AYISHA & Canadian visitors

[Sam Miller III]

The Canadians are in California..

Had a telecom early this am from the Bottom Scratcher. The Canadians arrived yesterday dove all over island -- enjoying Catalina diving and SoCal weather. They were making their first jump at Lion's head, then moving around the island to other well known locations.

Will have a conducted tour of the Catalina Chamber prior to departure for San Pedro.

Spending the night on the Queen Mary..

All is well..

SDM

 

[Ayisha]

Hi Dr Sam! Sadly, most of our group returned today from SoCal. The other two are with you, having a great time, I'm sure!
We did enjoy beautiful weather around Catalina for 2 hot, sunny days - making up to 4 dives per day exploring the life amid the kelp forest, grotto, and surrounding area around the island. It was very nice meeting and diving with your son, Dr Sam Miller IV. Sam was a blast, making jokes and ensuring everyone was having fun and keeping safe. Sam shared tricks in catching lobsters and brought his huge hand-made speargun. Sam arranged and assisted in giving us a very informative tour of the Catalina recompression chamber. For those who don't know, Sam used to work at the Catalina chamber and is a dive medicine specialist. It was great having that insight into dive medicine and the opportunity to explore the chamber - somewhere I hope to never need to go...

On Thursday, we checked into the Queen Mary, and Sam gave us a tour of the cruise ship before he headed home to his family. What a beaut!

The following day, Friday, we visited the Aquarium of the Pacific, which was neat. Again, I believe with Sam's help, we had a behind the scenes tour of the Aquarium, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Some of us visited the Russian Submarine near the Queen Mary. We dove at Laguna Beach, seeing all kinds of life in the swimthroughs and crevices. Sam had returned home after the liveaboard and brought back his lovely wife and 2 very young adorable daughters to Laguna Beach for the day and for a great dinner afterward.

On Friday night, we headed to hollywood. On Saturday, we visited the Hollywood Bowl and walked around our hotel area. We spent the rest of the day at the Santa Monica pier. What a lively place! There was lots of live entertainment, people watching and shopping, and then we topped it off with a great Mexican meal on a patio overlooking the ocean, watching and listening to live music. That evening, we explored Sunset Blvd, yet another fun, lively area!

On Sunday, we did a tour of the star's homes and ogled all the multi-million dollar homes and oodles of Lambourghini's, Ferrari's, and Bentleys through Beverley Hills. We saw Peter Falk (Columbo) outside his home and got a picture. Then we spent the rest of the day at Universal Studios, and had a great time "riding the movies". Some of us went to the classic car museum. Some of us went off to Pismo Beach to visit Dr Sam Sr. The rest of us caught the red-eye to Chicago, and then a connecting flight to Toronto, and here we are, safe and sound at home.

We really appreciate that Dr Sam Jr took time out of his busy schedule to show us a good time. It was a shame, however, that you could not join us. See you sometime soon, hopefully! :blinking:

 

[Sam Miller III]

Aysiha,

Judging from your post, the telephone conversations with Dr. Sam IV and the pictures shared by Alex and Diana in the comfort of my home you experienced a once in a life time trip. Perfect crossing, perfect weather and certainly perfect diving conditions.

The boat the "Bottom Scratcher" was originally launched and operated for a lengthy period by Bill Johnson a member of the famous Bottom Scratcher Spear fishing club of San Diego, therefore the name. The Bottom Scratchers, which were organized in 1933 are acknowledged as the first consequently the oldest dive club in the world. There are about a half dozen remaining of the original 19 members

Captain Greg Elliot is probably has the most longevity and is the most experienced dive boat charter captains in the fleet. He has also been a commercial diver and is a veteran dive instructor.

Dr Sam IV has completed a four year residency in ER and is currently in a fellowship for Diving Medicine in San Diego. So he is well versed and you and yours were well protected for all emergencies. While completing his undergraduate studies he was also was the chief deckhand for Captain Greg.

Sam IV brought his long gun for a specific purpose--for you to fire. FYI it is a typical California homemade gun; over 6 feet long, advanced trigger, 3-100 pound modulus slings etc. When fired from prone position it kicks upward and concurrently pushes the shooter backwards. It was all planned that you at 100 pounds would have the honor of firing it; and there was a cine photographer on the trip who was going to be recording the event...Unfortunately time was precious and the event didn't occur..so next year.

The chamber tour

Karl Huggins, the director of the chamber is world renown in professional circles for his studies and hyperbaric treatment .

Lorraine Bemis Saddler is a very long term resident of Catalina and is in second in Command of the Chamber. She too is a veteran instructor, a SSI Pro 5000 recipient and a member of the "Women divers hall of Fame."

