Mike Delaney

[fdelaney0552]

Hey everyone keepin wet?

Well I just wanted to introduce myself here. I am one of those unfortunate fellows with a cert from NASDS in 1974 and already received one replacment card but don't remember when but I'll try the SSI replacment card form.

Anyone remember Jim Gilligan from Gilligan's Isle Dive shop on the Rosevellt Blvd in Phila? The shops gone and hope Jim is still with us. We used to go on Newport RI dive trips off of Ledge road. Also the night dives off Bruce Springsteins beach in NJ. Following that I moved to CA in 1979 and then really got into UW photogrophy. All pictures are on slides I may possibliy get them scanned one day if I can get a bigger boat this boat I am living on is too small. Out of a thousand pics I think one or two are good.

That brings up a memory of how I met my first wife through a dive buddy in Newport Beach, CA. After being relocated to SLC, UT. in 1981 and playing checkers at the bottom of our pool which got boring and having to VIP my tanks for nothing each year I then I sold every scuba thing I owned to Barry Roberts who now is in FL. Hi Barry..

So here I am now certificationless and probably not be able to prove my cert. I was recently laid off from Unisys after 29 years and living in St. Paul MN. Well it was time to relocate. I am currently on board at Midway marina on the Tenn-tom MI 394 with plans to end up in Northwest FL at Port Saint Joe and eventually begin cleaning boat hulls.

Stay wet regards to all

 

[1amphibian]

Welcome to Scubaboard, sounds like you have lots of experience, you will find a lot of friends here..

 

[mrlscuba]

Mike,
I got certified at Gilligan's Isle in the summer of 1975, by John Grooman. I worked for Jim Gilligan at the shop during my first 2 years at college (1977-78). I graduated and joined the Navy in 1980 about the same time Jim moved the shop from NE Philly to the main line, he closed a couple of years later and dropped off the face of the earth, I believe he moved North with a new wife, after he and Pat split up. I've tried to locate him several times, but SSI who has all the old NASDS instructor files has no contact info on him, and I think that got out of diving all together.
I'm in Virginia Beach after retiring from the USN in 2000, diving as much as possible off shore here, Morehead City and south. Ocasionally get back home and have been off NJ with my best friend, Chuck Zimmaro, who I met while working for Jim.
I'm sure we dove together in RI or off Shark River inlet (night dives) or at the Richland Quarry!

 

[Atomic_Diver]

welcome to :sblogo:

 

[DiveGear4Less]

Welcome to Scubaboard!!

 

[diverdavids]

Hey everyone keepin wet?

Well I just wanted to introduce myself here. I am one of those unfortunate fellows with a cert from NASDS in 1974 and already received one replacment card but don't remember when but I'll try the SSI replacment card form.

Anyone remember Jim Gilligan from Gilligan's Isle Dive shop on the Rosevellt Blvd in Phila? The shops gone and hope Jim is still with us. We used to go on Newport RI dive trips off of Ledge road. Also the night dives off Bruce Springsteins beach in NJ. Following that I moved to CA in 1979 and then really got into UW photogrophy. All pictures are on slides I may possibliy get them scanned one day if I can get a bigger boat this boat I am living on is too small. Out of a thousand pics I think one or two are good.

That brings up a memory of how I met my first wife through a dive buddy in Newport Beach, CA. After being relocated to SLC, UT. in 1981 and playing checkers at the bottom of our pool which got boring and having to VIP my tanks for nothing each year I then I sold every scuba thing I owned to Barry Roberts who now is in FL. Hi Barry..

So here I am now certificationless and probably not be able to prove my cert. I was recently laid off from Unisys after 29 years and living in St. Paul MN. Well it was time to relocate. I am currently on board at Midway marina on the Tenn-tom MI 394 with plans to end up in Northwest FL at Port Saint Joe and eventually begin cleaning boat hulls.

Stay wet regards to all

Mike:
I was NASDS certified by Jim Gilligan in 1976, when he was at the old Roosevelt Blvd. location. I remember my dad asking him if he had any trouble with the rough neighborhood, and Jim just pointed at the spear gun behind the counter. They became friends instantly.

Both my dad and I were going to take the course together because I was only 12 at the time. Unfortunately he was called out of town for business that summer, and Jim, possibly feeling sorry for me, allowed me to take the course without him after proving my swimming ability.

Sometime in the 1990s, while I was purchasing a new BC, the now deceased owner of Aqua Hut in the Manyunk section of Philadelphia told me that Jim had closed his shop behind the train station on the Main Line (thus why I was making an equipment purchase at Aqua Hut--I first went to Jim's old location only to find that it was gone) and opened an operation in the Virgin Islands. The owner of that shop was also certified by Jim, and she claimed to have his contact info.

