Shadow Divers: John Chatterton's Interview with ScubaBoard

[francousteau]

Pete Johnson and John Chatterton in the same thread! Does it get any better than this?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Pete, since JC is going to be gone a few days, perhaps you could relate how the two of you met?????

Also, Pete as just a regular member of SB who is still a noob to diving, I have to say I appreciate the over all tone of the board. I belonged to a fishing forum before I learned to dive and the flame wars were out of control. It was a real turn off to being able to engage others.

 

[The Chairman]

USB, I first met John at the Chicago Show almost two years ago. He was at a Sports Bar with his videographer, Evan and we had just finished a ScubaBoard meal there with the likes of BerRabbit, Jepuskar and about 10 others. After we broke up, one of our advertisers asked me to come over and meet John. I was impressed with his lack of arrogance (which is rampant in our industry) and his easy manner.

I have probably met with John a few other times, but I got to know him best a little over a year ago when we first took Matt the Aquaman diving down in the Keys. I was honored to be able to clean the dinghy up that Matt needed for his ventilator and then to get it over to the Conch Republic. There were WAYYYYY too many people for us all to fit on the boat, so I didn't get to dive with them, but still I got to see them off every day and eat dinner with them in the evening. I remember John falling for my "Why do mermaids wear Sea Shells?" joke... OK, he only groaned and threw his napkin at me. (Answer: B shells are just too dang small!).

At this point I was impressed with just how much TIME, ENERGY and MONEY he spent helping to give Matt his dream. There were others doing just as much for Matt: Susan Long from DUI, Captain Gary from Conch Republic Divers, Doug Counts from Scuba News and of course his Instructor and entourage. I was always happy that ScubaBoard played an integral role in Matt's Dream, but I was humbled to see how much these people did on a personal level!

John and Susan were down there again this year right after DEMA. I got there late and met them at the Dolphin Experience. That's where I saw John in a ScubaBoard shirt. Like I said before, he looked almost presentable! But this wasn't about John, Capt Gary, Susan Long or me: it was about Matt!

I think that's the best thing about John: his FOCUS. It's NEVER on himself. He will focus on the task or person at hand, but he is NOT a glam diver. He doesn't do it for the notoriety and he is probably surprised at how popular he is among MOST divers. I really like that about John and Ritchie too!

 

[rawls]

he looked almost presentable!

Doc...Have you been nipping on the eggnog a little early...Oh...You said "almost"."

 

[The Chairman]

Did I mention that John is not a glam diver?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Did I mention that John is not a glam diver?

Thanks for sharing the story.

When you said "glam diver" I had visions of Gary Glitter popping in my head.

YouTube - Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll Part One (High Quality) 1997

YouTube - gary glitter - another rock 'n' roll christmas

I can see the the movie trailer now. He isn't the Gary Glitter of diving. No sir! There is more to John Chatterton than Glam!

I think if you really really poofed John's hair up, they look a little alike.

OK I will stop and behave, but when you said glam it just put me over the edge!

 

[Chatterton]

Hi John,

Wow...I'm somewhat starstruck here, but since you have been so gracious to take time out to answer a couple questions, I thought I would pose them. Forgive me because it has been a few years since I read Shadow Divers...but I have a couple questions.

1) One of the last scenes in the book outlines the point in which the evidence is finally discovered that would identify the u-boat. This scene had a lot of suspense leading the reader to believe this was an all or nothing decision - one final attempt to gain the evidence. If it didn't happen at this point, it wouldn't happen and possibly you would die. Obviously, diving at this depth was suspense enough, but really was like this or did the writer take a few liberties here?

2) There was mention in the book that I took somewhat embarrassed the U.S. Navy. Basically, the jest is that at the end of the war the navy basically broadbrushed the research and didn't do their homework when it came to the final documentation of sunken ships. In other words, their documents were wrong because they didn't do a good job of documenting what ships had been sunken. Has there ever been any backlash from the Navy or government regarding this toward you or any of your buddies?

Thanks so kindly in your thoughts.

Steve Nagel
Missouri

Steve,

1) This is a very subjective question. In SD it makes it sound like it was just a couple of dives, where it was actually six dives. I was more concerned with finishing what we had started and moving on with my life. Rob tried to avoid the, then this happened, then this happened, listing of events while keeping the essence of what was happening. The diving was indeed suspenseful, by any yardstick. On the last dive, when I came out of the EMotor Room on empty, I passed Richie with the regulator out of my mouth to let him know there was a problem. I knew where my stages were, I could get there easily, and it was far less likely to have an additional problem if I solved the issue myself without involving Richie (or anyone else). That was the way we dove. I wanted Richie to know I was okay (but with a problem), so I gave him a big grin as I passed him. I thought it was funny, but he did not. Being out of gas was a serious sign of how hard we were pushing things and all I had done wrong consumed me on the hang, until someone came down to tell us that the we had the identification. Both Richie and Rob thought it was more dramatic than I did, hence the subjectivity.

2) In my opinion, much of the work of the Assessors was sloppy and self serving. That was certainly part of our problem identifying the wreck. Believe it or not, things have not changed that much with many of the civilian historians working for the government. That could be its own book? I have less friends there than most places??? Is that backlash?

Cheers

 

[The Chairman]

I just talked with John and he sends his warmest regards from the Dominican Republic! He has indeed been having fun and has agreed to having the thread split. I will do that in the am and there maybe some "overlap", but I will do my best. The new thread will be called "John Chatterton's interview with ScubaBoard Users."

 

[The Chairman]

Of course, the great thing about the internet is that John can still post! GET SOME SLEEP JOHN!!!

 

[Chatterton]

JC great to see you on the Forum!

I have read SD several times and all the other aforementioned books and enjoyed them tremendously! I guess I just like the story from any/all angles!

I have met Gary Gentile at a Richmond Dive Club event and heard him give a very interesting presentation on his Dives on the USS Monitor (and his 6 year legal battle in the Courts to do so).

It is here I purchased an autographed copy of his SD Exposed book. His book is another interesting read and I too enjoyed it.

He obviously developed his book on the premise of discrediting almost everything to do with the previous book but I am still not sure I fully grasp to what end other than selling his book?

He is also a very skilled diver whose contributions to the diving community are tremendous.

Let's enjoy all of these things for what they are: books, movies (hopefully!) and TV shows!

None of them are the final definitive word on the life and times of the U-869, Gary Gentile, John Chatterton or Ritchie Kohler!

In fact, I look forward to hearing JC & Ritchie and JJ and many others speak at the upcoming DAN 2008 Technical Diving Conference in Durham, NC in January!

I also look forward to more books, TV shows, movies (again hopefully!) and my OWN future dives!

Absolutely. We all have the luxury of reading what we want. One size does not fit all, so if it works for you then go with it. Godo luck on your dives!!

Cheers