Pioneering technical diver and journalist, Michael ‘M2’ Menduno, has died after suffering a stroke in early September.
The news has left the scuba diving world in shock – Menduno was the first to coin the phrase ‘technical diving’ and has been an influential and charismatic force behind the tech diving industry since the 1990s.
Menduno began his writing career in 1988 with Discover Diving magazine, writing about his involvement with the Cordell Expedition, which was using deep, decompression dives to survey seamounts off the coast of California.
He started his own magazine, aquaCORPS: The Journal for Technical Diving, two years later in 1990, which ran in print until 1996.
During that time, he co-founded the first technical diving training centre in Key West, Florida, with Captain Billy Deans.
He also produced the first Tek, EUROTek and ASIATek Conferences and Rebreather Forums, including the most recent Rebreather Forum 4, which was held in Valletta, Malta in 2023.
In 2018, he co-founded InDEPTH Magazine, the magazine of Global Underwater Explorers (GUE), with GUE founder and president Jarrod Jablonski.
Menduno was also a senior editor for DAN Europe and a regular contributor to DAN’s Magazine, Alert Diver.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the InDepth editorial team wrote:
Today we grieve while honoring the force of nature we all knew as Michael Menduno.
It’s hard to find anyone in our community who wasn’t touched by Michael and the energy he infused into our sport over the decades. Even before he coined the term “technical diving” and launched AquaCorps—the first magazine dedicated to it—he was reshaping our community. As an award-winning journalist who also organized numerous conferences and social events, Michael brought explorers, scientists, and storytellers together.
From his inventive style and tenacious will to his undeterred curiosity, Michael embraced everything in his life with enthusiasm. He blended a deeply empathetic view of the world with the spirit of an investigative journalist. We can’t list these traits without acknowledging the personal touch he brought to so many of us—from a surprise birthday song to an unexpected message of kindness.
We shared many great times with Michael and a steadfast commitment to open dialogue across diverse communities. InDepth Magazine was our tribute to that vision—a place where people of all views could coexist, share perspectives, and recount their adventures. We are profoundly grateful for the magazine, which gave us countless chances to debate, learn, and explore ideas with our friend and co-founder. From this day forward, it will stand as a testament to his vision and life force.
