In the pantheon of technical diving pioneers, few figures have shaped the underwater world as comprehensively as Lamar Hires. For over four decades, this soft-spoken inventor, educator, and explorer has occupied a unique position at the intersection of cave exploration, equipment innovation, and technical diving education.

From his humble beginnings diving Florida springs in 1979 to building one of the most respected brands in technical diving, Hires has consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible beneath the surface.

Part One: The Making of a Cave Diver

From Chemical Plant Worker to Underground Explorer

Hires' journey into the depths began in 1979 when, as a 23-year-old chemical plant worker in Jacksonville, Florida, he discovered scuba diving. Like many early cave divers, his introduction to the underground was unguided and dangerous. The springs of North Florida offered the closest dive sites that didn't require boats, making them an obvious choice for weekend adventures.

His first cave diving experiences were harrowing by today's standards. At Peacock Springs, Hires and his dive buddy Mike Chapman ventured into the cave system with no formal training, no warning signs to guide them, and equipment that would be considered woefully inadequate today.

During one particularly dangerous dive, Hires ran out of gas 50 feet from the exit and performed a free ascent from depth—a scenario that could have easily proven fatal.

A Wake-Up Call from a Legend

The turning point came through a chance encounter with legendary underwater photographer Wes Skiles at Pro Dive Center. When Skiles learned about their cave diving activities, he handed them Sheck Exley's "Blueprint for Survival" and insisted they read it immediately.

The book's accounts of cave diving fatalities matched dives they had completed just days before, providing a sobering wake-up call that ultimately saved their lives.

Under Skiles' mentorship, Hires quickly developed into a skilled cave diver and instructor. By 1984, he had logged over 1,000 dives—90% of them in caves—and earned both his NAUI open water instructor rating in August and his NSS-CDS cave instructor certification in November. This rapid progression reflected both his dedication and the intensive nature of early cave diving training.

Building Standards from Chaos

The Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society (NSS-CDS) became central to Hires' development as an instructor and training innovator. He served multiple terms as Training Director and held various leadership positions, including Chairman from 1992-1994.

His involvement in developing early CDS standards included contributions to protocols now taken for granted, such as long hose configurations and the S-drill gas sharing procedure.

Hires' teaching philosophy emphasizes exploration skills over mere cave penetration techniques. "I'm trying to get cave diving training back to what it used to be—an education not just a training course to teach you how to swim down a line," he explains.

His approach ensures students learn fundamental skills like line laying, surveying, and cave location that prepare them for potential exploration opportunities.

Part Two: The Innovator Years

Dive Rite: From Necessity to Industry Standard

Filling the Equipment Gap

The 1984 flood that devastated North Florida also marked a turning point in technical diving equipment availability. Hires and fellow cave instructor Mark Leonard founded Dive Rite that year, initially offering 13 essential products that cave divers couldn't find elsewhere: primary lights, backplates, reels, webbing, lead weights, D-rings, and basic hardware.

Their timing proved fortuitous. Early cave divers were accustomed to manufacturing their own equipment out of necessity. Reels were handmade, primary lights were constructed from plexiglass sheets, and buoyancy control systems were improvised combinations of wings and jacket BCs. The diving community was ready for standardized, professionally manufactured gear.

The Backplate Revolution

Dive Rite's first major innovation was the aluminum backplate, based on designs developed by Greg Flanagan and John Zumrick. These pioneers had observed military diving setups and adapted the concept for civilian cave diving. Hires and Leonard were the first to bring backplates into mass production, establishing a foundation that remains central to technical diving configurations today.

The development of the Classic Wing followed shortly after. Designed specifically for double cylinders with proper bolt spacing and adequate lift capacity, this wing set industry standards that persist decades later. Unlike improvised solutions combining multiple buoyancy devices, the Classic Wing provided integrated buoyancy control optimized for heavy technical diving loads.

