Lets see if I can stir the pot...
For me it began with my grandmother who was on a boat that sunk in the Ohio river in the middle of the night . She hung on to a board for many hours until and she was rescued at daylight. She, rightfully so , was terrified of water which she passed on to my mother.
My mother was determined I would not have the same fear of water as she had experienced her entire life so at a very young age I was enrolled in swimming classes at the local YMCA I was a pre -teen when I contacted a very severe eye infection from the chorine or lack of chorine - it was WW11.
The answer was found at a relatives sporting goods store in a pair of professional swimming googles . This opened up a a new world for me.
I often visited with my grandfather who's farm had a 10 acre lake. I began experimenting with methods of impaling fish - all without success but I was gaining experience ...
Lets end it here --Its a long and involved story (read more in my forth coming book)
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1948
Self contained diving appeared one day in the great Dr. Hans Hass B&W movie Under the red sea , Dr Hass and his companions were actually swimming around underwater ( swim diving) in a thing called a rebreather.
I shared this discovery with my cousin Clifton who had just graduated with a degree in mining engineering. He indicated it was a mine safety device that we could construct one out of MSE & WW 11 surplus items -- and we did, We dove it two times after hours in a local swimming pool and then hung it up -- too dangerous we were using baro lime as a desiccant
That was the summer of 1948..
That winter in December 1948 a classmate cut out an article for me from Science Illustrated titled The first of the men fish by James Dogan-- this was the first US article which introduced compressed air-self contained diving and JY Cousteau to the US. "Cousteau diving" as JYC wanted this kind of diving to be called in US. We fooled him, we in SoCal called it 'Lung diving.' Which is now internationally known as "SCUBA diving." A name adapted from Dr. Chris Lamberson's WW11 rebreather the "LARU."
The genesis of recreational SCUBA diving in the US had begun with a B& W movie and a article from an obscure scientific magazine
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Some years ago, Skin Diver Magazine aka SDM conducted a 25 year study at five (5) intervals of diver participation and retention within the sport of skin & SCUBA diving . I was "honored ???" to have received copies which were intended to be only available to advertisers and especially the emerging dive industry
These five studies conducted over 25 years revealed that the average diver had a longevity, as I recall after the passage of time as 2.9 active years.
That was over 30 years ago, when the diving population was concentrated in SoCal, I now, with with world wide acceptance and increased participation expect the diver longevity and retention to be increased . But - How much ? God Only Knows (GOK) since those SDM surveys, there has been no valid surveys.
However, if SCUBA Board longevity is an indicator the original SDM surveys are apparently still valid .
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In 1993 Harry Backstein collected and published the monumental 435 page "Whos Who in SCUBA Diving; the golden anniversary of SCUBA Diving." In this incredible book he provides a short biography of individuals, companies, tour and resort operators and retail dive stores in the US . I was afforded a half page as was my son who was emerging as a recognized diver in SoCal. Harry sent me two copies; one is a mint copy inscribed to me and the second i have been utilizing as a well-used working reference copy.
Today I thumbed through my working copy and was amazed at the number of Individuals, many who had been friends and diving companions who were no longer with us. The same applied in the other sections of the book, so many slipped away into the dust of diving.
If you don't have the book in your dive library, I highly recommend acquiring a copy
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When was the beginning of recreational diving ?
I suspect it depends who you chat with?
The precious few remaining SoCal divers who were contemporaries of the pioneers, Gilpatric (who lived and passed away in Santa Barbara) Charlie Sturgil, of L A who began with modified goggles in 1929 (check my story "The Mask"- only 3 remain ) The Bottom Scratchers of San Diego who formed a club in 1930s and finally those who migrated into the sport after WW 11 and Korea police action when diving was in its infancy -- Fins mask & snorkel tank and regulator-- no exposure protection, instrumentation or flotation
Some considers Sea Hunt or the Underwater world of Cousteau as the beginning Then there are many who are brain washed to believe it began when they honored the diving world with their presence.
I recall our visit to the famed New Mexico Blue Hole, a big fresh water "swimming pool" 90 feet in diameter X 80 feet deep with shoulder to shoulder "divers." My wife Betty and I played tourist. walking around the parking lot chatting with the participants; students and instructors. We engaged a friendly super duper PADI instructor in a conversation about diving.
We were informed PADI started it all ! Before PADI there was no diving! No books. magazines movies, organizations or certifications, PADI started it all !! (he gulped down a lot of PADI cool aid )
The instructor presented me with his Official PADI business his card concurrently stating we were not too old to lean to dive. I noticed his PADI instructor number had a lot of zeros behind it. It took herculean effort not to inform him my PADI instructor number was thee digits, number 241 and was personally presented to me by John Cronin, founder of PADI after he became US Divers GM and when I was teaching the US Divers company SCUBA Courses.
Since that event I have noticed that a large percentage of PADI instructors apparently magically acquire the same attitude. There was no diving until they and PADI graced the underwater world. today as a result of that meeting I seldom mention that I am a PADI instructor
Today it appears we have several categories of divers:
*The precious few remaining SoCal pioneer divers
**Sea Hunt affictionanados
***The world of Cousteau
****The modern hero Instructor
What defines a "diving generation?" I suspect it is based on who you chat with and how long and involved they are in the sport
SDM
