James F . Cahill James F . Cahill ( 1926 – February 28 , 2008 ) was one of the pioneers of scuba diving , in essence helping to create the sport and industry . Cahill was the first man to scuba dive in New England waters , one of the first Navy SEALs and a co - founder of National Association of Underwater Instructors ( NAUI ) according to published accounts . One account stated , " Cousteau invented ( scuba diving ) , but Cahill introduced it to the United States . " Career . Cahill served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy in both World War II and the Korean War , and joined one of the first classes of the U . S . Underwater Demolition Team , code - named the " Amphibious Rogers " , which preceded the formation of the Navy SEALs . He served as head of Boston Harbor security for the U . S . Navy . At the end of his active naval career , Cahill transferred to the Virgin Islands to participate in the filming of the motion picture " Frogmen " and took an active lead in developing the commercial and recreational scuba diving industry . Cahill is widely credited as being the first person to scuba dive in New England waters , and possibly on the entire US Eastern seaboard . In the 1950s , Cahill founded the Hui Kai scuba training camp on Children ' s Island in Salem , MA along with his business partner Buster Crabbe , the then well - known original Tarzan actor . He also served as a consultant to the actor Lloyd Bridges during the popular television series of the late 1950s " Sea Hunt . " Cahill then founded and served as the president of New England Divers , Inc . , headquartered in Beverly , MA which became the nation ' s first and largest chain of commercial scuba diving stores and training centers . Cahill expanded New England Divers ' operations to locations throughout the United States . As a pioneer of scuba diving , he assisted many state and local police departments , as well as the U . S . Navy , U . S . Coast Guard and Air Force in early underwater investigations , rescue missions and training sessions , many of which received broad media coverage . One case that received headlines at the time , was the Clark murder case , where Cahill recovered the murder weapon that had been discarded in the Merrimack river . The Navy also hired Cahill to photograph the Texas Towers off the Atlantic Coast — and he was placed in charge of the recovery mission for the Texas Tower 4 collapse , below sea level , coordinating both Navy and New England Divers personnel in the mission . Cahill and his team made more than 25 dives to 200 feet for the mission . Cahill was also active in promoting scuba diving , serving as a member of the founding Board of Directors of the National Association of Underwater Instructors ( NAUI ) along with Jacques Cousteau . He also served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Governor ' s Committee to study scuba diving ; served as a member of the Massachusetts Governors Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission ; and as a member of the Massachusetts Governors Civil Defense Advisory Commission . In 2003 , the industry acknowledged Cahill ' s early leadership when the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences presented him with the distinguished NOGI award for Science . This elite diving award , which was first presented in 1960 , is voted on solely by the surviving prior recipients . It was presented to Cahill for his reputation as a leader and innovator within the scuba industry . Cahill was also Harbormaster for the City of Salem from 1981 to 1991 , and the main subject of the book , " Diary of the Depths " .