California diver magazine

[Sam Miller III]

CALIFORNIA DIVER MAGAZINE!

I have A COPY! Finally I have a copy.....!

Since Skin Diver was first introduced in December 1951 I have been a diving "magophile" and as the various magazines were introduced I collected and hard bound them.

I have a complete bound set of the worlds first magazine devoted to diving published right here in SoCal, "Skin Diver Magazine; a magazine for skin divers and spear fishermen" (1951 to it's demise) including almost every diving equipment catalog published and all Underwater Film Festival programs. This is the only set of its kind in existence any where in the world, and only one of less than 20 complete sets of Skin Diver Magazine.

I also have complete bound sets of “Dive”, “NDA News”, American SCUBA Diver”, Aquarius”, "Water World", "Underwater", "Fathom", "Sport Diving”, "Underwater Photographer",” California Diver (the original !),” “ Pacific Diver”, “SCUBA PRO Diving and Snorkeling”, “Diving and Snorkeling Quarterly” “Ocean Realm”, “Sport Diver”, all of which are no longer published. Currently I maintain and bind current sets of “Dive Training” & "Historical Diver” (USA),

I have the only known complete set of “Pacific and Atlantic Underwater News”, published from 1966 to 1971. It was the first newspaper devoted entirely to the underwater world. And of course published right here in SoCal

And now I have A COPY, of the new CALIFORNIA DIVER!--An extremely rare unknown magazine here on the central coast where I reside.



As one in my dotage I was only familar with one author, Mr.Otto Gasser who wrote a very good complete article on Jade Cove. I have a certain amount of pride in Otto's article since it was my article I published almost 50 years ago which introduced Otto to Jade Cove and Jade diving



The "back story" to the article;



I began diving Jade Cove in 1957, at that time it's location was unknown except for a few LA Co UW Instructors. In 1965 I published a very complete five page article on Jade Cove, where it was located, how to dive it, how to locate and Identify Jade, which opened the cove up to the general public for diving. After all most of the huge hunks had been removed and were in private homes. A 125 pound piece of Jade is great to own..It becomes a center piece in the living room, then a door stop, then to the rec room, then a rock for the grand children to play on, then a yard decoration, finally a rock for the family dog to pee on every day....Then it begins it's journey from one off spring to another...it is only a green rock.



Otto was introduced to the underwater world a few years after my article was published via a basic class during his graduate work at UCLA, followed a few years later as LA Co UW Instructor when he discovered my article and Jade diving which he embraced with open arms. I would urge every one to read Otto's fine article and sometime in the near future plan on a Jade Cove camping trip and if the God's are kind and the surf is down dive for Jade.




BACK TO CALIFORNIA DIVING....A QUESTION--



Is California Diver still being published? How many issues have been published? Or like so many publications of the past died with out fanfare after a few issues ?

Does anyone out there in SCUBA Diving land have extra copies they would like to trade for copy (S) of a vintage SKIN DIVER? The month you were born? The month you were certified? As a gift? if so PM me..

 

[=C=]

Any plans to digitalize? I'd love to have a couple pdf's to read on flights and such!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

http://californiadiver.com/

 

[Sam Miller III]

Max,
You always come through! I appreciate your concern and many efforts.

Now I know the issues I am missing, and recalling the bibliographers creed "If you can visualize it; you can find it." I suspect that I will somehow gather the missing issues into my collection.

SDM

 

[Sam Miller III]

Any plans to digitalize? I'd love to have a couple pdf's to read on flights and such!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No plans on digitalizing the collection. All are in mint condition and are bound by year.

They are also becoming very rare & valuable..The SDM vol #1 issue #1, December 1951 laast sold about 5 years ago for $1200+ Dollars.

Many of the lessor know titles are also becoming rare and valuable to both the collector and researcher.

This collection only grows in value as our stocks only decrease in value.

The entire collection will go to my son Dr Sam 1V who is an ER/Hyperbaric doctor, a NAUI (Life) and PADI instructor as well as a long term PRO 5000 diver.....He will also probably keep the collection as is...

I do have a few mint SDMS etc for trade (or Sale) --make great unique presents

SDM

 

[caseywilson]

CALIFORNIA DIVER MAGAZINE!

Is California Diver still being published? How many issues have been published? Or like so many publications of the past died with out fanfare after a few issues ?

See here: http://californiadiver.com

 

[drbill]

Yes, it is still being published. The next issue will have an article about the "devil weed," Sargassum horneri, that has invaded SoCal waters from Japan. I'll bet you can't guess who wrote it!

 

[Sam Miller III]

Well by gum! A published author! Congratuations! I am very happy for you!


I am excited for the California divers,and much more important, that Califorina officials will be made aware of the Sargassum's invasion of our fine diving areas and it's insidious growth pattern especially when coming from the pen of a diving professional who has witnessed it first hand. Maybe, just maybe it will be the beginning of the war against Sargassum..

I recall in the early 1950s when I first encountered the "weed" in northern Mexico. I was diving with the late Jack Waite (See Skin Diver Magazine, Vol #1,Nr #1, December 1951-He was all over that issue) The Sargassum was so thick it was like a jungle and in places very difficult to dive or spearfish. My hope is that it never gets that kind of hold in the US.

Great to hear you are publishing and look forward to many more future articles.

SDM

 

[drbill]

Well by gum! A published author! Congratuations! I am very happy for you!


I am excited for the California divers,and much more important, that California officials will be made aware of the Sargassum's invasion of our fine diving areas and it's insidious growth pattern especially when coming from the pen of a diving professional who has witnessed it first hand. Maybe, just maybe it will be the beginning of the war against Sargassum..

I recall in the early 1950s when I first encountered the "weed" in northern Mexico. I was diving with the late Jack Waite (See Skin Diver Magazine, Vol #1,Nr #1, December 1951-He was all over that issue) The Sargassum was so thick it was like a jungle and in places very difficult to dive or spearfish. My hope is that it never gets that kind of hold in the US.

Great to hear you are publishing and look forward to many more future articles.

SDM

I've published nearly 500 articles on marine life, both in the popular literature and peer reviewed scientific journals. My favorite journal article, summarizing my early 1990s research on the persistence of giant kelp and its possible use as a surrogate for designing marine reserves, was actually one of only 10 papers recommended to Dr. Jane Lubchenco, head of NOAA, by an independent group of scientists for consideration in the formulation of the proposed national marine reserve system.

Interested in the Sargassum you encountered in Mexican waters back then, Sam. Although Sargassum muticum, the first invader of our shores, may have arrived in the PNW around the turn of the previous century, it was not reported to have reached SoCal waters until 1970. It is still present here although it appears to have become a reasonably innocuous invader except in certain shallow water habitats at certain times of the year.

The one I'm referring to, Sargassum horneri (formerly S. filicinum) is a recent invader. It was first detected in Long Beach Harbor in 2003, and made its way to Catalina by 2005-06. It has been a horrendous invader during most of the subsequent seasons, although this past winter it was very tame. It is my belief that the cool waters last summer and fall allowed the giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) to remain healthy even in late summer and that the thick kelp forest canopy helped overshade the understory Sargassum. The cooler temperatures also favored the giant kelp over the Sargassum.

At first it looked like water temperatures were going to skyrocket this year with surface temperatures reported as high as 74-78 F off Catalina in early July. I thought the giant kelp would disappear like it did in 2006. However, the water has cooled since then and the giant kelp has remained healthy thanks to intermittent incursions of cool, nutrient rich water.

 

[fnfalman]

The cooler temperatures also favored the giant kelp over the Sargassum.

Dr. Bill, if that's the case then how come I never see the sargassum during the warmer months?