Happy 90th Birthday Sam!
This brief autobiography is posted on ScubaBoard with
Sam Miller's permission. Today is his 90th birthday. I had the opportunity to spend part of his 88th birthday with him at his beautiful home. He graciously let me see his a small part of his amazing collection of publications and diving memorabilia.
A Diver’s Life: 70 Years of Spear fishing & SCUBA diving
Memorial Day Thursday May 31, 1951
(Roman numerals = XXXIVMCNMLI)
In 1951, America was recovering from World War II and the Korean "Police action" was developing into a full-scale war. Gasoline was around 25 cents a gallon, postage stamps were 3 cents. Songs were slow and low and easy on the ears.
In December 1951 “Skin Diver magazine; a magazine for skin divers and spear fishermen” was published in California. A new form of recreation was beginning.
In 1948 Dr. Hans Hass German B&W UW movie “Under the Red Sea was presented in movie theaters throughout the US. The movie introduces the world to “Swim diving
After viewing “Under the red sea” several times my adventuresome cousin who had recently graduated with a Mining Engineering degree and I decided to follow Dr Hass example and to construct a rebreather using WW II surplus and MSE items.
We “dove it” (submerged) it several times in a local swimming pool and immediately retired it. I hung in my workshop until about 30 years ago when I tossed it.
SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) was developed in France 5 years previously in 1943.
December 1948 James Dugan publishes “The first of the men fish” which introduces the US to “Cousteau Diving” using compressed air contained in an “Aqua Lung.”
The Aqua Lung was first imported into the US by a Jacques Yves Cousteau and the west coast a short time later.
The Aqua Lung was immediately accepted by the young sun loving beach going aquatic Southern Californians.
I was no exception. I had been “Goggling” for a number of years previously and had relocated to Southern California and immediately became a member the small aquatic tribe.
On Thursday May 31, 1951 “Memorial Day” a member of the tribe arrived at Divers Cove in Laguna Beach with a new out of the box Aqua Lung, which we immediately christened “a bubble machine.”
Using this borrowed equipment, I made my first SCUBA dive at Divers Cove on Thursday May 31, 1951.
Clad in the diving costume of the era, a baggy bathing suit, covered with surplus long underwear, which was in turn held in place by another baggy bathing suit with my torso covered with a wool WW11 khaki shawl sweater, a pair of green Churchill fins on my feet and a crude oval Sea Net mask covered my face, with the last minute instruction "exhale when you come up or you will explore " I entered the chilly Sothern California water for my first short SCUBA dive.
Wet suits were several years in the future, 1953, as were SPGs (MarMac) 1954, and formal Instruction (LA Co UW instruction) 1954.
That was the genesis of my introduction to self-contained diving, from that time to the present my life has been devoted to the world of recreational diving .
Some of the highlights of 70 years of Spear Fishing and recreational SCUBA diving;
Instruction:
LA County Underwater Instructor
* The first and most prestigious difficult civilian diving program
National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) # A 27
*I am the second "A" instructor and one of the oldest NAUI instructors in California; and one of the 5 oldest in the world (age and length of membership).
Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
(Presented to me by John Cronin, founder of PADI)
Yes, I taught Clive Cussler to dive – Issued a NAUI Basic Diver
And many in rest of the Instructor alphabet
Dive Clubs
Southern California Skin Divers
(See SDM Vol #1 issue #1)
Long Beach Neptunes
Sea Sabers
President for 2 years, first to dive Farnsworth Banks, & Development of UW Signaling. Also, we held the first Christmas Tree Party, which was featured on National TV (US) with John Cameron Swayze.
Los Angles Underwater Photographic Society (UPS)
(Charter member 1957)
Orange County Underwater Photographic Society (OCUPS)
(Co-founder with Gibbs, Roberts and Merker)
Historical Diving Society (HDS)
(Charter Member ~ Founding member, B of D-- Only Director of Sport diving )
Honors
Outstanding contributions to Underwater Instruction - 1963
* I developed and was recognized for the development of the Instructor & diver classification
Over the reef gang (NAUI)
Diving dinosaurs (NAUI)
Who’s who in SCUBA diving (AMSUR)
SSI Platinum Pro 5000 diver (must have made over 5000 dives — I have about 7000)
Father of free diving and fishing 2000
* only about 60 honored world wide- a huge honor!
There once was an era, which existed for only a few short years.
What was then will never ever be experienced again on this earth
A precious few were honored participants of that era and we have rapidly diminished in numbers …for we are
The Fathers of Free Diving and Spear Fishing
West coast legend of diving - "Dive Chronicles"
*First person to be so honored by the magazine
Legend of diving
Scuba Diving and Recreation Center in Northwest Ohio - Portage Quarry
First person selected for the honor
SCUBA Service Award
California diving news
ScubaBoard
First SCUBA Diving Legend
Continued in the next post