@tbone1004
OK Hombre, here you are ...
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A little bit of information about good ole Clive …
After service in USAF Clive had been employed in the advertising world in LA. He wanted to explore the emerging interest in the underwater world and improve his writing skills so he obtained a clerk's position the Aquatic Center (AC) # 2 located on Harbor Blvd in Sana Ana California (Not
Newport Beach store as reported by @drbill) (record history but record it correctly) Clive
enrolled in writing classes at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa California, where he received an AA in journalism and became the college most famous ex student .
Clive had done some free diving while in the service in Hawaii but wanted to expand his knowledge and abilities into the underwater world via diving SCUBA lessons. So Clive was enrolled in the Aquatic Center dive classes, which he successfully completed.
The late Ron Merker ( Yes !
@drbill basic instructor) and I often team taught the AC classes . After Clive completed the course Ron issued him an LA Co basic card and since Ron was not yet a NAUI instructor (He later became NAUI # A 87 (?) I Issued him a NAUI basic card.-- PADI etc was in the future about decade or more away at that time
Over the ensuing years we all had became friends and diving companions . We individually and collectively never ever dreamed that Clive would publish a book- but he did !
Ice Berg ! Then the
Med Caper and finally his break through novel
Raise the Titanic,
It was in the Titanic that he began including his friends and detractors in his books-- In Titanic there is a character Sam Merker - Of course from Sam Miller & Ron Merker = Sam Merker. . In most of his later books we could ID each other, by partial name or mannerisms.
It was after the publication of Titanic that Clive broke away and became a full time researcher and author. When he departed the AC the owners Ron, Al And Dick presented Clive with his highly prized and certainly highly advertised orange faced DOXA watch. The orange faced DOXA was THE WATCH of the serious diver of Orange county -Tommy Thompson., LA CO UW Instructor and PR for U S Divers (aka Aqua Lung) made all LA CO UW OC based instructors "Offers they couldn't refuse " to purchase a orange faced DOXA watch -- which I still wear
I personally can ID myself in about a dozen of his early books..lots of Sams and by my mannerisms, Sam Quade. Sam Mittler, Sam etc etc
Clive and I have remained friends and in periodic contact all these good and great years - Clive inscribed most of his books to me with very personal messages and phrases which as a diving bibliophile I treasure very highly.
When son Dr, Sam IV received his SSI Pro 5000 (Over 5000 logged dives) about ten years ago Clive and Dirk inscribed their latest book to him- which I presented to him at the Pro 5000 ceremonies Certainly another family heirloom to be treasured and to be passed on from one generation to the next
Clive's wife of over 50 years passed away several years ago which was his inspiration and strength. He is now 87 living in Arizona and not in the greatest of heath.
Just a little about Clive...Now you know
Sam Miller, 111
LA Co UW Instructor # 11 UICC
NAUI Instructor # A27
PADI etc etc
@drbill .