While an undergraduate Dr. Sam IV was the recipitant of the NAUI fully paid scholarship for the chamber operators course. He also holds the Catalina record for the longest chamber treatment of 14 plus hours, the result of a double fatality that occurred on Chamber day many years ago.

The Queen Mary

Yes Sam IV certainly knows his way around the QM--many parties and social events in his lifetime on the QM

Aquarium of the Pacific

Sam IV, Gordon Bovin (Laguna Sea Sports) are friends of Paul Dimeo, the diving safety officer (DSO) of AofP and arranged the behind the scenes tour. Consider your self fortunate, very very few are privileged to have a escorted behind the scenes tour.

Laguna Beach

Laguna Sea Sports is the oldest continually active dive shop in Orange county (The OC.) Established over 50 (almost 60) years ago it has had a number of names,locations and owners, however has been in present location since 1960s.

Shaws Cove is also very historical as related to recreational diving. It was here that the "first volleys were fired" to establish the famous Laguna Beach Dive Ordnance in the early 1960s. In those days it was a secluded cove that could only be reached by a one lane tree lined dirt path..and the city official who lived at Shaws wanted to keep it that way, so the "ordnance" was proposed and later adapted with much resistance and input from several local concerned and involved diving personalities; sadly only two remain.. One very Ill and the other is writing about the Battle of Laguna in his book.

Yes the granddaughters are adorable! The oldest is not yet two but has already experienced breathing compressed air from the microminiature unit of her father which was assembled over 40 years ago for Sam IV and his sisters. Interesting that when he was evacuated during the recent SD fire storms it was one of the first items he packed..evidently it has been elevated to the status of a family heirloom....

Alex and Diana ventured north for a whirlwind visit that ended all to soon. However we did have the opportunity to visit a number of dive sites, dive shops and chatted diving 24-7 in addition to visiting the requisite tourist traps.

But to all events there is a beginning, a middle and an end...

So now you know the "rest of the story.."

sdm,111

.

 

[Ayisha]

Thanks Dr Sam!

Ayisha,

When fired from prone position it kicks upward and concurrently pushes the shooter backwards. It was all planned that you at 100 pounds would have the honor of firing it; and there was a cine photographer on the trip who was going to be recording the event...Unfortunately time was precious and the event didn't occur..so next year.

Me??! I had no idea. I stayed away from that thing... :scared:

I hope to see you and Sam Jr in Toronto next summer! :blinking:

 

[drbill]

Ah, Lorraine is not just a member of the Women Diver's Hall of Fame, but a charter member! Glad you enjoyed your dives off Catalina, Ayisha... I'm out here on "the other West Coast" watching Conch Republic ScubaBoard members including NetDoc himself raking in the shark's teeth off Venice.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Ah, Lorraine is not just a member of the Women Diver's Hall of Fame, but a charter member!

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You are so correct!

Lorriane has many many honors accumulated during her almost one half century of recreational diving-- so numerous that time and space does not permit listing them.

She is indeed a rare jewel of the underwater world and certainly an inspiration to both felmale and male divers through out the universe.

sdm

 

[Ayisha]

Thanks Dr Bill and Dr Sam. We did enjoy ourselves very much and it's probably going to become an annual trip for our LDS, Scuba 2000.

I didn't realize any of Lorraine's achievements until you both mentioned them above. I will look her up in the Women Diver's Hall of Fame website. She was talking with Karl and our LDS owner, Alec, about still diving with a really old computer that I believe Karl designed - can't recall the name. Alec used to dive with that computer, and being a vintage collector, still has it and some of the parts. I think Lorraine was looking for some parts for that computer... So I deduced she had been diving for some time, but had no idea of the significance... Thanks for the info.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Thanks Dr Sam!

Me??! I had no idea. I stayed away from that thing...

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You Canadian Women!

......Won't touch a spear gun?

Diana walked into my office and was immediately confronted by my old Bottom Scratcher gun--It has always been a magnet for diving visitors but she avoided it as if it was some sort of a wild beast! It is an antique that has seen better days and in current state absolutely harmless--yet it does have a certain amount of intrigue as a spear gun. Designed in 1939 by the Bottom Scratchers, 6 &1/2 feet tall, only 120 or so were custom made for a select number of spear fisherman; I was lucky to have been one who was fortunate


At breakfast a few moments later she was looking out the kitchenette window at a distant hill and inquiring if we had seen deer on it.....Seems both she and Alex had shot a deer in Canada a week before coming on the trip...

Canadian women.....

sdm