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60 years ago today May 31, 1951--
The local news paper is in the process of writing an article on my long term involvement in the underwater world..They asked for a CV to guide the reporter.. this was my response regarding my personal dive library...
60 Years of Spear fishing & SCUBA diving
SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) was developed in France in 1943 and first imported into the US by a NYC company about 1948 reaching the west coast about 2 years later. It was almost immediately acepted by the young sun loving beach going aquatic southern Californians. I was no exception I had been " Goggleing" for several years previously..
I made my frist SCUBA dive at Divers Cove on May 31 1951 using bowered equipment, clad in the costume of the era, a baggy bathing suit, covered with surplus long underwear, which was inturn held in place by another baggy bathing suit with my torso covered with a wool WW11 kakhi shawl sweater, a pair of green Churchill fins on my feet and a crude oval Sea Net mask covered my face, with the warning "exhale when you come up" I entered the water for my first SCUBA dive and from that time to the present my life has been devoted to the underwater world. (>> Instruction, wet suits, SPGs were 4 years away, PFD many years in the future)
Some of the highlights of my bibliophila and Diving Library
PERSONAL LIBRARY
I have a complete bound set of "Skin Diver Magazine" (SDM) (1951 to it's demise) including most every diving equipment catalog published and all Underwater Film Festival programs. This is the only set of its kind in existence any where in the world.
In August 1960 appeared on the cover of SDM
In February 1960 selected, featured and honored as the frist guest editor of SDM--"Sign post to saftey --The divers flag"
I also have a extensive collection of Skin Diver magazine covers inscribed to me by Art Pender, (1954) Ron Merker (1955) Bev Morgan (1961) Jack Prodanovich (1953) Wally Potts (1957) and numerous other diving notables as well as personalities such as singer John Gary movie stars Lloyd Bridges and Tony Francioso ,
All of the famous diving artist John Steel SDM covers have been inscribed to me, I also own several of his pictures, incuding one of me spearing a fish as a young 20 year old at Catalina (John and the picture was featured in SDM)
I also have complete bound sets of Dive, NDA News, American Scuba Diver, Aquarius, "Water World", "Underwater", "Fathom", "Sport Diving, "Underwater Photographer", California Diver, Pacific Diver, SCUBA PRO Diving and Snorkeling, Diving and Snorkeling Quarterly Ocean Realm, all of which are no longer published. Maintain and bind current sets of Dive Training, Sport Diver, Historical Diver (USA), Historical Diving Times (UK), and HDS Notizie (Italy).
Have the only known complete set of Pacific and Atlantic Underwater News, published from 1966 to 1971. It was the first newspaper devoted entirely to the underwater world. Appeared in numerous issues of this publication
I also have what is considerd the largest and most complete set of civilian dive training manuals begining with the Spaco manual of 1949 to about 1980.
I also have all the USN diving manuals beginning with the original 1905 "Manual for Divers" to the conversion to electronic format
I have published approximately two hundred articles on sport diving in the NAUI News, Los Angeles County Underwater News, Skin Diver, Dive, Discover Diving, Aqua Corps, Historical Diver, Hawwian Skin Diver, Arizona Diving News, Southwest Diver Magazines, Historical Diving Times (UK), Free Diving and Spear Fishing News (Australia). Surprisingly my first published article in 1964 was a six page-two part article on diving Jade Cove in Monterey County, even though I lived at the time in Orange county.
From June 1999 to August 2002 I wrote a twice-monthly column Dive Bubbles for the five cities Times Press Recorder (TPR) newspaper. It is reported that this column was the first and only regularly scheduled diving newspaper column in California and possibly the United States.
