Paul became one of PADI’s early dive instructors, holding certification #2222. In 1972, he left a successful law practice in his hometown, Wichita, Kansas, to pioneer today’s live-aboard diving craze as captain/owner of the M/V Cayman Diver, the Caribbean's first successful live-aboard dive cruiser. Paul’s underwater photographs have appeared in numerous magazines including Skin Diver, Ocean Realm, Sport Diver, Scuba Diving, National Geographic, Audubon, Natural History, National Wildlife, and Ranger Rick. Paul has authored two large-format underwater pictorial books and co-authored, with Ned DeLoach, twelve marine life field guides including the popular Reef Set trilogy. His concern for the welfare of the marine environment led him to cofound with Ned DeLoach, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) in 1990. In 2006 Paul received the DEMA Reaching Out Award for his lifetime achievements in the dive industry and was inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, he was honored with the NOGI award for sports and education.