Dr. Terry Maas
Terry
Maas is a veteran freediver. He started diving when he was 14 years old and has been
freediving steadily for the last 47 years. In his early years Terry won the individual U.S.
National Spearfishing championships 4 times. His team won 10 championships. In 1982, his
interests turned to blue water hunting. For the next 10 years he captured 3 world records
for yellowfin and bluefin tuna ( http://freedive.net/ibsrc/fish_frms/f_bft_pa.htm
). His 398-lb Pacific bluefin tuna record still stands. In 1995, Terry published his first
book, BlueWater Hunting and Freediving.
This book is richly illustrated with pictures and stories from Mexico. Several years later
he published his second book on the subject of freediving Freedive.
Terry
studied marine biology in his undergraduate work at the University of California. He holds
3 advanced degrees, Doctor of Dental Science from University of the Pacific, Resident in
Oral Surgery from the University of Southern California and Masters of Business
Administration from Pepperdine University.
His
1992 video, Bluewater Hunters
for PBS has been viewed by over 25 million people and has helped introduce the sport
of bluewater spearfishing to the world. His
diving has been featured in such publications as Sports Illustrated, American Airlines
magazine, The Miami Herald and the Los Angeles Times. He lectures nationally using his
slides and video presentations to educate those interested in the adventure of bluewater
hunting and marine resource conservation. Terry is the director of the International Blue
Water Spearfishing Records Committee an organization that documents and maintains world
records for blue water species taken freediving. It is affiliated with the Underwater
Society of America.
Maas
is an accomplished videographer. His rare footage of wild yellowfin tuna taken at Socorro Island
is displayed in two sections of the Monterey Bay Aquarium open water exhibit. He has
produced two commercial videos, The
Joy of Freediving and Freediving
Made Easy. November 08, Terry captured video of marlin, sea-lions and
whales all attacking bait balls of sardines off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. The
footage is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2kQF7eWkIs . This
production won the first place in the 09 amature video competition at the Our World
Underwater film expo 2009 and was featured at the Boston Sea Rovers Evening film
exposition.
Terry
loves to document the underwater world on still film and in magazine articles. His recent article
documenting the natural history of manta rays was the featured as the front-cover exhibit
in Mexico Desconocido (July 2002). His articles and photographs have been
featured in such US magazines as Sport Diver, Skin Diver, Scuba Times, Western Diver
and California Diving News. Internationally,
his articles appear in Sterne (Germany), Focus (Italy), Dive New Zealand
and Australian Freediving and Spearfishing News. In 2000, he was inducted as a
fellow into the Explorers’ Club of New York.
Terry
was the principal under water videographer and co-host for the TV series SPEARGUN HUNTER
on the Outdoor Channel where he filmed 23 consecutive episodes.
Terry’s
most recent documentation project is a recreation of the marine environment off the
Channel Islands of California. He was commissioned by the National Parks Service to create a mural demonstrating
biodiversity at the islands. Using his painting of white seabass in
a kelp forest, Terry incorporated many other photographs of reef and pelagic animals
frequenting the islands.
While
Terry remains an avid hunter, he is very selective in his take and is deeply concerned
with conservation of the ocean’s bounty. He shares his underwater images of sea
creatures captured in commercial poaching nets and on hooks with many environmental
organizations. He is an active supporter of Sea Watch an organization dedicated to
the preservation of the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. In California, he is a member of the
committee to form Marine Protected Areas off the coastline.
Terry
is an expert witness for speargun and blackout related injuries.
Maas
is currently working with a broad coalition of national and international freedivers to
develop a vest for the management of freediver blackout. This device is analogous to a
biker’s helmet, a skydiver’s back-up safety chute, and the car driver’s
airbag. Initial prototype testing is underway after an investment of over 3 years of
product development and research. See www.oceanicss.com
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