DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #769: THE REALLY BIG "SHEW"
As I remember it (through the fog of several decades), Ed Sullivan would refer to his Sunday night TV show in the 50s and 60s as "a really big shew." Well, I did watch it pretty regularly on our black-and-white TV and enjoyed seeing that old Bug Band perform on it. I think they were called the Boll Weevils... or maybe the Beatles. However, in today's column I'm talking... er, writing... about another really big shew... the annual Long Beach SCUBA Show.
I wasn't sure I could attend this year because I was having chemo on Saturday, but thanks to my son Kevin I was driven there on Sunday and walked the "Shew" with him. After he left, I stuck around frequenting the Palau Dive Adventures booth with Chris Lubba and Dori Booth. Chris and PDA have been wonderful to me as I face my battle with cancer(s). This year they set up a raffle to help with my medical expenses. For a $5 ticket (or five for $20) you could potentially win a week of diving for two with them.
Since I can't do any dive travel currently, I didn't have to pick up all the literature for the dive travel show specials. That saved me a "ton" of "paperwork" since I usually drag lots of it home after the show. My main reason for being there (as is the case every year) is seeing so many of my dive friends in one place! The "Shew" certainly did not disappoint!
I tried to make sure I stopped by the booth of every friend who was exhibiting, and that included not only local folks but friends I've made diving around the world. The first exhibit I visited was Dive Into the Pink, started by San Diego diver, underwater photographer and cancer survivor Allison Vitsky Sallmon. It focuses on raising funds to fight cancer, primarily of the breast. Although my cancers are not in that category, it is important that we support all such battles. And I got a chance to see Anita Noneourbiz of Waterhorse Charters and Janet Pinterits at the booth.
Across the aisle was the REEF Check booth with dazzling professional mermaid Linden Wolbert dressed to the nines in one of her newly designed mermaid tails. Finally, a woman I could relate to. Linden looked fantastic in her outfit and as REEF Check's Poseidon Award winner last year, I'm very supportive of their efforts ast marine conservation.
Once inside the showroom floor, I stopped to say hi to Dale Sheckler who along with his wife Kim started the show and California Diving News. Then I visited a number of booths in "quick" succession (well as quick as my walker allowed). One of my favorite dive boat operators is Truth Aquatics so I stopped to say hi to owner Glen Fritzler. Would love to head out to the northern Channel Islands with them again. Suuz Martines' brilliant Scuba Do Rags booth was next... Suuz has made me an even more colorful character than I already am.
I couldn't miss Robert Arak's Scubatude, or Craig Yeaton's Sharky's SCUBA or James McMullin's Signature SCUBA booths and definitely not the Hollywoodivers booth to get my share of hugs from Anastasia and Nikki. It was easy to visit Dora Sandoval and Susan Long in the Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian booth next door to Palau Dive Adventures. Also got to see Susan's father, Dick Long of DUI and his wife Bonita Chamberlain Long.
I wish I could name all the wonderful friends I saw at the "really big Shew" but my chemo brain makes it hard to remember where I left my glasses or what I ate for breakfast this morning (I did eat, didn't I?). It is truly great to enjoy the company of so many divers. And if hugs alone could cure cancer, I'd be well on my way back into the water. What a great community of interesting people. And it's a lot easier seeing them at the "Shew" than waiting for them all to come out to Casino Point.
Just before I boarded a Lyft to the boat terminal courtesy of Chris Lubba and PDA, he asked me to draw the winning ticket for the raffle. Unfortunately I did not recognize the winner's name but know they and their dive buddy will have a fantastic time diving in Palau with PDA. They are one of, if not the best, dive operators I've dived with in my 56 years on SCUBA... and the critters one sees while there are "to dive for."
© 2018 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of nearly 775 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: Dive Into The Pink, Truth Aquatics, Scuba Do Rag, Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian, Palau Dive Adventures with Dr. Bill and Chris and the lovely Linden Wolbert and the not-so-lovely Dr. Bill.
