What happened to Skin Diver Mag?

[Wookie]

Ocean Realm. THAT was a magazine.

 

[Sam Miller III]

The closest thing I have found to the Skin Diver I knew and loved is Diver Magazine out of Canada. There is a lot of science, technology, and commercial diving because Phil Nuytten is the publisher. He was one of the co-founders of Oceaneering International and owns Nuytco Research, the manufacturer of atmospheric diving suits and small submersibles.

http://www.divermag.com/

The original Canadian "Dive" aka "Diver" magazine was published about 30 to 35 years ago by Peter Vaspoplous and his girl friend whose name I have forgotten. It was popular in Canada but never popular in the US except for a few diving magophiles (I assume that is a correct term for one who collects magazines)

While he was on a visit to SoCal we had dinner and I shared my collection with him. At that time I was an issue or two short of having a full set of the Canadian magazine. He promised to send the missing copies up on his return.

It never happened! a short time after his return to Canada the building housing his operation caught fire and burned to the ground, destroying all of his assets.

Peter decided his magazine was to early in the market place and never rebuilt or published another issue.

About 5 or so years ago Phil decided the time was right so he picked up the name and began publishing his magazine.

SDM

 

[dead dog]

I was reading Uncle Pugs description of down currents and whirlpools and heavy current diving in the PAC NW thinking to myself "That would be some epic diving" The ultimate drift dive, if the boat could keep up with you. Then I thought of what my insurance company might make of it.... They take all of the fun out of it.

Insurance what is this insurance ? Did you have it back in the 50's and 60's ? BC, bony bottle, ? I'm from the old school if you couldn't dive by your self having a buddy won't give you confidence. You have to rely on yourself. But that still doesn't stop me from diving with my buddies.

 

[ams511]

It sounds like almost everyone here stopped reading it 10-20 years before they went under. As I recall, the two competitors were even worse. If the anti-Nitrox and tech diving stories I heard are accurate, that’s the polar opposite from the magazine I grew up with.

Did they have any competitors at first? I was certified in the early 90s and from what I remember Skin Diver was the only game in town. Then came Rodale's and latter Sport Diver.

---------- Post added January 7th, 2014 at 08:38 PM ----------

.......an industry pattern I've noticed over the years, and not limited to just SDM, is that the photography in dive magazines / brochures / books / WWW sites, is HIGHLY dated, very pretty reefs, corals, fish and other life looks abundant/healthy, but the divers are all wearing vintage gear, betraying the true age of the photography, so it's obvious the photos are portraying the way things WERE back in the 70's and 80's at best, and in no way reflect the sad reality of ocean/reef decline over the last 20-30 yrs !

I worked in publishing for many years, much of the photography you see is stock. The publisher gets books of slides and decides which ones to use to match the article. I would assume that now a days it is done electronically with the publishers viewing and purchasing digital images online.

---------- Post added January 7th, 2014 at 08:41 PM ----------

Local dive shop owners hated the magazine because of their advertising from mail-order dive supply houses (a debate that seems quaint in today's brick and mortar versus on-line ordering).

I remembering ordering collection nets from Berry Scuba from an ad in the back of Skin Diver.

---------- Post added January 7th, 2014 at 08:49 PM ----------

When was the last issue published?

According to Undercurrent sometime in 2002.

 

[tech_diver]

Berry Scuba!

Momentary flashback...

Anybody remember 'Honest Archie' ?

 

[captain]

At one time I had a collection of Skin Diver from the mid 50's until I gave up on them sometime in the mid 80's. I still have one issue, February 79 that had some photos and an article I wrote about diving the Florida panhandle.