NASDS, SSI Instructor, 201

[Seadog47]

I ran a dive shop in West Covina, CA called ScubaTech and taught classes there 1969-71. Was commercial diving then as well. My name is Lance G. Anyone take any of my courses or remember this shop.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Seadog47

I am sure didn't take any of your courses...

But some how probably about 1959 when you were there I ended up with a very tough, light green colored zippered dive bag with "SCUBA Tec West Covina " emblazed on it.

I used and abused it as a ancillary dive bag to contain all my emergency equipment the 15 years I was instructing Advanced Diving at Orange Coast College-- I suspect I still have it some where ?

Just recently we began cleaning, tossing and painting and I uncovered a stack of unused NASDS certification cards. John Gaffney and I had been friends for many years and I had the distinction of being the oldest LA CO UW instructor and as I recall #2 NAUI instructor in Orange County, and I had received "Out Standing Contributions to UW Instruction" in 1963 and "Outstanding Instructor of the Year in in 1969" from LA County UIA

John wanted to spread the word so he made me some sort of a honorary NASDS instructor and supplied me with free certification cards until he was no longer involved with NASDS

Do you know my friend Mike Burke NASDS Open Water Instructor #1 (title?) Last contact he was moving to Canada ( Mike's life story could fill several books)

John was one of a kind ..a dear friend right to the very end-- I miss him !

Dr Samuel Miller, 111


@Marie13 CE

 

[Seadog47]

@Seadog47

I am sure didn't take any of your courses...

But some how probably about 1959 when you were there I ended up with a very tough, light green colored zippered dive bag with "SCUBA Tec West Covina " emblazed on it.

I used and abused it as a ancillary dive bag to contain all my emergency equipment the 15 years I was instructing Advanced Diving at Orange Coast College-- I suspect I still have it some where ?

Just recently we began cleaning, tossing and painting and I uncovered a stack of unused NASDS certification cards. John Gaffney and I had been friends for many years and I had the distinction of being the oldest LA CO UW instructor and as I recall #2 NAUI instructor in Orange County, and I had received "Out Standing Contributions to UW Instruction" in 1963 and "Outstanding Instructor of the Year in in 1969" from LA County UIA

John wanted to spread the word so he made me some sort of a honorary NASDS instructor and supplied me with free certification cards until he was no longer involved with NASDS

Do you know my friend Mike Burke NASDS Open Water Instructor #1 (title?) Last contact he was moving to Canada ( Mike's life story could fill several books)

John was one of a kind ..a dear friend right to the very end-- I miss him !

Dr Samuel Miller, 111


@Marie13 CE

Hi SAM, and thanks for your reply. It seems we sure swallowed some of the same seaH2O! Yup... those dive bags were plenty durable, still have a tired old specimen in my garage for sentimental reasons. John Gaffney and Bud Smith (Dive magazine publisher) were good friends to me when I was a young instructor. Flew up to Tillimook, Oregon in Bud’s aero-commander
for a senior instructor open-water, navigation and
night dive curriculum. I miss them both... from the pioneer days of the exploding recreational diving business. I grew up in in Miami Beach, got my initial certification when 9, and by 16 had checked off all the adjunct certifications available then and dove 3-4 times a week cleaning boat hulls, retrieving gear under piers, some photographic gigs and selling game (speared fish) and lobsters to the hotels on Collins Ave. Moved to California just before my senior year in HS (West Covina). While I went to Mt. SAC and Cal Poly I worked on contract with CEDAM
( conservation, education , diving, archeology, museums). They were a non-profit based in Mexico led by Pablo Bush Romero. We excavated the sacrificial cenotes’ in Yucatán and the Spanish galleon Mataceros, wrecked on Palancar reef in the channel. That’s where I met and dove a few times with Bob Marks. He first salvaged the wreck sight with Ramon Zapata in 1956. From Cozumel, Ramon was a fine gentlemen and easily the best diver I have met in more than 60 years at this game. I dove with him first in 1959 on the same wreck after Marks left. In 1968 I started running Scuba-Tech for Jack and Rita Parmelly in West Covina. While there I did some work for L.A. County Sheriffs’ Dept. with search and recovery with drownings and boating accident stuff and did some testing of early rebreathers for the Navy ( I was in the reserves). I left the diving business late 1971 to begin a career in pharmacy-biotech and finished 2003 Sales Director with Schering-Plough) before Merck acquired them. Still go to Central America almost every year with my three children and my grandkids to dive. A 59 year love affair with the people and the waters. At any rate SAM, again thanks for responding. If ever you would like to chat, give me a holler. I am retired in the Oregon Coast. Lance G. (593)961-2334

 

[dekoop]

I ran a dive shop in West Covina, CA called ScubaTech and taught classes there 1969-71. Was commercial diving then as well. My name is Lance G. Anyone take any of my courses or remember this shop.

I took the open water course from you in 1969. I was in high school at the time. I was searching this forum while on vacation in Cozumel and was surprised to see ScubaTech mentioned. Thanks for the course, I’ve been diving since then.

 

[Michaeldg]

Hello Lance G.
I was a 15 year old in 1972 and got certified at Scubatech and later got my NASDS Senior Diver certification with your shop. Stephen Walker was my instructor (he apparently did not survive his later mind altering experiments with nitrogen narcosis). My dive card allowed me to dive in such far flung places as Tahiti, the Red Sea, the Yucatan and the Mediterranean Sea during my youthful travels! I am very grateful that your shop gave me the opportunity to experience these fabulous underwater places. After an 18 year hiatus from diving I have taken a reactivate course and am starting to dive again. I've attached my original certification card below.

 

[tech3324]

See also this thread on NASDS:

Roll call: Any old NASDS divers out there?

Just curious if there is any of us left

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