Sidemount Diving: Opening New Frontiers

From Niche Exploration Tool to Mainstream Technique

While many technical diving innovations focused on improving existing approaches, Hires was instrumental in developing entirely new diving configurations. Working alongside explorer Woody Jasper in the mid-1980s, he helped pioneer sidemount diving techniques that would eventually revolutionize the sport.

Initially, sidemount served purely as an exploration tool, enabling access to cave passages too restrictive for back-mounted doubles. The early systems were crude by today's standards—bicycle inner tubes held tank necks in position, and buoyancy control required creative solutions. However, these innovations allowed explorers to push beyond traditional cave diving limits.

In 1985, Hires wrote the first sidemount specialty program for the NSS-CDS, formalizing techniques he and his colleagues had developed through trial and error. The program focused on exploration applications rather than recreational diving, reflecting sidemount's specialized role at that time.

"I would have never thought it would become the open water diving style it is today," Hires notes, referring to sidemount's eventual mainstream adoption.

The TransPac System: Ultimate Flexibility

The TransPac system, developed in the mid-1990s, represented another breakthrough in diving configuration flexibility. Born from exploration needs during cave diving expeditions in Japan, the TransPac allowed divers to switch between singles, doubles, and sidemount configurations as conditions demanded. This versatility proved crucial for complex exploration projects requiring equipment transport through difficult terrain.

Mapping the Underground World

Hires' equipment innovations were always driven by exploration objectives. His mapping credits read like a who's who of Florida cave systems: Rock Bluff, Devil's Ear, Little River, Cow Springs, and many others. Each exploration project presented unique challenges that drove further equipment development.

One of his most significant achievements was the 1989 connection of Telford Springs and Luraville Springs in North Florida. This dive established a short-lived world record for sidemount traverse at 7,600 feet, demonstrating both the potential of sidemount techniques and the dedication required for major exploration projects.

International exploration took Hires to caves and mines in Finland, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Australia, Japan, Italy, and Russia. Each destination presented different challenges—from arctic conditions requiring specialized thermal protection to complex logistics in remote locations. These experiences informed equipment designs that would benefit the broader technical diving community.

His involvement with the International Cave Rescue/Recovery team adds another dimension to his cave diving expertise. Training rescue teams in Australia, Italy, and other countries requires deep understanding of both technical diving skills and cave environments under emergency conditions.

Part Three: The Technology Revolution

Nitrox and Dive Computers: Rewriting Decompression Theory

The late 1980s and early 1990s marked a revolution in technical diving through the introduction of nitrox and dive computers. Hires played a crucial role in both developments, helping transform cave diving from air-only deep diving to sophisticated gas management.

Working with Seiko Epson, Dive Rite developed the Bridge computer in 1992—the first user-programmable nitrox computer. This breakthrough allowed divers to input custom gas mixes and receive accurate decompression information, dramatically reducing decompression obligations compared to air diving on Navy tables.

The computer's impact was immediately apparent during testing at Madison Blue Springs. Traditional air diving profiles that required over an hour of decompression were reduced to minutes when using appropriate nitrox mixes. When multiple gas diving became possible with the NiTek3 computer, three-hour cave dives with minimal decompression became routine.

Perhaps more importantly, the Bridge introduced the first oxygen toxicity tracking algorithm for recreational dive computers. Developed by Randy Bohrer and Bill Hamilton, this CNS oxygen monitoring system became industry standard, though few divers today realize its origins. Seiko's decision to share this patent freely advanced diving safety across all manufacturers.

Rebreather Development: Solving the Caustic Cocktail Problem

The Challenge That Started It All

Hires' involvement with rebreathers began around 2003, motivated partly by a serious caustic cocktail incident involving fellow diver Joe Odom. The accident, which kept Odom out of diving for two years, highlighted the risks of traditional CO2 absorbent systems in flooding scenarios.

The O2PTIMA Solution

Partnering with Micropore to integrate their ExtendAir cartridge technology, Dive Rite developed the O2PTIMA rebreather series. The cartridge system tolerates water ingress without producing caustic cocktails, addressing a major safety concern while providing user-friendly scrubber management.

