2014 Northeast Diving Pioneer

Born and bred in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, Captain Bill Reddan grew up on the water, literally, in the water. As a youngster, he dove off the piers in the bay collecting coins for spending money. His navigational skills were honed working on the fishing boats. He has fond memories of his years life guarding in Coney Island and Jones Beach. These combined skills served him well when he joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC) at 18 years old. He held the position of Top Underwater Naval Survival Trainer and attained the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant.

Over the next five decades his love of the water was the focus of his recreation and his career. With his new bride, Jeanne Murphy, by his side, he continued free diving winning several competitions with trophy fish including a 65 lb. striped bass, out of Montauk, LI.

The New York City Police Department was fortunate to have had the dedicated service of Captain Bill for twenty years, and recognized his outstanding abilities by making him part of an elite NYPD SCUBA Unit. The waters of the East River and the Gowanus Canal cannot be described as pristine, but they were nevertheless exciting and full of mystery for Captain Bill who describes jumping over the side of Harbor Charlie into these murky waters as “a leap of faith.”

In addition, Captain Bill has been a commercial diver through his company, Professional Diving Services, Inc. He is especially proud of dry-docking a total of 103 ships, 86 of them belonging to the US Navy.

His personal credentials grew with PADI training and in 1973 he became a certified Master Instructor. For over 40 years he taught SCUBA, first out of the 23rd Street YMCA, Hunter College and then from the Brighton Beach YMCA, sharing with his students the wonders of exploring the ocean depths. He emphasized how to remain safe and come back alive. “Take it slow, observe, take your time and don’t try to prove anything,” he would say. “A good diver doesn’t take chances, keeps a straight head and doesn’t panic.” To potential commercial divers he recommends, “Go to school, learn your trade, be aggressive, but know your limitations.” He held his students to a high standard so they would be prepared for the worst case scenarios imaginable. Many have reported that his voice in their head kept them calm and carried them through difficult situations so they are here today to tell the tale.

Some Northeast divers may recall Captain Bill’s first dive boat, Jeanne, and then his second, the Terry, but certainly hundreds of divers will remember the Red, White and Blue of the Jeanne II docked at Pier 5 in Sheepshead Bay. The years of dive charter boat operation taking people to the local wrecks and his service to the dive community has been a labor of love as much as a career for Captain Bill. Countless divers who have heard his briefing, “Ok, boys and girls, listen up…,” proudly say they did their first dives off of the Jeanne II.

A strict instructor, he was a conscientious Captain as well. He expected a lot from his crew but was fair and caring, never asking more of anyone than he would expect of himself. He made certain the crew was always up to date on their skills and their certifications, and saw to it that each of them attained their Captain’s License and could handle all aspects of operating his boat. The dedication of his crew is unmatched and they held obvious affection for him. His crew, and those who frequented his boat, came to feel like they were “family.”

Captain Bill has long been a familiar face at Beneath the Sea. He organized and served as President of the Eastern Dive Boat Association, a recognized coalition of Northeast Dive Charter Boats. Every year he can be found setting up the booth, distributing brochures and talking to passing divers, answering questions and telling tales about the joys of diving in the local waters of Long Island, New York and northern New Jersey: waters that are his second home.

Captain Bill has been consistent in the quality and quantity of time he has given to the dive community. Throughout the years one could always count on his personal integrity, his standards of safety, his exceptionally skilled and friendly crew and the assurance that one’s personal comfort and one’s life was being overseen by a well-qualified Captain.

By Jan Raber