Oldest Dive shop in Orange County

[Lopez116]

So we now know it wasn't Merkers shop, how about Laguna Sea Sports 1958. Or was it "Diver Jays Scuba" Just kidding!

Sam, after a little more research I found this>>>Orange County - Did You Know? - by Dr. Sam Miller - History of SCUBA Diving

Apparently it was Lyle Hoskins and sons of Newport

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[Sam Miller III]

Apparently it was Lyle Hoskins and sons of Newport

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Good guess

BUT

No! Nine! Neit!

Lyle Hoskins and sons was the first dive shop in OC!

It was taken over by his son Doug Hoskins who ran the shop until his son bought the farm in a diving accident. Doug no longer could be around divers or diving so he sold every thing and retired to the mountains of SoCal. I think Doug has also passed away.

Glad to see you back in circulation..

SDM

Now a question for Dr. Billy- where was Lyle Hoskins & sons located in OC?

 

[fnfalman]

Clive Cussler worked at the Santa Ana Aquatic Center.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Clive Cussler worked at the Santa Ana Aquatic Center.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The king of the Google search strikes again....

No Kidding! Really? Clive Cussler worked at the Aquatic Center? Must be true! What ever you read on Google has to be true

I wonder who taught him to dive and certified him while he was employed at the Aquatic Center ?

I wonder who is featured in his books...Perhaps you should re- read "Raise the Titanic."

Now:
What is the oldest established dive shop in OC?
Perhaps you should Google and repost back

SDM

 

[Mark Guccione]

I give up!!!!:cool2:

 

[Sam Miller III]

Mark
You, Tom and Lopez were close.

I really don't know...
There is a tangled mess of dive shop genealogy beginning about 1950. Shops were established only to go out of business or purchased by another shop as a Laguna beach branch, then resold or disappeared forever. It will take a while to untangle.

As I suspected Southern California dive history has been effectively lost,or is in the process of being lost at a rapid rate especially that of Orange county which was the fountain head of recreational diving. As I have posted many times soon it will be I was told,I think, I heard, I suppose, all answers devoid of any verifiable facts.

Rather dim future
SDM

Infalman
Orange faced watch?
What is the significance of the Orange faced watch?

SDM

 

[drbill]

So you asked the question to find out, or to find out how little the rest of us know about dive history, not because you knew the answer and wanted to share it with us?

 

[LACounty4806]

SDM wrote

"Orange faced watch?
What is the significance of the Orange faced watch?"

If you ever take the time to read the parts of Cussler's books that aren't about you, you'll discover that one of Dirk Pitt's signature items is his orange-faced Doxa watch.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Potential answer;

While not in OC, (in Long Beach, close enough), Underwater Sports Shop was one of the first dive shops in the country. Originally located at 5914 Second Street, it graced the cover of Skin Diver magazine’s February 1956 issue. In 1959 proprietor Bill Hogan moved his store to the foot of the then newly-rebuilt Belmont Shore Pier where it remains to this day. It is now known as (for the past 3 years) Deep Blue Scuba & Swim Center. I believe there has been a couple of different owners over the course, (Sam Lecocq, Tom Murray). The current owners have had the shop for 3 years.

 

[LACounty4806]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The king of the Google search strikes again....

No Kidding! Really? Clive Cussler worked at the Aquatic Center? Must be true! What ever you read on Google has to be true

I wonder who taught him to dive and certified him while he was employed at the Aquatic Center ?

I wonder who is featured in his books...Perhaps you should re- read "Raise the Titanic."

Now:
What is the oldest established dive shop in OC?
Perhaps you should Google and repost back

SDM

Really? You certified Clive Cussler? How self-laudable. You must be and are so proud of yourself. Just curious, what is the oldest dive shop in Orange County and did you spend time writing over 1800 posts on chiropractic websites talking about your adjusting adventures?