Shadow Divers: John Chatterton's Interview with ScubaBoard

[amascuba]

Girls with knives are hot!!

Girls in drysuits are better!

 

[Thalassamania]

That would be Billy Deans from Key West, he was before the WKPP or at least he was talking about it before George was starting his "stroke" rants. The guy who really started to get the information out to all the divers was Mike Menduna and his Aqua Corps magazine. Hell, some even say that Mike was the one who came up with the term "Technical Diving."

The first use of the term "technical diving" was with reference to something very different than its use today. It was used to describe the diving done by "technicians" in the movie industry back during the OSHA battle of the late 1970s. The science community was making common cause (through Glen Egstrom) with the move industry and the first organization to try and take on the OSHA problem was CACSTD (the California Advisory Council on Scientific and Technical Diving). M² did coin the term "technical diving" in its current usage, he was making a simile with "technical climbing," utilizing the trust-your-life-to-your-gear aspects of both disciplines.

The major dive magazine at the time SKIN DIVER was putting out editorials about how NITROX would kill divers and should be made illegal. In my own history, I got my NITROX cert through IANTD in September of 1993, my number is 6247, check out your number and tell me what they are up to after 14 years.

Ah ... the early days of home brew and "this is your brain on air" tee shirts (I have a TDI Nitrox Instructor card, long expired, under number 50).

... jacket BC over the harness, that is of course if you were diving a wet suit as we did not use a BC with a dry suit, no need just add air to the suit as required.

Remember, double aluminum 72s or 80s or steel 71.2s were the norm.

Deep regulators were almost all Poseidon's. Computers were the EDGE which looked and weighed about the same as a blue brick.

I used an EDGE, but mine was brass.

if a tight area need to be accessed, well one guy would strip Pink Man's tanks off of him and he would go into the hole with a takn on a long hose, get handed the tools, do the job, get pulled out and be dressed back into his gear with no loss of time.

Yes.

Training: ... 3) a relatively more controlled environment (not necessarily a less hostile one, big difference so don't flame me) to work things out in.

This is a difference that is often not understood by the cave community. I'd say that overall their deep penetration cave dives require more planning, "equipment perfection," and "equipment skills," whilst the wreckers need a greater diversity of available responses and augmented "personal diving skills."

Thanks Pete and welcome John.

 

[Mr. Bubble]

Thanks for the reply. I am not trying to Monday Morning QB or pass judgement on anyone, but rather utilize a "lessons Learned" approach. My only point was that I think a closer "Buddy approach" to everyone when they dive, along with self sufficaint skills, would minimize incidents. Thats all. To each their own..

Safe diving!

Cheers

.02 psi

 

[pilot fish]

I am again flattered, a couple of times.

Rob really did a great job on the book.


Cheers

I'm serious, you are a Dive God to me. You are a huge credit to diving. Thank you.

One of my goals in life is to do a dive with John Chatterton. Hey John, will you be any where near Little Cayman the week of Feb 10, 2008? I could at least carry your booties, or help you set up?

Cool yer fins, matey, I'm married.

 

[scubajb]

Hot wings, smokin curry, spicy Thai, and Jalapenos. It makes my wife crazy. Only on occasion does she get to say "I told you not to."

That's what I'm talking about... Mongolian fire oil, habenero powder, with a little pineapple juice... Let the burning commence! Have a great Christmas John! By the way... thank you!

 

[Buoyant1]

Girls in drysuits are better!

Wow...there's a lot of directions that comment can go....I'll keep them all to myself!

 

[shakespear]

I am almost done reading Shadow Divers. As a newly minted Historian and Diver I find it facinating. I would love to wreck dive, but within the rec limits and with no going inside. =)

I love hands on history.

Thanks so much for your service in Vietnam Mr. Chatterton, BTW.

I really liked reading about the Doria, and I am getting some books on it, I would love a relic from it, I figured some have to make it to ebay, with the hundreds hauled out in Shadow Divers.

 

[tridacna]

I really liked reading about the Doria, and I am getting some books on it, I would love a relic from it, I figured some have to make it to ebay, with the hundreds hauled out in Shadow Divers.

Forget eBay. This one is easy.

Gary Gentile Productions - Andrea Doria Artifacts

Be prepared to pay!

 

[Sam Miller III]

Some how I have ignored this thread and shame on me!

There are many who in the very short history of recreational diving have documented the underwater world via the Television camera.

John D Craig, who in 1938 published one of the early best selling dive books "Danger is my business" presented the first underwater syndicated diving program titled "Kingdom of the sea." in the very early 1950s His side kick on this program was the very young ever lovely Zale Parry

In the mid 1950s two California dive shop owners, Earl Sugarman, and the now well known Florida treasure hunter Mel Fisher, gave California and perhaps other parts of the US a weekly televised dive show, whose name I can't recall at this junction of my life

In the late 1950s and into the early 1960s the very popular "Territory Underwater" appeared on the small B&W screens. It was presented by the Bauer brothers, George and Don. Copies of selected programs were available for a short period by Voit Rubber company prior to the company disappearing.

All were local pioneer LA County Underwater instructors-(the term "SCUBA" was not in common usage-) and we were all close social friends and frequent diving companions. Sadly John, Earl, Mel, Don and George are now diving in the big reef in the sky and most of their work has deteriorated to ash and is no longer available.

Then along came Jollywood....

Hugh Downs, the current product pitchman gave us several totally forgettable programs..

Then Sea Hunt ...

David Wolper presented the Underwater world of JYC,

National Geographic presented Bobbie Ballard --for a short while.

Now we have "Undersea Detectives"...Unquestionably the very best underwater program ever presented to the public and the diving world. It is evident that the stars of the program have been there and done that and they are going there and still doing it....Bravo! John & Richie!
sdm

 

[pilot fish]

A big 10 4 on that, Sam