A Tribute to the First Lady of Scuba Diving – Zale Parry by Dan Orr

Like many others of my generation, watching the weekly episode of Sea Hunt was something not to be missed. As a young boy living near the ocean, I could imagine myself swimming through kelp (although there was no kelp in Miami), searching for treasure, fighting bad guys or rescuing beautiful, blond damsels in distress. Only later did I find out that the subaquatic heart throb was actually Zale Parry. As I entered the diving industry, I kept hearing and reading about her exploits that expanded our knowledge and enjoyment of the underwater world. She clearly demonstrated that the sport of scuba diving was for everyone. I finally had the opportunity to meet her when I was privileged to receive the Beneath the Sea Diver of the Year alongside the First Lady of Diving herself, Zale Parry. From that day forward, she was not only an industry icon to me but she was now a friend.

At a time when the deep sea was considered an exclusive domain of rugged male frogmen, Zale dove in with unmatched courage, elegance, and intelligence. She did not merely witness the dawn of recreational scuba diving; she played a pivotal role in building its foundations.

A Trailblazer in the Deep

Long before scuba was a household phrase, Zale was strapping on the earliest Aqualungs in the early 1950s. Her contribution to the sport went far beyond fandom—she was a true technical innovator and record-setter:

• Pioneering Hyperbaric Safety: Alongside her husband, Parry Bivens, Zale designed and built California’s first civilian hyperbaric chamber, advancing dive safety and equipment testing when the industry was still in its infancy.
• Breaking Depth Barriers: In 1954, while testing a new mouthpiece regulator in open water, Zale descended to 209 feet, setting a historic women’s deep-diving record. She stopped only because she hit the ocean floor, proving to the world that equipment, and women were capable of extraordinary depth.
• Mastering the Craft: She became the third woman ever to graduate from the Los Angeles County Underwater Instructor Certification Course, paving the way for female dive professionals worldwide.

The Face That Launched a Million Divers

For millions of viewers in the 1950s and 60s, Zale Parry was their very first glimpse of human beings swimming beneath the sea.

• The Voice of Safety: On Kingdom of the Sea, she brought water safety directly into American living rooms.
• The Heart of Sea Hunt: As the lead stunt double, actress, and technical advisor for the iconic TV series Sea Hunt, she did everything from performing high-stakes underwater action to teaching lead actor Lloyd Bridges how to dive.
• A Cultural Icon: Her radiance and diving prowess earned her a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated in May 1955, solidifying her status as the undisputed queen of California’s waters.
• Television Presence: In December 1960, she was a featured guest contestant on What’s My Line? She appeared alongside Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life (1954) and guest starred on the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode, The Amphibians” (1965). 

She didn’t just swim beneath the surface; she showed generations the wonder of the world beneath the waves.