Roll call: Any old NASDS divers out there?

[coralcruiser]

Still using my card and would hate to lose it. The thought of getting re-certified through another agency is not a pleasant one! :-0

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I am surprised any of the old cards survived, mine crumbled into bits decades ago, I was carrying it around in a baggy for a bit. The training however, stood the test of time, still diving safe 43+ years later.

 

[coralcruiser]

 

[lexvil]

View attachment 642538

Mine was from 21 years before that, it was dust by ‘78

 

[GSimpson]

Looking for my NASDS cards (2) haven’t found them yet and wondering what to do if I can’t find them? Uh oh ... doesn’t sound good. I know I have them but sounds like I’m gonna have to go to SSI anyway. Perhaps I can include my prior experience in my certification record? Still use tables. WTH is a dive computer??? Probably should take a refresh course.

Enjoyed reading the entire thread. Just joined to reply. Got my NASDS AOW Card in 1977, from the Diving Locker. My instructor was Terry Nicklin, son of Chuck Nicklin, and brother of Flip Nicklin. The class was a full semester PE class at Poway High School called Advanced Swimming/Life Saving/SCUBA certification, taught by the Diving Locker out of the Escondido store I believe. I was 16. Awesome. I don’t think they did it again but that was a real Diving course!!! What has happened to high schools since then??? About that time the movie “The Deep” came out. Wow

Certs:
*1977 NASDS AOW instructor Terry Nicklin.
*1985 NASDS refresh, and GF got certified. Instructor Al Storm(?)
*1991 wife got certified at SDDS through SSI, just before our honeymoon. Thought her class was too easy. Went on a few dives with her while she was taking the course.

So many fond memories: Diving San Diego can be good ... La Jolla (all the great locations), Coronado Islands on Bottom Scratcher and the Sand Dollar, the Sea Caves of La Jolla, Catalina Island, then Baja, Sea of Cortez, Cozumel, Cenote Diving with an Instructor in the Yucatán, Crater/Sea Wall Diving in Maui, and more. Lots of Free Diving everywhere.

Countless dives in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay surveying and planting Eelgrass for PSBS. Who out there has SCUBA sled-dived with mounted cameras across the entire width of Mission Bay surveying the eelgrass beds while being pulled with a zodiac? I did.

I miss the Diving Locker stores, SDDS, and Sports Chalet. I miss the big Underwater Photography Society (UPS) annual show at the Civic Center in San Diego. One year we had Jean-Michel Cousteau as the host.

Need to get back out there with my young adult kids. They did take a free SCUBA experience class through Sports Chalet at the age of 10 and 12. Now 18 and 20, time to get them certified.

 

[GameChanger]

Looking for my NASDS cards (2) haven’t found them yet and wondering what to do if I can’t find them? Uh oh ... doesn’t sound good. I know I have them but sounds like I’m gonna have to go to SSI anyway. Perhaps I can include my prior experience in my certification record? Still use tables. WTH is a dive computer??? Probably should take a refresh course.

Enjoyed reading the entire thread. Just joined to reply. Got my NASDS AOW Card in 1977, from the Diving Locker. My instructor was Terry Nicklin, son of Chuck Nicklin, and brother of Flip Nicklin. The class was a full semester PE class at Poway High School called Advanced Swimming/Life Saving/SCUBA certification, taught by the Diving Locker out of the Escondido store I believe. I was 16. Awesome. I don’t think they did it again but that was a real Diving course!!! What has happened to high schools since then??? About that time the movie “The Deep” came out. Wow

Certs:
*1977 NASDS AOW instructor Terry Nicklin.
*1985 NASDS refresh, and GF got certified. Instructor Al Storm(?)
*1991 wife got certified at SDDS through SSI, just before our honeymoon. Thought her class was too easy. Went on a few dives with her while she was taking the course.

So many fond memories: Diving San Diego can be good ... La Jolla (all the great locations), Coronado Islands on Bottom Scratcher and the Sand Dollar, the Sea Caves of La Jolla, Catalina Island, then Baja, Sea of Cortez, Cozumel, Cenote Diving with an Instructor in the Yucatán, Crater/Sea Wall Diving in Maui, and more. Lots of Free Diving everywhere.

Countless dives in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay surveying and planting Eelgrass for PSBS. Who out there has SCUBA sled-dived with mounted cameras across the entire width of Mission Bay surveying the eelgrass beds while being pulled with a zodiac? I did.

I miss the Diving Locker stores, SDDS, and Sports Chalet. I miss the big Underwater Photography Society (UPS) annual show at the Civic Center in San Diego. One year we had Jean-Michel Cousteau as the host.

