenges of diving in open water at Bonaire, Netherland Antilles. $15.00

GENESIS 1-27 (9 Min.) “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Stan’s underwater imagery set to a haunting musical score won a Gold Medal at the inaugural United Kingdom Film Festival.

A BITING KIND OF SHARK (17 Min.) Eighteen years after filming Blue Water, White Death, Stan returns to Dangerous Reef, South Australia, with famed Australian shark expert Rodney Fox to once again film the Great White Shark. They are accompnaied by underwater photographers and scientists from Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Volume 6
THE WAR REEFS (41 Min.) In 1942, the small, South Pacific Island of Guadalcanal became the scene of a decisive, World War II, air-sea battle between the United States and Japan. It was a turning point in te war for the US and its allies, but a resounding defeat for the Japanese. The terrible cost of the battle can be found enumerated on the sea floor in what is now called Iron Bottom Sound for the scores of ships and aircraft that lie there.

Stan and his companions visit the waters surrounding Guadalcanal, and as they explore Japan’s sunken fleet, they discover that the debris of war has, over time, been changed, softened by the sea, and is now the home of a fantastic array of marine animals. $15.00

For more on this story go to:

http://www.hds.org/2012/07/20/stan-waterman-film-collection/