Got certified today! And froze.

[Sam Miller III]

It will get better.
Diving kills the part of your brain that senses cold
[/QUOTE

That masked man from out of the west does not write with forked computer
"Diving kills the part of your brain that senses cold"........so true !
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I began my career some years ago prior to the development of the dry suit by Bill Barada (LA CO UW instr) and the wet suit by Bascom and Bradner. During those halcyon days many methods were used to combat the bone chilling cold; WW11 surplus items such as GI blue heated flight suites ( with wiring removed) wool sweaters, and long underwear.

I was fortunate to have been blessed with the ability express myself with the written word-I had four dedicated diving columns in national and regional magazines and the first US and possibly the world dedicated diving news paper column.
The article that follows is like my avatar a contrast to Then N Now..The genesis of recreational diving to the present :


"YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN…”


By Dr. Samuel Miller,111

This summer I visited with some relatives and old friends to reconnect with my roots down in southern California, in “smogsville,” as the smog shrouded area of Los Angeles and Orange County is known by most Californians who reside in other areas of the state.

This visit certainly verified the message in the Thomas Wolfe book “You can’t go home again” which I found so difficult to comprehend as a young college student. Yes, Thomas Wolfe was correct! "You can’t go home again."

I spent a very early Saturday morning at Diver’s Cove in Laguna Beach, the fountainhead of American sport diving. It has been a popular diving location since recreational diving began along the California coast in the early 1930s. “The cove” as local divers refer to it, was catapulted from obscurity into international diving fame when it was chosen as the location for the world’s first competitive spear fishing meet in June 1950. The Compton, California “Dolphins Spear Fishing club”, won the meet with a three man team consisting of Ken Kummerfeild, Paul Hoss and Pat O’Malley.

Lots of changes have occurred in and around Divers Cove with the passage of thise 60 plus years.

In the early 1950s the rolling hills surrounding Diver’s Cove were devoid of housing and covered with dry chaparral, which emitted the classic California golden glow always associated with the “Golden state.” Now when viewed from the cove the hills appear almost surrealistic emerald green, blanketed by modern multi- million dollar homes on well-manicured lawns interconnected labyrinth of roads.

It is no longer possible to drive up to the edge of the cliff at Diver’s Cove and park haphazardly. Parking places are now regulated. They are neatly identified with white stripes on the concrete and crowned with a row of coin eating parking meters; silent sentinels waiting for the next quarter for fifteen minutes of violation free parking.

Also absent is the steel cable that provided beach goers and divers to access to the beach. It was a much-appreciated gift from some unknown beach lover who spent their time; money and effort to securely bury one end of the cable in cement and dangle the rest of the cable over the cliff to create a Tarzan style hand over hand beach access. Now modern stairs complete with handrails and a drinking fountain welcomes the divers to the beach

The beach scene I remember so well from my youth is now only a distant memory, but they are memories of gold as were the hills surrounding the cove.

In the genesis of recreational diving the beach was populated with young athletic sun tanned male youths clad in the diving costume of the era, baggy long underwear, tucked in to equally baggy swim trunks,* round often home made diving masks on their faces,** short green fins on their feet ***and the weapon of choice three or five prong 3 “Jab Stick”**** unceremoniously stuck in the ground.

Like ancient tribes returning from a successful hunt they stood in small groups, wrapped in surplus WWII olive drab army or navy blue blankets, shivering and blue lipped from the cold of the water and the chill in the air. Roaring bonfires fed by WWII surplus tires added much needed warmth as it belched fourth thick heavy black smoke into the clean crisp smog free Orange County air. *****

Divers Cove has now become a popular diving destination for dive training classes. It is populated every Saturday and Sunday morning by young certified diving instructors who have arrived before 7:00 to conduct an ocean check out dive for their classes of aspiring divers. Under the ever-watchful eye of their SCUBA instructor, young and old, male and female don the costume of modern diving. Bright colored wet suits have replaced the long underwear for thermal protection clear form fitting twin lens masks of clear silicone replaced the black round rubber masks; multi hued long lightweight split plastic fins now adorn their feet replacing the short green Churchill fins. Not a spearfishing weapon is insight, since this area has been a game reserve for over a generation.

Yes, there have been a lot of changes in the last sixty plus years. Tomas Wolfe’s message has been verified. "You can’t go home again," but you can relive fond memories from the distant past and dream and hope for the future of recreational diving.