Need to get back out there with my young adult kids. They did take a free SCUBA experience class through Sports Chalet at the age of 10 and 12. Now 18 and 20, time to get them certified.

San Diego Native (St Augustine HS) and NASDS 1970 alumni here. I remember calling New England Diver's Supply in La Jolla in the early mornings to get a voice recording of the visibility and dive conditions at La Jolla Cove and Scripps Pier (Before the internet of course...). I bought my first Scuba Pro console with a depth gauge, psi gauge, and a compass at SDDS on Sports Arena Blvd. I recall it was outrageously expensive! Now I do not even blink at buying a Perdix or Teric...

 

[John Burnham]

I have to agree.... I have had BOTH PADI and NAUI certifications and found the NASDS instructional methodology to be the best. So much so, I attended the NASDS Instructor College in San Diego. I received my rating, OWIC-296 from Tony "The Greek" in 1976. College #19. I instructed Full Time for 8 years and continue to teach today. I still love it!!!!! Tony Zimose and Dick Hammas were the BEST!!!! Prepared all of us well.... "The Greeks" and Hammas's stories were a nice break from the intense curriculum. Both were Outstanding Instructors. What College # were you and what is your OWIC #? I see that you are in West Michigan. I am in Plymouth and my company has a large branch in Grand Rapids. Lets throw back a few and share "SDDS and NASDS College Stories"
RandyKowalski@mac.com
I still remember the "Cadence Calls" on our morning runs at La Hoya Beach... Life Guard Tower #12 to Scripts Pier and Back.
"You Can't be Mild and you can't be Meek if you wanna get Certified by The Greek"

Randy! Not sure if we were in the same class or you may have been the previous one to mine. John Burnham OWIC313

 

[Bernard Gagnon]

Still using my card and would hate to lose it. The thought of getting re-certified through another agency is not a pleasant one! :-0

Hi There, I am trying to track member on my NASDS training team January 1980 and yes still diving in Dec. 2021 Bernard

 

[Bernard Gagnon]

Looking for my NASDS cards (2) haven’t found them yet and wondering what to do if I can’t find them? Uh oh ... doesn’t sound good. I know I have them but sounds like I’m gonna have to go to SSI anyway. Perhaps I can include my prior experience in my certification record? Still use tables. WTH is a dive computer??? Probably should take a refresh course.

Enjoyed reading the entire thread. Just joined to reply. Got my NASDS AOW Card in 1977, from the Diving Locker. My instructor was Terry Nicklin, son of Chuck Nicklin, and brother of Flip Nicklin. The class was a full semester PE class at Poway High School called Advanced Swimming/Life Saving/SCUBA certification, taught by the Diving Locker out of the Escondido store I believe. I was 16. Awesome. I don’t think they did it again but that was a real Diving course!!! What has happened to high schools since then??? About that time the movie “The Deep” came out. Wow

Certs:
*1977 NASDS AOW instructor Terry Nicklin.
*1985 NASDS refresh, and GF got certified. Instructor Al Storm(?)
*1991 wife got certified at SDDS through SSI, just before our honeymoon. Thought her class was too easy. Went on a few dives with her while she was taking the course.

So many fond memories: Diving San Diego can be good ... La Jolla (all the great locations), Coronado Islands on Bottom Scratcher and the Sand Dollar, the Sea Caves of La Jolla, Catalina Island, then Baja, Sea of Cortez, Cozumel, Cenote Diving with an Instructor in the Yucatán, Crater/Sea Wall Diving in Maui, and more. Lots of Free Diving everywhere.

Countless dives in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay surveying and planting Eelgrass for PSBS. Who out there has SCUBA sled-dived with mounted cameras across the entire width of Mission Bay surveying the eelgrass beds while being pulled with a zodiac? I did.

I miss the Diving Locker stores, SDDS, and Sports Chalet. I miss the big Underwater Photography Society (UPS) annual show at the Civic Center in San Diego. One year we had Jean-Michel Cousteau as the host.

Need to get back out there with my young adult kids. They did take a free SCUBA experience class through Sports Chalet at the age of 10 and 12. Now 18 and 20, time to get them certified.

Hi, I was training as an instructor back in Jan. 1980, I am trying to track down my training team, We were all in La Jolla San Diego with Tony Zimos for 3 months almost everyday. Any one out there? Bernard

 

[DanBMW]

An interesting Old Times Thread..... I got my original Basic SCUBA from the YMCA in southern WV in 1966 but didn't dive at all since I got certification. After moving to Florida I got re-certified by NASDS in 1982. It was nothing like the YMCA class ! I still have the card with the micro-finch and it's still in good condition. I prefer to show my YMCA C card as most have never seen one.