What are the top Diving related books?
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I was surprised to have some one from Ohio recommend Carlos book. It is an old book, long out of print but evidently very popular with some one as evidenced by the price it is being offered.
I know -knew- some are now in the big reef in the sky, all the people listed in the book who were fellow members of the same club, the Long Beach Neptunes now the oldest spearfishing club in the US. Immediately after the Korean war I was involved in the Southern California Skin divers, the same club as Charlie Sturgil. Matter of fact dove the same way..GI sweater, Churchill's and one of Charlie's home made mask. I published an article in my column "The way it was" In "Dive Training" (DT) about 20 years ago. DT stopped publication about 15 year ago and I suspect you never read the article, here is a copy of the "The Mask."'The Mask,
One of the great pioneer divers of all times was the late Charlie Sturgil. "The Old Walrus," as he was affectionately known, started his diving career in 1929 in the frigid waters off Northern California where he hunted for abalone by a method he described as "feeling for abalone." He would dive on a reef, feel until he found an abalone and pry it off, without the use of mask, fins, snorkel or thermal protection.
Charlie began diving with a mask using a Japanese mask in the late 1930s which was loaned to him by his good friend Bill O'Conner. A few years later after the end of WW 11, Charlie, a master tool and die maker and an inventor of sorts, developed the necessary tooling to produce masks on a semi-custom basis for himself and a few close friends. I consider myself very fortunate to have been included in the latter category.
In early years during the genesis of recreational diving the masks were either too large, too small, too stiff or after a few dives, would rapidly deteriorate into a gummy, sticky mess. This did not make for comfortable diving! After using a number of the masks of that era,the Japanese imports, and the American made Sea Net, I decided it was time to contact Charlie to ask him if he could make one of his custom masks for me.
After checking my meager finances, found I could possibly afford one of Charlie's masks, so I gave him a call. "Sure, Sammy, I'd be happy to make a mask for you, come on over", Charlie replied to my request. Within moments I was off to the temple of Southern California diving, Charlie Sturgil's garage.
I was met by this jovial hunk of a man with his infectious, ever-present smile. "Hey ya, Sammy" was always his cordial greeting. Alter a few moments of catching up on the diving scene it, was time to get to work. "Sammy, I'm now making two masks; the original for $6.00 and a new oval model for $8.00", Charlie explained. After considerable soul searching and penny counting, I opted for what I felt I could afford, the original round mask for $6.00.
Now, Charlie's garage was something to behold. It appeared to be in total disarray, and the best way to describe it would be the day after a big sale in a bargain basement. Diving equipment in various stages of repairs, pieces of metal, lengths of stainless rods scattered about... Omnipresent was the huge metal turret lathe and miscellaneous metal working machines. But to Charlie, it was his arena, it was where he excelled in turning these seemingly scrap pieces of metal into custom spear points, spear shafts, yes, even masks.
Charlie knew the location, size, shape and type of everything in his garage. His storage system was logical and certainly workable, but it still defies the imagination how he managed to find anything, let alone make anything, but he did.
Charlie went to work with the speed and skill of a emergency room surgeon. He immediately uncovered a length of 5 inch O.D. soft rubber World War 11, surplus firehose, from which he cut a 4 inch piece. He placed the piece of rubber hose in the wooden mold and proceeded to his trusty bench grinder where he slowly cut a 1/8 inch wide, 3/32 deep groove all around the edge for the glass. This was followed by the rough contouring for the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. He then went to his metal rack and withdrew a piece of 3/4 x 16 inch 22 gauge stainless steel, which he placed in his specially constructed mold and carefully, yet skillfully, forced the stainless steel around the mold forming it into a familiar round mask shape. His next step was to form the band evenly and smoothly around the mold creating the lip for the compression hand with light rapid laps of a hammer. Using silver solder, the welding process of the era, he soldered the tabs for the strap and the compression screw tabs to complete the band. A piece of pre-cut 1/3 inch glass, the same kind used for window glass, was taken from the shelf and fit into the groove; the compression band placed around the mask and the compression screw tightened.
