The Who’s Who of Sidemount

Wes Skiles

Born in 1958, the late Wesley Cofer Skiles was a cave diving pioneer, explorer, instructor, conservationist, and Emmy-winning underwater cinematographer /photographer, who died in a rebreather diving accident near Boynton Beach, Florida, in 2010 while on assignment for National Geographic. His tragic death resulted from what could be described as a perfect storm of human factors. Wes not only had a seminal impact on the development of cave diving but was also instrumental in helping scientists and policy makers see and understand the importance and role of underwater springs in the workings of the Florida aquifer. 

Wes got started in the diving business as the manager of The Branford Dive Center and later Ginnie Springs in 1983. The following year, he became the training director for the National Speleological Society-Cave Diving Section (NSS-CDS) at the age of 26, a position he held for five years. He launched his production company, Karst Productions in 1985. Wes, along with Lamar Hires, Woody Jasper and Tom Morris created the first non-commercial sidemount systems in the US.

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DIVE DEEPER

InDEPTH: Celebrating Wes Skiles

NSS-CDS: TIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS by Tom Morris

Underwater Speleology (UWS): The Scientific Future of Cave Diving,”  by Wes Skiles Vol 14, #3 May, 1987