Pioneering tech diver and journalist, Michael Menduno, Editor-in-Chief of InDEPTH Magazine, is recovering in a Florida hospital after suffering a stroke.
Menduno, also known as ‘M2’ introduced technical, mixed-gas diving to the scuba diving mainstream in the early 1990s through his aquaCORPS tech diving magazine.
Menduno is credited with inventing the phrase ‘technical diving’, and has won several media awards, including the OZTEKMedia Excellence Award in 2011, the EUROTek Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, and the TEKDive USA Media Award in 2018.
He also produced the first Tek, EUROTek, and ASIATek conferences, and organised Rebreather Forums 1, 2, and most recently, Rebreather Forum 4, held in Valletta, Malta in 2023.
He founded InDEPTH, the magazine of Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) with GUE founder and president, Jarrod Jablonski, in 2018.
Menduno also writes for DAN Europe and has been a regular contributor to DAN’s magazine, Alert Diver.
Posting on Facebook announcing the news, InDEPTH’s Managing Editor, Stratis Kas, wrote:
‘It is with deep regret that I share the difficult news that our dear friend Michael Menduno is currently in the hospital, recovering from a stroke.
‘Those who know Michael understand that he is a true fighter, and this challenge is no exception. He and Deb are together and fully focused on getting him stabilised and beginning the road to recovery.
‘While we appreciate that many of his friends would like to reach out, Michael is not currently able to communicate. We kindly ask that you give them the space they need to concentrate on the healing process.
‘Meanwhile, the outstanding team at InDepth will continue to develop and uphold the legacy Michael has so passionately built—keeping it strong and ready for him when he’s ready to return.’