At last, the mask was assembled. My own custom Sturgil mask! Charlie proceeded to take some cursory measurements of my then youthful face, and returned to the grinding wheel, skillfully grinding a little here, a little there, another trial fit, a little more grinding. Finally, a perfect fit. A final hand finish with fine sandpaper, attaching of the strap, cut from a truck inner tube, and I was the proud possessor of a real genuine Charlie Sturgil Original Style Diving Mask.
This occurred many years ago when diving as well as life was much simpler, a time when pride in workmanship and ownership were at a premium. Charlie made almost 40 of these one of a kind custom dive masks, however only three are known to have survived the rigors of our disposable society, mine, Alex Pierce's of Toronto, Canada and Charlie's widow's Laura's mask which now on loan and rests in a Southern California museum. And indeed they are museum pieces... the three remaining masks are all almost sixty years old and represent an era which was experienced by only a precious few which will never be experienced again upon this earth.
Charlie has reverend position in the fraternity of diving pioneers; he won the world's second Spearfishing contest in 1950 with a pole spear, was a LA County Underwater Instructor and serendipity developed much of the spearfishing and SCUBA equipment which has become mainstream in todays diving.
I will never forget Charlie, nor will anyone who ever knew him.... nor will there ever be another mask like a Sturgil Mask.
Dr Samuel Miller
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post script;
Charlie passed on November 15 1984, His devoted wife Laura passed on a few months ago at the age of 90. If Charlie knew you and liked you he always addressed you in the familar; Ie Sammy, Bobbie, Jimmie,--Those he didn't have great admiration or didn't know well it was formal Sam, Bob or Jim.
His daughter Laura Lee was married to Billy Meistral, one of the twin brothers who founded Dive and Surf and the very successful Body glove. Billy also passed on several years ago. Brother Bobbie was honored at the "Legends of diving" this past August along with the first female instructor in the US Dottie Frazier.
A SoCal spearfishing club has been presenting the Charlie Sturgil spearfishing meet for about 30 years...It came full circle when Charlie's grand daughter, Laura Lee Gonta won the meet several years ago using one of Charlie's legendary pole spears.
So now you know...
SDM
What a great story about Charlie Sturgil. I have attended several Legends of Diving at Portage Quarry (Bowling Green, Ohio) and have had the pleasure of breaking bread with Alec Peirce, as well as meeting Dottie Frazier and Bob Meistral. Hope to see you at an upcoming Legends event. I'm sure all the attendees would love to hear more tales about the Long Beach Neptunes and Southern California Skin Divers.
Farback
Contributor
thanks! That's the ticket.
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FYI===I was the very first to be inducted into the Legends of Diving - seven years ago. You can read "The mask" and several other of my articles on the legends web site. Alex & Dianna visit Kalifornia often and always manage to work casa Miller into their schedule, most recent visit was in October of last year. They also visited with Dottie May Frazier on the same jaunt. I received an e mail from Dottie yesterday - she is now 92 and still a spring chicken...She was the world"s first female UW instructor-- What a great gal! Have not had contact with Bobbie for some time. Dottie, Bob and I were early (Pioneer ?) LA Co UW instructors- Long before all the rest of the alphabet programs were established. So many applied, so few accepted, and even fewer graduated "Once an LA Co UW instructor always an LA UW instructor." No truer words were ever written! SDM
---------- Post added April 11th, 2013 at 04:08 PM ----------
FYI===I was the very first to be inducted into the Legends of Diving - seven years ago. You can read "The mask" and several other of my articles on the legends web site. Alex & Dianna visit Kalifornia often and always manage to work casa Miller into their schedule, most recent visit was in October of last year. They also visited with Dottie May Frazier on the same jaunt. I received an e mail from Dottie yesterday - she is now 92 and still a spring chicken...She was the world"s first female UW instructor-- What a great gal! Have not had contact with Bobbie for some time. Dottie, Bob and I were early (Pioneer ?) LA Co UW instructors- Long before all the rest of the alphabet programs were established. So many applied, so few accepted, and even fewer graduated "Once an LA Co UW instructor always an LA UW instructor." No truer words were ever written! SDM
---------- Post added April 11th, 2013 at 04:08 PM ----------
\
FYI===I was the very first to be inducted into the Legends of Diving - seven years ago. You can read "The mask" and several other of my articles on the legends web site. Alex & Dianna visit Kalifornia often and always manage to work casa Miller into their schedule, most recent visit was in October of last year. They also visited with Dottie May Frazier on the same jaunt. I received an e mail from Dottie yesterday - she is now 92 and still a spring chicken...She was the world"s first female UW instructor-- What a great gal! Have not had contact with Bobbie for some time. Dottie, Bob and I were early (Pioneer ?) LA Co UW instructors- Long before all the rest of the alphabet programs were established. So many applied, so few accepted, and even fewer graduated "Once an LA Co UW instructor always an LA UW instructor." No truer words were ever written! SDM
Diver by Tony Groom
It was good read, interesting, good humor & well written.
