Mike Lev
Contributor
This cool vintage patch was given to me by a gentleman I met over ten years ago. In Weymouth Massachusetts.The patch shows a maine lobster in a tux with a top hat and cane. I walked in this dive shop I was working next to. I asked do you sell any used gear? They said what kind? I said the older the better. I am looking for items from 50's and 60's. The woman said we have a room in the back full of stuff. I was thinking yeah right. She said come back when John is in. I did. I checked around with other old dive shops and divers. John had the first dive shop in all New England. Opened in 1951. The late Jim Cahill owner of New England divers comfirmed this also. John sold the shop many years back and still worked there part time repairing regs. He was in his early 80's then 2002. He did have a room full of vinatge dive gear. I visted him many times showing him items from my collection. We traded a few things. I never asked him if he would sell anything.He was a great funny and witty guy. I found out this week John passed away in Florida this past winter. He was known in these part as the great Baldi. There was an article called that,that is written in the dive mag Aquarius. I don't have that issue. Also this week another Boston area pioneer pased. Frank Sangar he worked for New England divers and was president of parkway later on. He was a great diver with only one arm and one leg. He worked for the late Jim Cahill. All three will be missed very much. I asked John why this club wasn't list in the skin diver mag issue with club roosters. He said he never joined the counsil of dive clubs. He was in another club for diving events. Here is some info I found on John in Platinum pro 500 if anyone is interested.The east coast did have early divers just like the west cost contrary to what some west coasters might say.Also Frank is mentioned in the book written by the late Bob Cahill Diary of the Depths. A great read.God bless all four men.Pro Since:
1994
Diving Since:
1949
Region:
Weymouth, MA, USA
Story:
I became interested in SCUBA diving during my enlistment in the military during World War II. I was a survival swimming instructor during a portion of my enlistment and was very involved in aquatics. Upon discharge, I like many of my contemporaries could find few sources of diving equipment and no outlets for instruction. Buying what was available and making items like wet suits and masks, I became an avid diver. Many mornigns I would awaken hours before work to "sneak" to a nearby beach for a dive, and I would often take my SCUBA gear to work so as to catch an after work dive on the way home. In the late 50's, I and a core of friends formed one of the first diving clubs in our area- The South Shore Skindiving Club. This group of enthusiasts excelled in lobster diving and I was fortunate enough to win many yearly trophies for the largest lobster caught or the greatest number caught. The club offered me oppotunities for both local and exotic diving. During the nearly 30 years the club operated, we made many trips to the tropics and Puerto Rico. While all of this was going on, a growing number of individuals desired an outlet for diving equipment and a source of diving instruction. In 1946 I began, on a very limited basis, to supply friends with diving equipment. I used my basement as a storage area and established a working relationship with U.S. Divers. In 1951, I opened a small retail outlet to supply the growing demand for diving gear among the "self-taught" group of divers in my area. My first venture into SCUBA instruction on formal basis began with the opening of a local YMCA in 1955. I taught classes fior over 30 students, but could not offer any form of certification. With the formation of the NAtional Association of Scuba Diving Schools in 1963, I began to teach certification courses on a regualr basis. At one point, two additional instructors were teaching under my direction. I had established myself and my dive store, as the premier source of SCUBA instruction and equipment in our area. I made the decision to retire from my original profession as a brick layer in 1968 and devoted myself to retail SCUBA sales and instruction. During all the years before and after this decision, I made numerous dives for recreation as trip tour guide, and diving instructor. All of these dives wre undertaken ata a time when formal log books were not required. Today I own and operate two year round dive centers and have a staff of six instructors and numerous support people teaching in 5 local pools and one college. Our dive centers train over 300 students yearly in all levels of dive proficiency. Although at 70 years of age, I am not as active in instruction, I still make recreational dives world wide as tour guide for our warm water dive trips. I cannot provide you with physical proof of completing the 5000 official dives, however, in my 45 plus years of diving at least that number of dives have been completed.
1994
Diving Since:
1949
Region:
Weymouth, MA, USA
Story:
I became interested in SCUBA diving during my enlistment in the military during World War II. I was a survival swimming instructor during a portion of my enlistment and was very involved in aquatics. Upon discharge, I like many of my contemporaries could find few sources of diving equipment and no outlets for instruction. Buying what was available and making items like wet suits and masks, I became an avid diver. Many mornigns I would awaken hours before work to "sneak" to a nearby beach for a dive, and I would often take my SCUBA gear to work so as to catch an after work dive on the way home. In the late 50's, I and a core of friends formed one of the first diving clubs in our area- The South Shore Skindiving Club. This group of enthusiasts excelled in lobster diving and I was fortunate enough to win many yearly trophies for the largest lobster caught or the greatest number caught. The club offered me oppotunities for both local and exotic diving. During the nearly 30 years the club operated, we made many trips to the tropics and Puerto Rico. While all of this was going on, a growing number of individuals desired an outlet for diving equipment and a source of diving instruction. In 1946 I began, on a very limited basis, to supply friends with diving equipment. I used my basement as a storage area and established a working relationship with U.S. Divers. In 1951, I opened a small retail outlet to supply the growing demand for diving gear among the "self-taught" group of divers in my area. My first venture into SCUBA instruction on formal basis began with the opening of a local YMCA in 1955. I taught classes fior over 30 students, but could not offer any form of certification. With the formation of the NAtional Association of Scuba Diving Schools in 1963, I began to teach certification courses on a regualr basis. At one point, two additional instructors were teaching under my direction. I had established myself and my dive store, as the premier source of SCUBA instruction and equipment in our area. I made the decision to retire from my original profession as a brick layer in 1968 and devoted myself to retail SCUBA sales and instruction. During all the years before and after this decision, I made numerous dives for recreation as trip tour guide, and diving instructor. All of these dives wre undertaken ata a time when formal log books were not required. Today I own and operate two year round dive centers and have a staff of six instructors and numerous support people teaching in 5 local pools and one college. Our dive centers train over 300 students yearly in all levels of dive proficiency. Although at 70 years of age, I am not as active in instruction, I still make recreational dives world wide as tour guide for our warm water dive trips. I cannot provide you with physical proof of completing the 5000 official dives, however, in my 45 plus years of diving at least that number of dives have been completed.
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