David Stevens Clark is an American open water swimmer , coach, paddler , or Catalina Channel Swimming Federation observer from California. He was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2004 as an Honor Administrator . He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation and is a lifetime member of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation where he took part in over half of all Catalina Channel swims between 1984 and 2004. He served as a member of the board of directors of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame prior to organizational structural changes in 2015.