Only the sea, the eternal sea, has relentlessly remained the same...
SDM 111

Copyright Dr.Samuel Miller,111, Dr. Samuel Miller IV & Lee/CCnews/TPR; may not be used with out permission of author and Lee/CC
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Chip that was the way it was ...COLD ! Bone Chilling Cold...

Now after ten more classes and the expenditure of your children's heritage you can learn how to use a killer lift bag to retrieve those anchors resting in 20 feet of clear H2O

I will close with a big California welcome to the family of recreational divers...

SAM

 

[Neophyte//]

Lake Tahoe on what were good days. 58-60 degree water with 68 surface temp, not bad for October. 7mm with hood, booties and gloves. I'm a huge cold water wimp and wasn't cold at all. I'm going to go once snow is on the ground and I can get up there, just to see the water temp difference.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

BURRR I'm cold just thinking about it. congrats!

 

[Neilwood]

Lake Tahoe on what were good days. 58-60 degree water with 68 surface temp, not bad for October. 7mm with hood, booties and gloves. I'm a huge cold water wimp and wasn't cold at all. I'm going to go once snow is on the ground and I can get up there, just to see the water temp difference.

That is summer diving in the sea over here (15C).

Season generally starts at about 8C (45F) which I normally start diving in with a similar set up (7mm, booties, gloves and hood). The important bit is to make sure you are warm when you get out with a fire, hot drinks or warm clothes (or all three if possible).

 

[Chip Elliott]

That is summer diving in the sea over here (15C).

Season generally starts at about 8C (45F) which I normally start diving in with a similar set up (7mm, booties, gloves and hood). The important bit is to make sure you are warm when you get out with a fire, hot drinks or warm clothes (or all three if possible).

Do you wear any thermal undergarments or layers? Do you layer any thinner wetsuit (2mm or so) underneath? Thanks.

 

[Neilwood]

With the wetsuit, I only wear a pair of swimming shorts underneath. I do have to admit to a reasonably plentiful amount of "bioprene" (I am a bit wider round my gut than I should be although working on it) so I probably get away with the 7mm in colder waters than some others.

I know people here who dive drysuits all year round by simply adjusting the undergarments they are wearing to suit water temperatures - a lot comes down to personal tolerance.When we went away as a family when I was young, we would go swimming in the North Sea in those temperatures (8-15 C) in nothing more than swimming shorts so I probably have a decent tolerance for cold. Saying that, we Scots as a race tend to go from blue to white during what we get for summer ( our high average temps tend to be about 20-25C).

When in the Red Sea with water temperatures of about 26-28C irrespective of depth, the group I was with were diving anything from 3mm full suits, 5mm shorties or even a couple of 7mm full suits. I know I would have baked in the 7mm but it suited them.

 

[Chip Elliott]

My heritage is Scottish! One of the reiver border clans we are.
The town of Elliot was their antiquitie,
Which stands in Angus, at the foot of Glenshie;
With brave King Robert Bruce they hither came;
Which is three hundred and eighty years agone;
In West Teviotdale these gentlemen did dwell,
They were twelve great families, I hear my goodsir tell;
Their chief was a Baron of renown,
Designed Reid-heugh, which is now called Lariston

 

[archer1960]

Had my first two OW dives yesterday. Day was beautiful, bright blue fall skies, 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Nice walk to the site (Bigelow Hollow State Park, Connecticut). Water temp: 49!!! Did the first two dives and completed all skills without incident. FROZEN AT THE END.

Went back today for the last two dives: Cloudy, windy, overcast, raining, 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Nice COLD walk to the same site. Water temp: 46!!!! Did both dives without incident. REALLY, REALLY, REALLY FROZEN AT THE END.

BTW: Henderson 7mm Aqua Lock wetsuit with 7mm hood, boots and 5mm gloves. As I type this I think my fingers are starting to feel again.

But, I'M CERTIFIED!

I did my Rescue Diver in Newport (RI) Harbor last December, water temps in low 40s, in pretty much the same gear you were using (though I think I had 7mm gloves). But that course is pretty strenuous, so I was generally warm enough except when we were floating on the surface discussing things.

 

[Chip Elliott]

Yes, floating and talking was not my favorite. Nor was getting undressed in the parking lot, standing on the cold, cold asphalt in nothing other than what the Lord gave me when I was born, in the wind and snow. Now that I think of it, that was probably the least desirable part of it. At least for me. Probably for those around me witnessing this also.

 

[Marie13]

Ah, geez, Chip! Brain bleach! Brain bleach!