During the 1928 FINA Congress in Amsterdam, a report of the Diving Sub-Committee was unanimously carried as follows: “Owing to the fact that at the meetings of the Congress, the various proposals concerning the alterations of the diving rules cannot be dealt with in a satisfactory way, and with regard to the fact that the actual rules relating to the execution of the dives and to the duties of the diving judges are in some ways inadequate and inaccurate, this Congress authorises the FINA Bureau to appoint a Committee of a permanent character, consisting of five Members, one of them being entrusted with the functions of Honorary Secretary of this Committee, which shall consider all diving matters and make their unanimous proposals to the FINA Committee within one year, the Congress giving full powers to the latter to alter the diving rules accordingly. This decision shall be incorporated in the handbook as a new rule.” The first FINA Technical Committee was born.

The chairmanship of the diving committee has been held of late by Thomas E. Gompf (USA, 1988-2000), an Olympic medallist (third in the 10m platform in 1964), Kathy Seaman (CAN, 2000-2005), the first woman to take the role, and, since 2005, by Jesus Mena (MEX), another Olympic medallist (third in the platform in 1988). 

Successive Honorary Secretaries since 1952: G. Matveieff (GBR, 1953-1968), L. Van de Ven (BEL, 1969-1972), Peter Heatly (GBR, 1973-1984), Eldon C. Godfrey (CAN, 1984-1988), Jack Sanders (AUS, 1988-1992), Toivo Ohman (SWE, 1992-1996 & 2000-2005), Sven Egil Folvik (NOR, 1996-2000) and Kathy Seaman (CAN) since 2005.