44 years of age
B.S. College of Journalism, University of Florida, 1976
PADI IDC Staff Instructor 8228
SSI DiveCon Instructor 902
DAN O2 Provider Instructor 224
NACD and NSS-CDS Cave Diving Instructor #40, #165 since 1979
NACD and NSS-CDS DPV Instructor
IANTD Advanced Nitrox Instructor
IANTD Trimix Diver
Abe Davis Safety Award 1976
NACD Gold Wakulla Award 1988
Paul made his first cave dive in 1971. Since that time he has logged over 3,000 cave dives and another 2,000 open water dives. He enjoys teaching cave diving and participating in cave diving expeditions. In 1973, he made his first major discovery when he explored and named the Twin Dees system in Florida. He was a member of the original exploration team of Diepolder from the late 70's until 1990. Paul discovered Giant Cave in Belize in 1979 and served as expedition co-leader with Sheck Exley in 1982. Paul was the first diver to traverse the inland Blue Hole near Belmopan, Belize in 1982. For three months in 1987, he participated in the Wakulla Project with Dr. Bill Stone. In 1989 he served as a deep support diver for Sheck Exley in Mante, Mexico. During 1990, he teamed up with Larry Green and Jim King in the Eagle's Nest Project. In 1995 he participated in the Rio Tuerto Expedition for four weeks with the US Deep Caving Team in Huautla, Mexico. 1996 was an active year for Paul when he joined Brain Kakuk in the Conch Sound Blue Hole Exploration Project and the Ejido Jacinto Pat Exploration Project in Mexico.
In 1997 he and his wife Jill are credited with the discovery of the 310 foot deep cave system under Sistema Dos Ojos in Akumal, Mexico.
Paul Heinerth owns Scuba West Inc. the very first PADI Five Star Training Facility on the west coast of Florida. Paul began teaching open water programs in 1972 and still teaches open water classes today! His hobbies, besides cave diving, are underwater photography, wreck diving, spear fishing, bottle and shell collecting and canoeing. He has authored several articles on cave diving in periodicals and books. Paul also served as the NACD Vice President during the 1980s.
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