New member from Los Angeles, California

[iBJanky]

Hi guys, my name is Michael and I'm from Los Angeles, California. I only do recreational diving, and prefer diving in warm tropical waters while on vacation.

I got my PADI Open Water certification in the Philippines back in July 2020, but I couldnt really dive much more that year because of the pandemic.

2021 was a little better, and I was able to take a few diving trips to Mexico (Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta) during the year.

2022 has been pretty good, as I got to dive again in the Philippines, and Colombia. I just completed my PADI Advanced Open Water certification course as well, and I have a couple more dive trips planned for the remainder of the year.

I'm really looking forward to learning everything I can from this site, and perhaps share some knowledge too in the process. Cheers!

 

[drrich2]

Welcome! You’re off to a great start. Where’d you dive in the Philippines?

Richard.

 

[azstinger11]

If you ever want to dive locally you are very fortunate, the oldest civilian scuba certification agency is really close and does some great training tailored to Southern California.

Welcome and happy diving!

 

[iBJanky]

Welcome! You’re off to a great start. Where’d you dive in the Philippines?

Richard.

Hey Richard,

I did my diving in Batangas, and also in Coron, Palawan.

 

[iBJanky]

If you ever want to dive locally you are very fortunate, the oldest civilian scuba certification agency is really close and does some great training tailored to Southern California.

Welcome and happy diving!

Which one is that?

 

[amfibia]

Which one is that?

I believe he is referring to the LA County Underwater Unit and probably their Advanced Diver Program in particular. Apparently civilian dive training was pioneered by Al Tillman at the LA County Parks & Rec Department, who went on to be a co-founder of NAUI.

@azstinger11, please correct me if I'm wrong.

By the way, I'm also a recent joiner of the forum based in LA. Welcome aboard.

 

[Tripp]

Welcome to ScubaBoard and the World of Scuba!

 

[azstinger11]

I believe he is referring to the LA County Underwater Unit and probably their Advanced Diver Program in particular. Apparently civilian dive training was pioneered by Al Tillman at the LA County Parks & Rec Department, who went on to be a co-founder of NAUI.

@azstinger11, please correct me if I'm wrong.

By the way, I'm also a recent joiner of the forum based in LA. Welcome aboard.

That would be correct! In 1952 the Director of LA Country Parks & Rec received an internal memo from Al Tillman who was the active sports director highlighting the need for intervention and training. LA County sent Al Tilman and Bev Morgan (later co founder of Kirby Morgan dive helmets) to the Scripps Institute in La Jolla to learn how their DSO Conrad Limbaugh was conducting scientific diver training. Taking these lessons back they held classes throughout LA and were steered by an advisory council of Limbaugh, E.R. Cross, Dr Robert Livingston, and Fred Schwankowsky. Guest lecutrues included other diving greats like Mel Fisher but other instructors featured future diving pioneers like Ramsey Parks. This initial program was refined and updated in 1954 to produce the first Underwater Instructors Certification Course (UICC). Al Tilman left LA County parks and co-founded NAUI in 1960, with PADI founded in 1966, SSI in 1970, CMAS in 1959. There is usually a friendly debate between UICC and BASC about who is older. With BASC being founded in 1953 and being recognized in 1954 vs the first courses being earlier in 1953 and the first UICC being in early 1954. So it's close but i'll maintain through my own prejudices that LA County was the earlier of the two. Other random tidbits are that LA County was able to get Disney to produce its early training manuals and videos.

Some other notable alumni include Dottie Frazier and Harry Vetter.

I'm sure Sam Miller could have written a much more thorough and elegant version of the above but hopefully its serviceable.

There isn't much reading available on these early days of scuba but Scuba America by Zale Parry and Al Tillman is a wonderful resource.

 

[iBJanky]

That would be correct! In 1952 the Director of LA Country Parks & Rec received an internal memo from Al Tillman who was the active sports director highlighting the need for intervention and training. LA County sent Al Tilman and Bev Morgan (later co founder of Kirby Morgan dive helmets) to the Scripps Institute in La Jolla to learn how their DSO Conrad Limbaugh was conducting scientific diver training. Taking these lessons back they held classes throughout LA and were steered by an advisory council of Limbaugh, E.R. Cross, Dr Robert Livingston, and Fred Schwankowsky. Guest lecutrues included other diving greats like Mel Fisher but other instructors featured future diving pioneers like Ramsey Parks. This initial program was refined and updated in 1954 to produce the first Underwater Instructors Certification Course (UICC). Al Tilman left LA County parks and co-founded NAUI in 1960, with PADI founded in 1966, SSI in 1970, CMAS in 1959. There is usually a friendly debate between UICC and BASC about who is older. With BASC being founded in 1953 and being recognized in 1954 vs the first courses being earlier in 1953 and the first UICC being in early 1954. So it's close but i'll maintain through my own prejudices that LA County was the earlier of the two. Other random tidbits are that LA County was able to get Disney to produce its early training manuals and videos.

Some other notable alumni include Dottie Frazier and Harry Vetter.

I'm sure Sam Miller could have written a much more thorough and elegant version of the above but hopefully its serviceable.

There isn't much reading available on these early days of scuba but Scuba America by Zale Parry and Al Tillman is a wonderful resource.

Very cool! Nice videos as well. Thanks for sharing those!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I remember seeing those videos maybe 15 years ago. I think their great.
When I was getting into double hose diving I had an opportunity to use the pool at Sonoma State University during a NAUI class that was going on. I got permission from the instructor, who was also a good friend of mine to ptactice ditch and dons. I jumped into the deep end of the pool with just a steel 72 on a harness and a DA Aquamaster exactly like in the film. Amazingly I was neutral buoyant, no bc, just breathing. It was really cool. Those double hoses were pretty light and thin, not a lot of mass to the first stages, and the hoses hold a lot of air which helps a little bit with buoyancy. Ditching the tank I had to shut of the valve otherwise the mouthpiece just floats up and the reg will freeflow. Leave everything on the bottom and go up blowing out. Take a few breaths and back down you go and put everything back on. It’s actually a piece of cake once you practice it and do it several times, a lot of fun too.
One thing I noticed about the training then vs now, they practiced mask off drills and the other drills a lot more and people were a lot more proficient at those skills. Now they just make them do it one time and that seems to be good enough. Same in the ocean, get through it once and you’re done. That’s not a lot of confidence if it happens for real.