I also had dedicated columns in Discover Diving "The way it was" Historical Diving Journal "Diving facts from Sam's Almanac," Arizona diving news "Our diving heritage," South west diver "Our diving heritage"
I have collected and maintain an extensive 1000 plus volume historical diving library, the majority of which are rare and out of print. Many have been personally inscribed by the authors who were also friends and diving companions,in addition to being noted diving authorities;Leon Lyons, Dr. Bruce Halstead, F.M. Roberts, Bill Royal, John Reseck Jr., Dr. James Dugan, Clint Degn, John D. Craig, Dick Schroeder, two (2) Eugenie Clark, two (2) by Bill Barada & Lloyd Bridges, two (2) by Dr. Terry Mass, two (2) by Francis "Doug" Fane and (6) six by Sir Arthur C.Clarke, six (six) by Dr. Hans Hass, five (5) by Lotte Hass, seven (7) by Clive Cussler and seven (7) by J.Y. Cousteau and many more too numerous to list
I have a bound edition of James Dugan's 1948 "First of the menfish" which introduced J.Y. Cousteau and self contained diving to the US.
My Diving library which consumes an entire room and part of a hall in my home is considered the the worlds largest, most complete, and since I began collecing over fifty years ago the most prestine divng library by the diving world's leading diving bibliophiles.
In May 1996 I organized and hosted the very first US diving bibliophile meeting in my home. It was attended by diving bibliophiles from the western US and via telephone from through out the US. The event was covered and featured on the front page of the local news paper and two pagesd was devoted to the event in the Historical Dive magazine
In 1999 to celebrate the passing of J Y Cousteau I was requested to place a book/equipment display in the local library. This month long display was also featured in front page articlein the local news paper complete with a full color picture .
Currently I devote my retirement time to historical research, writing a book and I am involved as a guest lecture and occasional consultant for the SLO County Sheriffs Underwater Search and Rescue team
And the list continues..so many adventures, so many stories......
Now in my eight decade of life I often take time to reflect back to that sunny day in 1951-- 60 years ago-- when I made my first SCUBA dive...
Now you know... just a little about me
The entire collection will go to my son who is a local ER/Hyperbaric doctor-- Also a Pro 5000, NAUI (Life) and PADI Instructor
sdm .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Reply to Thread
The local news paper is in the process of writing an article on my long term involvement in the underwater world..They asked for a CV to guide the reporter.. this was my response regarding my personal dive library...
60 Years of Spear fishing & SCUBA diving
SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) was developed in France in 1943 and first imported into the US by a NYC company about 1948 reaching the west coast about 2 years later. It was almost immediately acepted by the young sun loving beach going aquatic southern Californians. I was no exception I had been " Goggleing" for several years previously..
I made my frist SCUBA dive at Divers Cove on May 31 1951 using bowered equipment, clad in the costume of the era, a baggy bathing suit, covered with surplus long underwear, which was inturn held in place by another baggy bathing suit with my torso covered with a wool WW11 kakhi shawl sweater, a pair of green Churchill fins on my feet and a crude oval Sea Net mask covered my face, with the warning "exhale when you come up" I entered the water for my first SCUBA dive and from that time to the present my life has been devoted to the underwater world. (>> Instruction, wet suits, SPGs were 4 years away, PFD many years in the future)
Some of the highlights of my bibliophila and Diving Library
PERSONAL LIBRARY
I have a complete bound set of "Skin Diver Magazine" (SDM) (1951 to it's demise) including most every diving equipment catalog published and all Underwater Film Festival programs. This is the only set of its kind in existence any where in the world.
In August 1960 appeared on the cover of SDM
In February 1960 selected, featured and honored as the frist guest editor of SDM--"Sign post to saftey --The divers flag"
I also have a extensive collection of Skin Diver magazine covers inscribed to me by Art Pender, (1954) Ron Merker (1955) Bev Morgan (1961) Jack Prodanovich (1953) Wally Potts (1957) and numerous other diving notables as well as personalities such as singer John Gary movie stars Lloyd Bridges and Tony Francioso ,
All of the famous diving artist John Steel SDM covers have been inscribed to me, I also own several of his pictures, incuding one of me spearing a fish as a young 20 year old at Catalina (John and the picture was featured in SDM)
I also have complete bound sets of Dive, NDA News, American Scuba Diver, Aquarius, "Water World", "Underwater", "Fathom", "Sport Diving, "Underwater Photographer", California Diver, Pacific Diver, SCUBA PRO Diving and Snorkeling, Diving and Snorkeling Quarterly Ocean Realm, all of which are no longer published. Maintain and bind current sets of Dive Training, Sport Diver, Historical Diver (USA), Historical Diving Times (UK), and HDS Notizie (Italy).
