Bottom Scratcher

[lowflyer]

Anyone know anything about this dive boat out of San Pedro? I've heard it has a new captain and crew.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I have no knowledge a new captain or crew
suggest that you google "bottom scratcher" and learn a little about dive history
sdm

 

[lowflyer]

Maybe we aren't referring to the same thing. I'm referring to this dive boat:
Bottom Scratcher Charter Dive Boat - Scuba Diving Southern California

They have a web page, but none of the links on the web page work. I have googled it and don't find much but have heard the boat has a new owner. Is this boat somehow related to the "dive history" you mention?

I'm just interested if anyone has been on the boat and what they thought of it.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Bottom Scratcher here in San Pedro/Port of Los Angeles/22nd St Landing is in the process of being upgraded and modified to handle multi-day liveaboard dive charters to the Outer Channel Islands and Cortes/Tanner Banks long range trips (i.e. itineraries that were once the domain of the Great Escape Diveboat & Liveaboard, lwhich has since been relegated to a sport fisher boat down in San Diego).

 

[mbrownsen]

It’s a great boat with a great history. They have been redoing it and running channel swim trips for distance swimmers. Keep checking back when it’s ready it will be nice.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Kevrumbo
Bottom Scratcher here in San Pedro/Port of Los Angeles/22nd St Landing is in the process of being upgraded and modified to handle multi-day liveaboard dive charters to the Outer Channel Islands and Cortes/Tanner Banks long range trips (i.e. itineraries that were once the domain of the Great Escape Diveboat & Liveaboard, lwhich has since been relegated to a sport fisher boat down in San Diego).
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Is the Bottom Scratcher still owned and operated by Greg Elliot ? Or has it been sold and the new owners are making the modifications ? If so who are the new owners?

Greg should have the distinction of being the grand old man of the dive fleet- Seems that time has zoomed by. I recall Greg when he just separated from USMC and became a NAUI Instructor, soo many moons ago. He obtained his Captains license and began running the Golden Doubloon for EddieTsukurma, which he latter purchased and ran to it was relegated to the back bay. He then began running the Bottom Scratcher. Now it is ???

30 or so years ago my son Sam IV while a student LBSC was the deck hand on the Golden doubloon for Greg, Now Sam is 50 years old and is the director of ER& Hyperbaric medicine at the local regional hospital.

"The March of time...."
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@lowflyer
google Bottom Scratcher and expand your diving knowledge of diving history.


Sam Miller, III

 

[tep]

Is this the same Bottom Scratcher that ran out of San Diego in the late 70s and early 80s? I know I dove on a boat by that name from 79-82.

 

[Ken Kurtis]

1. Yes, same Bottom Scratcher that used to run out of SD but that was MANY moons ago (like maybe 20 years or more).
2. Bottom Scratcher and Sand Dollar were bought by Ken Peters and brought up to LA area.
3. Peters sold Bottom to Greg Elliot almost immediatelywho has recently sold it to Kevin Bell (of Asante fame).
4. Kevin's been working on the boat for many months now. I'm personally unclear on it's current status. We had HOPED to have him join us for Chamber Day but he said it wasn't quite there at the time (May 2).

- Ken

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Ken Kurtis

Ken
You are a man about town who has al the answers
And I am one who has several questions'

* Is the Golden Doubloon still afloat in the back bay?
* Is Greg Elliot still above ground?
* Asante ??? charter boat ? What ?

* How many dive charter boats are in the current fleet ?

Interesting how in a short period of 60 plus years how the dive charter boat business has grown . The worlds first dive charter boat business was established in SoCal and ran out of the now forgotten Pierpont landing.

All day trip to Catalina was a whopping big $5.00 !

Now the boat, the captain and even the worlds fist dive deck hand are gone and forgotten by you and certainly the SoCal diving community.

Yes it is interesting !

Sam Miller
LA Co UW Instructor
NAUI Instructor # A27
PADi and the rest f the dive alphabet

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The Golden Doubloon went to the crusher in 2009.
The Asante now owned by Gary Jackson was once the Sea Bass.
Greg Elliot will be kicking as long as he can push air through his bagpipes.