Before my dad passed away in 2002, he and I made it a mission to locate Jim. I looked for the address that the owner of Aqua Hut provided me, but it was nowhere to be found. When I called the shop, the new owners sadly told me that she had passed, and that her next of kin only recently had removed her personal effects, including her address book.

So I hit a dead-end, but my father kept calling dive shops in the area, as well as quite a few in the Virgin Islands. He was on a mission, but unfortunately he too passed before he suceeded.

When I by chance saw your reference to Jim on this message board, it piqued my curiosity again. Another post indicated that he remarried and moved to New England, which certainly makes sense since he sold ski equipment in the winter when he was located on the Main Line.

I last saw Jim when I purchased a custom wet suit from him in the early 1980s. He immediately recognized me, and reminded me of the promise he made to my father. You see, Jim refused to sell me a wetsuit because I was still growing. Instead, he promised to apply all the money I spent on wetsuit rentals with him to my eventual purchase. Well, he did. All those trips to Shark River Inlet saved me quite a bit of money on my first wetsuit. He was a man of his word.

So I would still like to know what happened to Jim Gilligan. I remember people outside of Philadelphia looking at my old C-card and seeing his name embossed on it and asking "Are you kidding me?" It was comical. I've since replaced the card, as it finally broke apart and it was mistakenly thrown away.

So if anyone knows where Jim is, please let us know. I would love to catch up with him after all these years, and let him know his former student is still diving, and still using the same MK 5 Scubapro regulator that he bought over 30 years ago.

Incidently, I only in the last 5 years got rid of my steel Scubapro 72 with the old J valve. I should have saved that valve!

Regards,
David

 

[floridanewbe]

welcome aboard

 

[mrlscuba]

Mike:
I was NASDS certified by Jim Gilligan in 1976, when he was at the old Roosevelt Blvd. location. I remember my dad asking him if he had any trouble with the rough neighborhood, and Jim just pointed at the spear gun behind the counter. They became friends instantly.

Both my dad and I were going to take the course together because I was only 12 at the time. Unfortunately he was called out of town for business that summer, and Jim, possibly feeling sorry for me, allowed me to take the course without him after proving my swimming ability.

Sometime in the 1990s, while I was purchasing a new BC, the now deceased owner of Aqua Hut in the Manyunk section of Philadelphia told me that Jim had closed his shop behind the train station on the Main Line (thus why I was making an equipment purchase at Aqua Hut--I first went to Jim's old location only to find that it was gone) and opened an operation in the Virgin Islands. The owner of that shop was also certified by Jim, and she claimed to have his contact info.

Before my dad passed away in 2002, he and I made it a mission to locate Jim. I looked for the address that the owner of Aqua Hut provided me, but it was nowhere to be found. When I called the shop, the new owners sadly told me that she had passed, and that her next of kin only recently had removed her personal effects, including her address book.

So I hit a dead-end, but my father kept calling dive shops in the area, as well as quite a few in the Virgin Islands. He was on a mission, but unfortunately he too passed before he suceeded.

When I by chance saw your reference to Jim on this message board, it piqued my curiosity again. Another post indicated that he remarried and moved to New England, which certainly makes sense since he sold ski equipment in the winter when he was located on the Main Line.

I last saw Jim when I purchased a custom wet suit from him in the early 1980s. He immediately recognized me, and reminded me of the promise he made to my father. You see, Jim refused to sell me a wetsuit because I was still growing. Instead, he promised to apply all the money I spent on wetsuit rentals with him to my eventual purchase. Well, he did. All those trips to Shark River Inlet saved me quite a bit of money on my first wetsuit. He was a man of his word.

So I would still like to know what happened to Jim Gilligan. I remember people outside of Philadelphia looking at my old C-card and seeing his name embossed on it and asking "Are you kidding me?" It was comical. I've since replaced the card, as it finally broke apart and it was mistakenly thrown away.

So if anyone knows where Jim is, please let us know. I would love to catch up with him after all these years, and let him know his former student is still diving, and still using the same MK 5 Scubapro regulator that he bought over 30 years ago.

Incidently, I only in the last 5 years got rid of my steel Scubapro 72 with the old J valve. I should have saved that valve!

Regards,
David

David,
Just got in contact with Jim, he moved to VT in 1983 for a year then came back to West Chester PA, and got into the computer biz, married Carole, has 2 daughters and 1 grand child, and is now living in Indian Lake, NY, hasn't dove in many years after some ear issues. he sounds happy and well.

 

[TMHeimer]

Welcome to SB. There was once a pontoon boat rental place that allowed diving from them in Pt. St. Joe. Hope you can get re-certified. Way before my scuba time (2005), but do you recall Auto Editor Phil. Daily News Scott Heimer (my 1960s diving older brother)? Or "FoFoFo 1983 at the Spectrum?

 

[ram04769]

Hello fdelaney0552 and welcome to SB. Sorry to hear about losing your card. I hope you can get things straightened out and get back into diving soon enough.