As I remember it (through the fog of several decades), Ed Sullivan would refer to his Sunday night TV show in the 50s and 60s as "a really big shew." Well, I did watch it pretty regularly on our black-and-white TV and enjoyed seeing that old Bug Band perform on it. I think they were called the Boll Weevils... or maybe the Beatles. However, in today's column I'm talking... er, writing... about another really big shew... the annual Long Beach SCUBA Show.
I wasn't sure I could attend this year because I was having chemo on Saturday, but thanks to my son Kevin I was driven there on Sunday and walked the "Shew" with him. After he left, I stuck around frequenting the Palau Dive Adventures booth with Chris Lubba and Dori Booth. Chris and PDA have been wonderful to me as I face my battle with cancer(s). This year they set up a raffle to help with my medical expenses. For a $5 ticket (or five for $20) you could potentially win a week of diving for two with them.
Since I can't do any dive travel currently, I didn't have to pick up all the literature for the dive travel show specials. That saved me a "ton" of "paperwork" since I usually drag lots of it home after the show. My main reason for being there (as is the case every year) is seeing so many of my dive friends in one place! The "Shew" certainly did not disappoint!
I tried to make sure I stopped by the booth of every friend who was exhibiting, and that included not only local folks but friends I've made diving around the world. The first exhibit I visited was Dive Into the Pink, started by San Diego diver, underwater photographer and cancer survivor Allison Vitsky Sallmon. It focuses on raising funds to fight cancer, primarily of the breast. Although my cancers are not in that category, it is important that we support all such battles. And I got a chance to see Anita Noneourbiz of Waterhorse Charters and Janet Pinterits at the booth.
Across the aisle was the REEF Check booth with dazzling professional mermaid Linden Wolbert dressed to the nines in one of her newly designed mermaid tails. Finally, a woman I could relate to. Linden looked fantastic in her outfit and as REEF Check's Poseidon Award winner last year, I'm very supportive of their efforts ast marine conservation.
Once inside the showroom floor, I stopped to say hi to Dale Sheckler who along with his wife Kim started the show and California Diving News. Then I visited a number of booths in "quick" succession (well as quick as my walker allowed). One of my favorite dive boat operators is Truth Aquatics so I stopped to say hi to owner Glen Fritzler. Would love to head out to the northern Channel Islands with them again. Suuz Martines' brilliant Scuba Do Rags booth was next... Suuz has made me an even more colorful character than I already am.
I couldn't miss Robert Arak's Scubatude, or Craig Yeaton's Sharky's SCUBA or James McMullin's Signature SCUBA booths and definitely not the Hollywoodivers booth to get my share of hugs from Anastasia and Nikki. It was easy to visit Dora Sandoval and Susan Long in the Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian booth next door to Palau Dive Adventures. Also got to see Susan's father, Dick Long of DUI and his wife Bonita Chamberlain Long.
I wish I could name all the wonderful friends I saw at the "really big Shew" but my chemo brain makes it hard to remember where I left my glasses or what I ate for breakfast this morning (I did eat, didn't I?). It is truly great to enjoy the company of so many divers. And if hugs alone could cure cancer, I'd be well on my way back into the water. What a great community of interesting people. And it's a lot easier seeing them at the "Shew" than waiting for them all to come out to Casino Point.
Just before I boarded a Lyft to the boat terminal courtesy of Chris Lubba and PDA, he asked me to draw the winning ticket for the raffle. Unfortunately I did not recognize the winner's name but know they and their dive buddy will have a fantastic time diving in Palau with PDA. They are one of, if not the best, dive operators I've dived with in my 56 years on SCUBA... and the critters one sees while there are "to dive for."
© 2018 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of nearly 775 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: Dive Into The Pink, Truth Aquatics, Scuba Do Rag, Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian, Palau Dive Adventures with Dr. Bill and Chris and the lovely Linden Wolbert and the not-so-lovely Dr. Bill.