Have the only known complete set of Pacific and Atlantic Underwater News, published from 1966 to 1971. It was the first newspaper devoted entirely to the underwater world. Appeared in numerous issues of this publication
I also have what is considerd the largest and most complete set of civilian dive training manuals begining with the Spaco manual of 1949 to about 1980.
I also have all the USN diving manuals beginning with the original 1905 "Manual for Divers" to the conversion to electronic format
I have published approximately two hundred articles on sport diving in the NAUI News, Los Angeles County Underwater News, Skin Diver, Dive, Discover Diving, Aqua Corps, Historical Diver, Hawwian Skin Diver, Arizona Diving News, Southwest Diver Magazines, Historical Diving Times (UK), Free Diving and Spear Fishing News (Australia). Surprisingly my first published article in 1964 was a six page-two part article on diving Jade Cove in Monterey County, even though I lived at the time in Orange county.
From June 1999 to August 2002 I wrote a twice-monthly column Dive Bubbles for the five cities Times Press Recorder (TPR) newspaper. It is reported that this column was the first and only regularly scheduled diving newspaper column in California and possibly the United States.
I also had dedicated columns in Discover Diving "The way it was" Historical Diving Journal "Diving facts from Sam's Almanac," Arizona diving news "Our diving heritage," South west diver "Our diving heritage"
I have collected and maintain an extensive 1000 plus volume historical diving library, the majority of which are rare and out of print. Many have been personally inscribed by the authors who were also friends and diving companions,in addition to being noted diving authorities;Leon Lyons, Dr. Bruce Halstead, F.M. Roberts, Bill Royal, John Reseck Jr., Dr. James Dugan, Clint Degn, John D. Craig, Dick Schroeder, two (2) Eugenie Clark, two (2) by Bill Barada & Lloyd Bridges, two (2) by Dr. Terry Mass, two (2) by Francis "Doug" Fane and (6) six by Sir Arthur C.Clarke, six (six) by Dr. Hans Hass, five (5) by Lotte Hass, seven (7) by Clive Cussler and seven (7) by J.Y. Cousteau and many more too numerous to list
I have a bound edition of James Dugan's 1948 "First of the menfish" which introduced J.Y. Cousteau and self contained diving to the US.
My Diving library which consumes an entire room and part of a hall in my home is considered the the worlds largest, most complete, and since I began collecing over fifty years ago the most prestine divng library by the diving world's leading diving bibliophiles.
In May 1996 I organized and hosted the very first US diving bibliophile meeting in my home. It was attended by diving bibliophiles from the western US and via telephone from through out the US. The event was covered and featured on the front page of the local news paper and two pagesd was devoted to the event in the Historical Dive magazine
In 1999 to celebrate the passing of J Y Cousteau I was requested to place a book/equipment display in the local library. This month long display was also featured in front page articlein the local news paper complete with a full color picture .
Currently I devote my retirement time to historical research, writing a book and I am involved as a guest lecture and occasional consultant for the SLO County Sheriffs Underwater Search and Rescue team
And the list continues..so many adventures, so many stories......
Now in my eight decade of life I often take time to reflect back to that sunny day in 1951-- 60 years ago-- when I made my first SCUBA dive...
Now you know... just a little about me
The entire collection will go to my son who is a local ER/Hyperbaric doctor-- Also a Pro 5000, NAUI (Life) and PADI Instructor
sdm .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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