In search of the first dive shop in OC I reviewed the Beach Cities E advertisements
which indicated they had been established in the mid 1960s.
I responded stating that a number of the OC dive shops, especially some he currently owned, had been around a long time, certainly before the mid 1960s. I suggested as an effective marketing tool they might want to capitalized that they had been around since the beginning of recreational diving in OC and state the actual dates the shops were established..
This was the reply from the current owner Hosam Elshenawi
Subject: Beach Cities Scuba
Beach Cities Scuba owns both of the Aquatic Center in Newport Beach and Laguna Seasports in Laguna Beach which to my knowledge have not gone out of business since they started. Will that clarify that claim? Please check your records and let me know. That is of course assuming that you are keeping records. Regards,
Hosam Elshenawi
Beach Cities Scuba Centers
Tel: 949-443-3858
Fax: 949-496-5350
Beach Cities Scuba Centers ? Your premier Orange County Scuba Diving experience
Riviera Yacht Charters
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Mr.Elshenawi,
.....You stated:
"Beach Cities Scuba owns both of the Aquatic Center in Newport Beach and Laguna Seasports in Laguna Beach which to my knowledge have not gone out of business since they started."
FYI:
The shops did not start in the present buildings and were established many years previous by individuals other than the late Al Santmeyer & his wife Sally Santmeyer and Omar Woods,Ron Merker and the later Dick Spencer.
You might want to refer to
Scuba Diving and Recreation Center in Northwest Ohio - Portage Quarry "legends of diving" and my article "Sea Sabre signaling system." In that article you will be introduced to the late Mr Bob Rutherford, who along with my ex room mate Mr.Joe McCabe, who went to the big reef in the sky on June 4,1960 when we were recovering a huge anchor in 200 + feet at Catalina island, which now rests in front of the Maritime museum in San Pedro. They were the founders of the Aquatic Center in a different time and place many years before 1963 as stated in your advertisements.
You also stated;
" Please check your records and let me know. That is of course assuming that you are keeping records...."
My reply:You maybe assured I know diving history especially that of Orange County - I made many free dives in OC prior to the advent of the bubble machine and made my first SCUBA dive there on memorial day 1951...FY I am forwarding one of my articles that appeared in my dedicated column "Dive Bubbles" in the local news paper about 15 years ago; a story about Divers Cove and the changes that time has wrought
"YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN…
Several summers ago 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! Indeed - 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, Pat O’Malley and Paul Hoss (of the Bottom Scratcher/Hoss gun fame)
The cove was immortalized for divers through out the world on the cover of the December 1951, issue of Skin Diver Magazine Volume 1, number 1 with a picture of Dr. Nelson "Matty" Mathenson of the Long Beach Nepunes proudly displaying a presentable White Sea Bass he had just speared at the at "the Cove."
Surprisingly Diver's Cove did not receive it's name from recreational diving but from the local youth's habit of diving into the shallow blow hole from the rocks below where the apartments now stand. The apartments were constructed in 1960 which physically separated the cove and Fishermen cove to the north. Prior to the construction and into the 1970s Fisherman's cove was the docking and storage cove for a number of small local recreational sport fishing boats
Lots of other changes have occurred in and around Divers Cove with the passage of sixty years.
In the 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 diving masks on their faces, short green fins on their feet and the weapon of choice a “Jab Stick” (a pole spear powered by the trust of the arm) 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.
Now Divers Cove has become a popular diving destination for dive training classes. It is populated every Saturday and Sunday morning by young fuzzy faced certified diving instructors who have arrived before 7:00 to conduct ocean check out dives 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 spear fishing 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"
(Copyright Dr Samuel Miller,111 & TPR newspaper- may not be reproduced in any way)
You may also be assured I keep records:
The listing that follows is from my personal collection which is recognized by the world's serious diving bibliophiles as the most complete and largest private diving library in the world. Perhaps it will provide some insight as to what is-or was available
PERSONAL LIBRARY
I have a complete bound set of "Skin Diver" magazine (1951 to it's demise) including 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.
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) movie stars Lloyd Bridges and Tony Francioso, Singer ,John Gary and others too numerous to list
All of Artist John Steel SDM covers have been inscribed to me (I also own several of his pictures one was featured two times in the 2001 anniversary issue of 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,” (the original) "California Diver" (most recent) “ 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 Underwater News” as well as “Pacific and Atlantic Underwater News”, published from 1966 to 1971. It was the first newspaper devoted entirely to the underwater world which was published in OC. Appeared in numerous issues of this publication.
I also have what is considered the largest and most complete set of civilian dive training manuals beginning 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, Arizona Diving News, Southwest Diver Magazines, Historical Diving Times (UK), Free Diving and Spear Fishing News (Australia) & Hawaiian Skin Diver.
From June 1999 to August 2002 I wrote a twice-monthly column “Dive Bubbles” for the five cities Times Press Recorder 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 published articles for Skin Diver Magazine, appeared on the front cover and was selected, featured and certainly honored as the first guest editor of Skin Diver magazine. The only person in the history of the magazine so honored in three ways
I was featured Pro Diving and Snorkeling magazine as a Celebrity Seafood Chef Scuba
I have collected and maintain an extensive 2000 plus volume diving library, the majority of which are rare out of print books. Many have been personally inscribed by the authors who were also friends and diving companions,in addition to being noted diving authorities; J.M. Cousteau, 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, six (6) by Lotte Hass,) seven (7) by J.Y. Cousteau and (9) by Clive Cussler
I also maintain a number of extensive active historic files.
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
In May 1996 I organized and hosted the very first US diving bibliophile meeting. It was attended by diving bibliophiles from the western US and via telephone from throughout the US.
Upon my demise the entire collection with be inherited by my son Dr. Sam IV, who is a NAUI (life) PADI instructor, Pro 5000 and an ER & Hyperbaric doctor.
sdm111"
So yes, I do know diving history and I do keep records and mid 1960s is totally incorrect by many years...
Dr. Samuel Miller,111"
As expected no response from Mr.Hosam Elshenawi. However, in all fairness to him he has deleted most references to dates except for Laguna Sea Sports, He continues to state this shop was established in the 1963, which is totally incorrect. It was established at least a decade earlier..
History certainly clouded and is being lost at a rapid rate. SoCal divers are fortunate to have antique divers such as Dead Dog, SCUBA Tom, and Mark Guccione and up and coming divers such as Lopez 116.
It is already 8:00 time for my run at the beach.
SDM
