The Hans Hass Fifty Fathoms
Award Committee
CHAIRMAN
The Honourable
Krov Menuhin (Australia)
Krov is internationally known for his lengthy
career in underwater film and photography,
working with the BBC and Channel 4 in
the UK, and 25 years with the French
programme Ushuaia, among others. His
diving background includes both military
and commercial diving and he is the author
of numerous maritime articles published
internationally. He was a longtime friend of
Professor Hass, who personally appointed
him as Chairman of the Committee.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Leslie Leaney (England)
The founder of the Hans Hass Fifty
Fathoms Award and one of the industry’s
few recognised diving historians, Leslie
learnt to dive in Singapore in 1969. In 1992
he co-founded the Historical Diving Society
USA and in 1993, he founded the Journal of
Diving History. The recipient of numerous
industry awards for his historical work, he
was inducted into the International Scuba
Diving Hall of Fame in 2012.
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incorporated Morgan’s modifications into their
Mistral production, which gave him the confidence
to later develop and engineer his own diving
equipment. US Divers stayed in touch with
Morgan and in 1956 published his very popular
book ‘Diving With Safety’, based upon his earlier
writings at LA County.
By 1957 Morgan sold up and left on a sailing/
diving adventure to the Cocos Islands. Back in
California in 1959, he started commercial abalone
diving using surface supplied free-flow heavy
bronze masks made by Widolf. To supplement
his sporadic income, he partnered with two
friends and returned to manufacturing wetsuits.
However, Morgan’s second entry into the wetsuit
market was aimed not at divers but at Southern
Californian surfers, who had shunned using suits
as a sign of masculinity.
Morgan focused on establishing a market for
surf suits, and using his connections and some
smart marketing, he eventually succeeded. His
business plan rewarded the top 100 surfers for
wearing his suit during the same week. After
that week Morgan had 1,000 suit orders. But
his partners rebelled against making surf suits.
Morgan, with one sewing machine and a pile of
neoprene, knew he had created a financial winner
but his partners quit on him.
DIRECTOR
Ernest Brooks II (USA)
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As the owner of the Brooks Institute of
Photography, Ernie pioneered course-taught
underwater photography. His extensive
portfolio was highlighted in his book, Silver
Seas, and his work is displayed in galleries
and museums around the globe. Following
the art of black and white underwater
photography established by Professor Hass,
Ernie was the recipient of the first Hans Hass
Fifty Fathoms Award.
DIRECTOR
Laurent Ballesta (France)
As an accomplished marine biologist and
underwater filmmaker and photographer,
Laurent has spent his career pushing
the boundaries of diving. He rose to
international acclaim and attention with his
series of dives past 100 metres and was the
first diver to film the coelacanth, the living
fossil, in its deep natural habitat. He was
the recipient of the 2013 Hans Hass Fifty
Fathoms Award.