In this issue of California Diving News, we say farewell to one of our own, CDN’s longtime contributing editor Bonnie Cardone. When news of Bonnie’s death circulated through the scuba diving industry, many of Bonnie’s longtime friends, colleagues and dive buddies shared notes and remembrances telling of her influence on their lives. We’re pleased to share them with you here, as a testimonial to Bonnie’s lasting contribution to our sport.
Eric Hanauer: Author/underwater photographer/videographer
In the early 1960s I was the swimming coach at Morgan Park High School in Chicago. A young freshman, Dan Rittschof, tried out for the team. I told him, “You’re too small and slow to be a swimmer. We’ll make you a springboard diver.” In about three weeks I taught him all I knew about springboard diving, which wasn’t much. He took it from there, and became the city champion.
Fast forward about 15 years. I had given a presentation at University of California Riverside when a bearded man walked up and introduced himself. It was Dan, now Doctor Dan, with a Ph.D. in biochemistry. He told me that his sister, Bonnie Cardone, had just been hired as editor of Skin Diver Magazine. I just happened to have an article idea. My friends had found a World War II Corsair fighter plane in the waters off Laguna Beach, California. I pitched the idea to Bonnie, she bought it, and my first effort resulted in a feature article.
Additional assignments followed, and pretty soon I was a regular contributor.
Bonnie was a mentor to me and many other fledgling writers of that era, including Stephen Frink, Howard Hall, Marty Snyderman, Michael Lawrence, Rick Frehsee, Walt Stearns, and others. It’s not like she gave writing seminars, but seeing which ideas she accepted or rejected, and noting her editorial changes, made all of us better writers.
Bonnie was an avid diver, both in local waters and abroad. On two occasions, she had serious decompression illness resulting in lengthy chamber treatments. Most people would have quit, but Bonnie continued to dive, staying above 60 feet and doing extended safety stops.
For 22 years, Bonnie served as the editor of Skin Diver. That’s longer than most diving magazines existed. She said, “During my tenure we got away from babes in bikinis and that was partly my influence. I remember good things and bad things, although I wouldn’t have changed that job for anything in the world.”
Stephen Frink: Publisher, Alert Diver magazine
Bonnie Cardone entered my life at a pivotal moment. My first involvement with dive photojournalism was as a contributor to an earlier competitor of Skin Diver. I had recently opened my photo studio in Key Largo and my main gig was processing E-6 slide film and renting underwater cameras to the tourists diving Pennekamp Park and the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. I was also getting pretty steady assignments from Sport Diver. They were sending me on the road and allowing me to write a column on underwater photography, which at the time was a pretty fast track for a kid pretty new to underwater photography.
I can’t say Skin Diver was “the enemy” at that time but let’s just say the two magazines were competing entities. I was loyal to my publication, and no doubt, Bonnie was loyal to hers. Sport Diver was eventually purchased by Ziff Davis Publishing, and the company killed the title. Just like that my one and only media outlet was gone.
After a day of wondering whether my life would be darkrooms and rental cameras I worked up the courage to cold-call Bonnie at the Skin Diver editorial offices in Los Angeles. To my surprise, Bonnie took the call. She was very gracious and supportive. That conversation started my 17-year run as a photojournalist for Skin Diver, my beat being the Florida Keys and Caribbean.
As an editor, Bonnie made me a better writer. This was at a time when I truly hated writing but knew it was the only way to get my photos published. She taught me about deadlines and word counts and shooting verticals if I ever wanted one of my photos on the cover. If she hadn’t picked up the phone that day my life would have been significantly different. I doubt it would involve underwater photography without her influence.
Howard Hall: Cinematographer, Howard Hall Productions
Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, I wrote a series of equipment reviews for Skin Diver Magazine. Bonnie was the senior editor for Skin Diver at that time. Not surprisingly, the equipment I was asked to review was always an item made by a manufacturer that was advertising in the magazine. Also, not surprisingly, I was not permitted to say anything negative about the item. Sometimes, when the equipment was really terrible, this policy resulted in humorous exchanges between Bonnie and me. To appease my conscience, I would create a scathing description of the item’s deficiencies and then I would highlight that paragraph in red so Bonnie would know I expected it to be deleted before publication.
I tested all the gear I wrote about and I specifically remember reviewing the Dacor TX 1000 fin. This was a huge fin with both a foot pocket and a heel strap. It was as stiff as a board. In the article I regurgitated all the features and benefits listed on the box. Then added, in red: “But if you find yourself outside the surf wearing these fins you must remove one and use it as a belly board in order to return to the beach because it is simply impossible to kick with a pair of TX 1000s strapped to your feet.” I remember Bonnie calling me and our laughing about it on the phone. We laughed and laughed. She had the most melodious laugh. Forty years later, I still remember that conversation and Bonnie’s laughter.
Michele Hall: Director/Producer, Howard Hall Productions
“It’s been 12 years since Bonnie and I last shared ocean-time. Now, during this last week of August 2013, we’re finally at sea together again, once again sharing our long-time passion for California diving, swimming through kelp forests, marveling at the beauty of brittle star gardens, and more. We’re long-time friends coming together on the ocean… now more as equals than as it was in the early days of mentor and student. Some days it just doesn’t get any better than this.”
That’s my journal entry from August 30, 2013. The last day Bonnie and I went diving together. I saw Bonnie again after that at dive shows, and we spoke on the telephone often. But after knowing Bonnie for more than four decades, it’s this memory of our dives together that I cherish most.
I give thanks to Bonnie for enriching my life with her laughter, encouragement, grace, fortitude, and loyalty… but most of all for entrusting me with her friendship.
Marty Snyderman: CDN Senior Editor