muzikbiz22
Contributor
It's not my shop, just one of many that have been around a while. I'm fine with the history lessons that your provide here
A SO CAL dive history question?
- Thread starter Sam Miller III
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It's not my shop, just one of many that have been around a while. I'm fine with the history lessons that your provide here
OP
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I was uniquely associated with this this shop almost from its opening. This shop was the first in Long Beach and one of the very first shops in SoCal, therefore one of the first in the US,
It is sad that he present owners are unaware of the history of this shop the place it held in development of diving not only locally but with in the US.
Now the PADI owners are perpetuating a charade of inaccurate knowledge gleaned from who knows were.
No need to reply - this will probably be my last post on this thread
SDM
It is sad that he present owners are unaware of the history of this shop the place it held in development of diving not only locally but with in the US.
Now the PADI owners are perpetuating a charade of inaccurate knowledge gleaned from who knows were.
No need to reply - this will probably be my last post on this thread
SDM
Yo
u sound bitter? Go educate them as they may not know this history...
The days in Southern California with LA County instructors, great dive boats-the Golden Doubloon, out of Long Beach,
Dive N Surf, Sea D Sea in Redondo Beach.
Ron Merker, great dive instructor, and many others.
I always feel really fortunate that I was there at that time.
I am still diving, next week out of Santa Barbara.
Dive N Surf, Sea D Sea in Redondo Beach.
Ron Merker, great dive instructor, and many others.
I always feel really fortunate that I was there at that time.
I am still diving, next week out of Santa Barbara.
OP
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Fly boy
Not bitter-- I just don't have the time - I do research ,consult, lecture - and write. You and others can obtain the answers from my forthcoming book "The way it was...a diver' s recollection " Or whatever the editors determines as a better title
FYI go to SoCal thread for a description of this weekends lecture -- you will note there are two Dr.Sam's I am the 111
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
MDB
So many memories...
Ron Merker was my best friend, confident, competitor . We shard much over the many years.
I recommended him and was his sponsor for the LA Co UW Instructors course. I some aspects of diving he followed in my fin prints and in some others he followed -in mine- either way we were always excited and appreciative of the others accomplishments- yet always competitors..
The day he passed away was my birth day . I received a very early telephone call from Carol his wife who always called then transferred me to Ron who was disabled and could not dial a telephone. She informed me that Ron had just passed away and I was the first person she had called . Needless to say I was devastated
What sad way to begin a day -- especially a birthday
FYI Ron's obituary
Ron Merker: Instructor, Businessman, Pioneer, Passes at 82
By Ellsworth Boyd
Ron Merker, a pioneer scuba instructor who owned a chain of California dive shops, died September 22, 2014 after suffering complications from Parkinson’s disease. Although he ceased diving 10 years ago, he was credited with certifying thousands of divers in the Corona del Mar, California, area not far from his Laguna Niguel home. He leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Carol Ann Merker, a son, Lance, a daughter, Michelle, a brother, Robert and three grandchildren.
Merker always credited diving for helping him achieve coordination and confidence. Hospitalized with polio as a child, he lacked the skills needed for most team sports. Diving became his salvation.
In the late 1940s, some friends from Santa Ana took Merker to Newport Beach and introduced him to what was then called “skin diving.” Later, he set a record by bagging a 57-lb. blue tuna. He taught others to spearfish and free dive in the heyday of California’s mushrooming tournaments.
In the early 1950s, he was a deckhand on the first charter boat that took divers to Catalina Island. Mort Toggweiller owned the boat and photographed Ron and his girl friend Carol—who later became his wife—demonstrating gear and techniques for one of diving’s first instructional films. The experience motivated him to introduce Southern Californians to scuba diving and get into it fulltime.
From the early 1960s through 1996, Merker co-owned and managed a chain of Aquatic Center dive shops in Laguna Beach, Santa Ana and Newport Beach. The latter shop, located on the West Coast Highway, is still active. During the peak years he supervised six fulltime instructors in a program that was well taught and very popular. Beginning at pools in the Newport area, instructors progressed to Little Corona Beach and culminated the training wi h a final dive off Catalina Island.
His son Lance said, “With a crew cut, athletic build and strict teaching style, my dad came across like a drill sergeant,” but behind that tough demeanor he was the kindest, most gentile person you would ever meet.”