The most recent innovation is the O2PTIMA Chest-Mount (CM), launched in late 2020. This revolutionary design integrates with existing open circuit equipment, allowing divers to add closed circuit capability without completely changing their configuration. The 17-pound unit can be removed underwater for restriction navigation, used as bailout for primary rebreathers, or employed for decompression gas extension.

The chest-mount concept reflects Hires' philosophy of equipment matching mission requirements. Rather than committing to rebreather-only diving, users can choose the appropriate tool for each dive. This flexibility has particular appeal for exploration diving, where equipment requirements may change dramatically within a single dive.

Part Four: Educating the Next Generation

A Philosophy Built on Adaptability

Throughout his career, Hires has trained over 650 cave and technical divers, maintaining active instructor status with multiple organizations. His teaching philosophy emphasizes practical skills and real-world application over rigid adherence to standardized procedures.

"A good cave diver is one who learns quickly and is open to new ideas," Hires explains. His approach focuses on developing thinking divers who can adapt to unexpected situations rather than merely following predetermined protocols. This philosophy reflects the reality of cave diving, where surface support is impossible and divers must resolve problems independently.

Learning from Accidents

Accident analysis plays a central role in training evolution. By studying incidents and near-misses, training standards can be updated to address emerging risks. Hires notes that the most common technical diving accidents involve gas switching errors—breathing the wrong gas at the wrong depth. This observation has influenced his emphasis on gas management and marking procedures.

His current involvement in revising NSS-CDS standards reflects ongoing commitment to training excellence. Recent updates have eliminated outdated requirements like alkaline battery backup lights while emphasizing exploration skills that distinguish cave diving from simple cave penetration.

Part Five: The Ongoing Legacy

Still Exploring, Still Innovating

At 64, Hires shows no signs of slowing down. Recent expeditions to arctic caves in Norway with his son Jared demonstrate continued commitment to exploration. The Dive Rite team continues developing new products, including updated regulator designs and next-generation lighting systems.

The evolution from 30-watt tungsten bulbs to modern LED arrays illustrates the dramatic technological progress Hires has witnessed and driven. Today's handheld lights exceed the output of cannister lights from just a decade ago, while battery technology has eliminated many traditional reliability concerns.

Looking Toward the Future

Looking ahead, Hires identifies several exploration objectives that continue motivating equipment development. Returning to remote sections of Cow Springs with the chest-mount rebreather represents the kind of challenging project that has driven innovation throughout his career. The ability to travel light while maintaining adequate bailout gas could open exploration possibilities that were impractical with traditional equipment.

Recognition and Influence

Industry Awards and Honors

Hires' contributions have earned recognition throughout the technical diving community. Notable honors include:

• NSS-CDS Lifetime Fellow Award
• Florida Springs Exploration Award (2000)
• TEKDiveUSA Diver of the Conference (2014)
• EUROTEK Lifetime Achievement Award (2014)

His current roles include serving on the IANTD Board of Advisors and as Training Coordinator for International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery. These positions reflect ongoing commitment to advancing technical diving safety and education standards.

Sharing Knowledge

Published contributions include articles in Advanced Diver Magazine, Scuba Times, and Sport Diver Magazine, along with chapters in the NSS-CDS Cave Diving Manual and IANTD Technical Divers Encyclopedia. These writings help preserve and disseminate technical diving knowledge to future generations.

Conclusion: A Pioneer's Impact

Lamar Hires represents the best of technical diving's pioneering spirit—combining fearless exploration with methodical engineering to advance the sport's capabilities. His innovations in equipment design, training methodology, and safety systems have quite literally made possible many achievements that define modern technical diving.

Whether it's the backplate configuration used by thousands of divers, the sidemount techniques that opened new cave passages, or the rebreather safety systems that prevent tragedy, Hires' fingerprints are on nearly every aspect of contemporary technical diving.

As he continues exploring and innovating well into his seventh decade, Hires remains proof that the most important diving adventures may still lie ahead—and that one person's commitment to excellence, safety, and exploration can transform an entire sport.