Re-cert help

[Sam Miller III]

I suspect the OP had departed long ago and could care less since he has not responded

The Name of the instructor was Del (Delbert) his wife was Ginger - Last name could have been Green - (??) Doesn't ring a bell with me

Bon, James Bon
You were experiencing the great dive shop war. (as contrast to the Battle of Laguna Beach over the right to dive at Laguna - which resulted in the dive ordinance)

The Aquatic Center (AC) had a shop in Newport and on Harbor Blvd in Santa Ana they decided to expand and be the big major shop in OC, so they opened a shop about a block north of Laguna Sea Sports (LSP) in Laguna Beach--That started the war ...

LSP under Al Santmeyer purchased the vacant parking log north of the AC Laguna Beach store and placed a huge sign directing divers a few blocks south the LSP

Al then opened the huge super store on Newport Blvd. between the Newport Beach AC and the Santa Ana AC..

The war was on...

Al Santmeyer and the LSP won --but sadly Al passed away a short time later and the two stores closed -- LSP remained in Laguna and the AC in Santa Ana and Newport beach.

There is a LOT more to the story but this is enough for now

The Dazzz of our dives ...

Sam Miller,III

 

[JamesBon92007]

Ah yes, Aquatic Center. I went in there once or twice and thought about buying the submarine but nothing else. I remember asking how much it would cost for basic equipment to get started and the reply was something like $3000 and that was in the very early 70s.

I do recall a dive shop somewhere, away from the ocean, possibly somewhere towards Anaheim, that I visited one time. There was a tiny, young woman working there who felt the need to be superior in knowledge and experience to everyone who walked through the door. I mainly just went in there to see if it was somehow as good as or better than where I'd been going but was quickly convinced it was not the place for me. Come to think of it, there were only about three that I ever felt at home in. One was in Lomita on PCH but I can't remember the name. I bought my first wet suit there.

Maybe OP went diving...

 

[Sam Miller III]

There was never a submarine associated n any way with the Aquatic Center ..They were the most professional shop in OC


I suspect you are possibly referring to Lyle Hoskins and son dive shop.- other end of Newport near the bridge

The inland shop is the one in question ?? Name? Dell and Ginger

Lomita divers and another name ...Bob Water(something) ? ( LA Co Life Guard and partner in the shop) was the individual who had a tank explode on him -- blew him through a wall broke his leg and of course a lot of damage to shop.

That one instant was the beginning of the VIP of SCUBA tanks began by John Gaffney's NASDS- the very same person who had his dog certified as a PADI instructor --- crazy times in the diving world-- darn I miss those days
of yesteryear.. they were the Dazzz of our dives ..

SDM

 

[JamesBon92007]

There was never a submarine associated n any way with the Aquatic Center ..They were the most professional shop in OC


I suspect you are possibly referring to Lyle Hoskins and son dive shop.- other end of Newport near the bridge

The inland shop is the one in question ?? Name? Dell and Ginger

Lomita divers and another name ...Bob Water(something) ? ( LA Co Life Guard and partner in the shop) was the individual who had a tank explode on him -- blew him through a wall broke his leg and of course a lot of damage to shop.

That one instant was the beginning of the VIP of SCUBA tanks began by John Gaffney's NASDS- the very same person who had his dog certified as a PADI instructor --- crazy times in the diving world-- darn I miss those days
of yesteryear.. they were the Dazzz of our dives ..

SDM

OK, I didn't remember the name of the shop that had the sub so apparently it wasn't Aquatic Center.

Do you happen to know if the exploded tank was the one they had on display on the wall? If so, then I actually got see the tank that started it all It made an impression on me and I was always careful not to get any water in my tanks.

I may be ranting but I'm just trying to remember all the dive shops in the area, trying to pin it down.

 

[Sam Miller III]

It was the same tank that was displayed

t
The injured individual was named Bob Whitehead - very likable knowledgeable individual.

You probably were never invited to the back room were they cut the suits --huge tables to lay out the patterns- and they used rolling Pizza cutters to cut the suits. As contrasted to scissors that all the other cutters used.

Never used any of their suits..always made my own until suits began being made in OC, then I got them for the advertising of wearing a particular brand of suit .. I was the 3-4 LA Co UW instructor in OC - long before the instructor alphabet appeared

Yep thenm were tha dazz of R dives

SDM

 

[JamesBon92007]

It was the same tank that was displayed

t
The injured individual was named Bob Whitehead - very likable knowledgeable individual.

You probably were never invited to the back room were they cut the suits --huge tables to lay out the patterns- and they used rolling Pizza cutters to cut the suits. As contrasted to scissors that all the other cutters used.

Never used any of their suits..always made my own until suits began being made in OC, then I got them for the advertising of wearing a particular brand of suit .. I was the 3-4 LA Co UW instructor in OC - long before the instructor alphabet appeared

Yep thenm were tha dazz of R dives

SDM

No, I was never invited into the back--I was still a kid. I bought my first wet suit (shorty suit) from them so I guess they made it but somehow I thought it was a White Stag. I ended up gluing yellow "Jacques Cousteau" stripes on all the seams which saved a lot of re-gluing. I do remember paying $15 for the suit.

When the idea of annual VIPs was introduced the image of that tank was vivid in my mind

I don't remember Bob so much--it seemed like I was always waited on by the Mrs.

 

[SSSRN]

My first thought was Lyle Hoskins and son but they were on PCH in Newport Beach

Second was Laguna Sea Sports in Laguna beach which had (has) a pool

The third was a short lived shop on one of the major streets ran by a husband and wife...strange I cant recall his name but her name was Ginger (as I recall after all these years) She was a rabble rouser ..and not much of a diver

There was a shop in north Anaheim south of the FW on the border with Fullerton, It had an jointing pool tucked into a strip mall..I some how suspect that was shop, BUT it was an NASDS shop .

It could have also been a PADI shop - PADI HQ was card board box on 17th street in CM. Just prior to that junction in history send in money and you were a PADI instructor- John Gaffney sent in $$$ to PADI and his dog was a certified PADI instructor, a NAUI instructor from Texas made his Duck a PADI instructor (leave it to a Texican) So it could have also been a PADI instructor from a PADI shop

Give t some more thought and get back to the board- I suspect e combined efforts we can solve your problem and get you a C card.

SDM

That's them. She was a squirrel. I watched their cat named Quan Chinlyn whatever. If it was their shop what does the