Hobie Billingsley - President

Hobie is more involved with the "technical aspect" of the business and is available to answer any questions on logistics and equipment.
Elizabeth Sherfield - Office Manager

Elizabeth is Hobie's youngest daughter and has taken over the office for Hobie. She will most likely be the one you will be in contact with to help you with quotations, orders, shipping information, or billing questions.

 Hobie's Diving Academy
 Expert witness in court cases involving diving accidents


Hobie's Diving Academy is a corporation that was formed in 1963 by Hobie when he established summer diving camp that continued for 26 years at Indiana University, where young boys and girls learned to dive and improve their diving talents.

During this time, Hobie began to sell Duraflex diving equipment through the corporation, for it was found to be the best equipment in the world and has continued to be so for over 40 years. Hobie has had a successful career with Duraflex and has sold nearly five million dollars' worth of their equipment. His clients have trusted him over the years because he has always made every effort to satisfy and fulfill their needs.

With the increased competition found in the sales of Duraflex equipment in recent years, every effort is being made by Hobie's Diving Academy to sell the Duraflex equipment at the lowest price while offering the best possible service and satisfaction. Hobie's association with the Duraflex Corporation had been like family over the years with excellent communication whenever delivery and order activity had occurred. Having been involved in competitive diving for over 60 years, Hobie has had a remarkable relationship with coaches and divers all over the world and has always been sensitive to their diving needs.

Hobie's Diving Academy wishes to thank all who have done business with him over the years and looks forward to continuing these business relationships now that he has retired from the ranks of active coaching. Retirement allows him even more time to serve those who are engaged in the wonderful sport of diving.

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Expert Witness Involving Diving Accidents

Hobie Billingsley has been involved in a dozen or more diving accident suits as an expert witness over the years and has never lost a case. As one of the top diving competitive coaches ever developed in the United States Hobie has a tremendous amount of diving experience to offer in such diving suits. His diving background relates strongly to the use of scientific principles based on Newton's Laws of motion. Hobie's procedure in such cases is to study the accident thoroughly and aid in what procedures should be taken to resolve the suit.

A short background of Hobie's coaching is offered here to further confirm his qualifications needed to be an expert witness:

Amateur Diving Performance:
  • Pennsylvania High School State Diving Champion
  • Big Ten low board and N.C.A.A. one meter and three meter champion as a freshman while attending Ohio State University
  • Member of "All American" national team for four years while at Ohio State

Professional Diving Performance:

Hobie performed with Bruce Harlan, 1948 Olympic Springboard Champion, a fellow Ohio State teammate, barnstorming all over the United States for 10 years doing a seven- act one- hour water show at country clubs. This act involved straight and clown springboard diving, tower diving from a 28 foot scaffold with a trampolet rigging on top, straight and comedy trampoline, comedy synchronized swimming, ending with a special speed swimming act. They also performed part of the summer in the Minneapolis Aquatennial, Seattle Seafair, and the Detroit Aquarama, which were large production water shows involving stage and water acts before an audience of five to seven thousand people each for ten evenings. After Harlan was killed in a tragic accident Hobie continued to perform with the University of Michigan Olympic diving coach, Dick Kimball, which took him all around the world performing in Europe, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and Africa.

Teaching and Coaching Background:

  • Was swimming and diving coach at Kenyon College, Gambier, and Ohio for one year.
  • Taught physical education and coached swimming and diving for two years at San Leandro High School, San Leandro, California and Allen Park High School, Allen Park, Michigan.
  • Taught physical education and coached diving at Ohio University and was acclaimed as the second person to ever be hired as a diving coach at the college level.
  • Taught physical education and coached diving to men and women at Indiana University for 31 years.
  • Graduated from Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio and earned hismaster's degree from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

Some Coaching Accomplishments:

  • Coached over 115 Big Ten, N.C.A.A., National A.A.U., U.S. Diving, Pan American, World, and Olympic Champions.
  • Had three gold and three bronze medal winners in the Olympic Games.
  • Had eighteen divers make the Olympic team.
  • Was Olympic diving coach five times.
  • Was third coach ever the coach women in any sport at the college level.
  • Swimming coach "Doc" Councilman and diving coach "Hobie Billingsley" took the Indiana University Swimming and Diving teams to win 20 Big Ten and six N.C.A.A. championships in a row plus 10 national team titles.
  • Formed the World Diving Coaches Association, which brought all of the diving coaches together from all parts of the world to exchange concepts and other diving information. This association changed the world of diving because it brought the coaches together to make friends and to expand the competitive field by creating many international meets.
  • Formed the Professional Diving Coaches Association, which brought all of the American Diving Coaches together to share their experiences and exchange information.
  • Was National Diving Coach of the year 12 times and was inducted into five Hall of Fame groups, which included the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  • Was the third recipient of the "Sammy Lee" award, which is given to the person who has given the most to diving throughout the world.
  • Has written two books on diving: "Diving Illustrated" by Hobie Billingsley and "Swimming and Diving" by Armbruster, Allen, and Billingsley.
  • After retiring in 1990, has continued to give clinics and lecture on diving to coaches and divers all over the world.

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