Pioneer diver Dr. Sam Miller of Pismo Beach, California, was a close friend and frequent diving buddy Merker’s and remembers the early days well. “Orange County was the fountainhead of recreational diving in California, the U.S. and the world,” Miller said. It was a diving Mecca I knew and enjoyed for over 50 years and although it has changed, I remember a few privileged participants of that bygone era. Ron is one of them, an outstanding diver and great guy whose accomplishments and memories will remain forever.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I never aspired to be anything but a lousy diver..It was not my profession but some how became a life long obsession
you might want to google my name for a little about me
Now I need to walk my dog and get to work..
Cheers, from as you know where it all began in California
SAM
Not bitter-- I just don't have the time - I do research ,consult, lecture - and write. You and others can obtain the answers from my forthcoming book "The way it was...a diver' s recollection " Or whatever the editors determines as a better title
FYI go to SoCal thread for a description of this weekends lecture -- you will note there are two Dr.Sam's I am the 111
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
MDB
So many memories...
Ron Merker was my best friend, confident, competitor . We shard much over the many years.
I recommended him and was his sponsor for the LA Co UW Instructors course. I some aspects of diving he followed in my fin prints and in some others he followed -in mine- either way we were always excited and appreciative of the others accomplishments- yet always competitors..
The day he passed away was my birth day . I received a very early telephone call from Carol his wife who always called then transferred me to Ron who was disabled and could not dial a telephone. She informed me that Ron had just passed away and I was the first person she had called . Needless to say I was devastated
What sad way to begin a day -- especially a birthday
FYI Ron's obituary
Ron Merker: Instructor, Businessman, Pioneer, Passes at 82
By Ellsworth Boyd
Ron Merker, a pioneer scuba instructor who owned a chain of California dive shops, died September 22, 2014 after suffering complications from Parkinson’s disease. Although he ceased diving 10 years ago, he was credited with certifying thousands of divers in the Corona del Mar, California, area not far from his Laguna Niguel home. He leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Carol Ann Merker, a son, Lance, a daughter, Michelle, a brother, Robert and three grandchildren.
Merker always credited diving for helping him achieve coordination and confidence. Hospitalized with polio as a child, he lacked the skills needed for most team sports. Diving became his salvation.
In the late 1940s, some friends from Santa Ana took Merker to Newport Beach and introduced him to what was then called “skin diving.” Later, he set a record by bagging a 57-lb. blue tuna. He taught others to spearfish and free dive in the heyday of California’s mushrooming tournaments.
In the early 1950s, he was a deckhand on the first charter boat that took divers to Catalina Island. Mort Toggweiller owned the boat and photographed Ron and his girl friend Carol—who later became his wife—demonstrating gear and techniques for one of diving’s first instructional films. The experience motivated him to introduce Southern Californians to scuba diving and get into it fulltime.
From the early 1960s through 1996, Merker co-owned and managed a chain of Aquatic Center dive shops in Laguna Beach, Santa Ana and Newport Beach. The latter shop, located on the West Coast Highway, is still active. During the peak years he supervised six fulltime instructors in a program that was well taught and very popular. Beginning at pools in the Newport area, instructors progressed to Little Corona Beach and culminated the training wi h a final dive off Catalina Island.
His son Lance said, “With a crew cut, athletic build and strict teaching style, my dad came across like a drill sergeant,” but behind that tough demeanor he was the kindest, most gentile person you would ever meet.”
Pioneer diver Dr. Sam Miller of Pismo Beach, California, was a close friend and frequent diving buddy Merker’s and remembers the early days well. “Orange County was the fountainhead of recreational diving in California, the U.S. and the world,” Miller said. It was a diving Mecca I knew and enjoyed for over 50 years and although it has changed, I remember a few privileged participants of that bygone era. Ron is one of them, an outstanding diver and great guy whose accomplishments and memories will remain forever.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I never aspired to be anything but a lousy diver..It was not my profession but some how became a life long obsession
you might want to google my name for a little about me
Now I need to walk my dog and get to work..
Cheers, from as you know where it all began in California
SAM
LACounty4806
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LACounty4806
Contributor
Wrong. First off, ithe Wizard of Westwood was John "Wooden," not Wooten. Secondly, he was born in Hall Indiana and raised in Martinsville, not Goshen.
wasn't the first single hose the rose crown ? trying to get this thread back on topic ...
dead dog
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JamesBon92007
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OK, I have not read the thread so here are my best guesses...
AquaLung (US Divers)
Santa Ana
I dunno.
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