Dive flag ring and the beer brand

[Sam Miller III]

Last Friday evening my wife Betty and I were checking out at our local up scale market: a market that is populated with an over abundance of very friendly extremely helpful and I discovered observant clerks.

As I was in the process of sliding my credit card the clerk happened to notice the red and white dive flag ring on my finger. Being friendly and in an attempt to create a firmer bond she remarked " I didn't know you were associated with Pabst"

I was dumb founded "Pabsts?" So I replied "No I am retired."

"Then you must like their beer" she responded "to wear their ring!"

At this point in time it was me and my wife Betty who has a matching dive flag rings who were confused.

"How did you surmise that our rings which has been the symbol of recreational diving for 65 years suddenly become a symbol of a beer named "Pabsts?" I asked.

"All the Pabsts beer cases have a white back ground with a red diagonal stripe just like your ring" she replied.

I had competed the check out procedure so we walked over to the liquor section and there they were cases of Pabst beer with a white background and a red diagonal stripe, but in a mirror image of the dive flag.

I am not certain if this will have an impact on divers wearing a dive ring or having a dive flag in their rear window or flying it from their boat--only time will tell

One thing that is for certain this is another chapter in the continuing intriguing history of the red and white flag; the recognized symbol of recreational diving for over a half century
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little history...

"Many years ago (1969) when recreational diving was in it's infancy I was honored as the "Outstanding Los Angles County Underwater Instructor of the year." In honor of that award I had a custom ring made with the LA Co UW instructor's logo on it .

I often remarked that because of my involvement in the red and white dive flag that I should some day have a dive flag ring custom made.

No need -I discovered a red and white dive flag ring at the Dive show in Long Beach, California which was the correct proportions of 5X4X1 in a sterling silver mounting.

It didn't take much for Roland St John who markets over 100 dive and ocean related products under the name of Big Blue to have my hard earned California dollars in his pocket and a shiny new dive flag ring on my finger.

After returning home my wife saw the ring and we determined a dive flag ring would be perfect as a conventional wedding band while traveling and diving. So we contacted Roland who honored the show price of $30.00.--rather than the advertised price of $75.00
Now we are a two dive flag ring family...very few can boast of being a two ring dive couple

I would suggest that you might want to check out the rings at ~~ Big Blue Aquatic Gifts - Marine Life Jewelry, Art, Conservation - Categories
You may order on line at ~~ SALES@BIGBLUEDIVE.COM or via telephone (401) 625 9758.

As I urged a half century ago when I was honored as the first guest editor of "Skin Diver Magazine; a magazine for skin diver and spear fishermen." I wrote my SDM article "Sign post for Safety" in which I urged that "all divers to publicize and display the flag"
Now you can publicize the red and white flag 24X7 by wearing one of Roland's Dive flag rings.

SDM, 111 "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[knotical]

Don't know when Pabst added the red stripe behind their blue ribbon medallion, but it's been a lot of years.
The red stripe on white background never triggered a "scuba" reaction in me, nor in those I hung out with afaik.