(Amazon's blurb) Diver is an honest, moving and sometimes hilarious account of a hair-raisingly exciting career, both in the Royal Navy and in commercial deep-sea diving. Training the most unlikely of raw recruits, handling unexploded bombs while under air attack in the Falklands, living for months in a pressurised bottle with a voice like Donald Duck, commuting to work through a hole in the floor in the freezing, black depths of the North Sea.
It was good read, interesting, good humor & well written.
(Amazon's blurb) Diver is an honest, moving and sometimes hilarious account of a hair-raisingly exciting career, both in the Royal Navy and in commercial deep-sea diving. Training the most unlikely of raw recruits, handling unexploded bombs while under air attack in the Falklands, living for months in a pressurised bottle with a voice like Donald Duck, commuting to work through a hole in the floor in the freezing, black depths of the North Sea.
Cussler started the D.P. adventure series with "The Meditteranean Caper," followed by "Iceberg," "Raise The Titanic, "Vixen 03," "Night Probe" "Pacific Vortex" & "Deep Six." Many of these novels had diving as part of the story line, an expression of Cussler's long-standing interest. Farther along in his writing you'll find Pitt & his ol' buddy Al Giordino doning rebreathers - a tip of the literary hat to the evolution of scuba.
If you haven't read them, they are good fun. Why, I've often speculated Cussler modeled the character of Dirk Pitt after myself...
Regards,
DSD
- Messages
- 5,141
- Reaction score
- 4,136
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cussler started the D.P. adventure series with "The Meditteranean Caper," followed by "Iceberg," "Raise The Titanic, "Vixen 03," "Night Probe" "Pacific Vortex" & "Deep Six." Many of these novels had diving as part of the story line, an expression of Cussler's long-standing interest. Farther along in his writing you'll find Pitt & his ol' buddy Al Giordino doning rebreathers - a tip of the literary hat to the evolution of scuba.
If you haven't read them, they are good fun. Why, I've often speculated Cussler modeled the character of Dirk Pitt after myself...
Regards,
DSD
DSD
It was not you and I am sworn to secrecy. Dirk Pitt, The name is a compilation of two people close to Clive....
FYI -- Clive Cussler:
One of my post from long ago.....
[h=2]DOXA diving watches and DOXA watch book[/h]
THE WATCH...DOXA
THE BOOK....The DOXA SUB, forty years. 1967-2007
THE AUTHOR...Dr. Pete Millar
The Swiss made DOXA watch was introduced by US Divers of Santa Ana, California in their 1968 catalog.
It was offered in one model the "Doxa sub" which was offered in 3 faces, black,Silver and bright Orange. The black faced one was listed as part number #7269 aka "Shark Hunter," silver, part number #7270 aka "Sea Rambler," and the popular orange faced model as part number 7268 "The Professional" and retailed for $150.00 hard earned California dollars.
The original Doxa models were followed by other Doxa models such as the Doxa Chronograph, retail $250.00 the smaller mini Doxa retail $170.00 and the Conquistador listed at retail $175.00 in the US Divers commercial catalog of that era.
But it is the original Orange faced Doxa watch that made an immediate impact on the diving world. Prior to its introduction the majority of the diving watches were smaller in size, often the bezel rotated both left and right, most were black faced making them difficult, if not almost impossible to read in low light conditions, therefore most were difficult to use as an effective diving decompression tool, and guaranteed to eventually leak- (Before the Doxa I never owned a dive watch I couldn't flood)
The Orange faced model has been made even more famous by the diving adventure author Clive Cussler whose main fictional character Dirk Pitt, always wears a Doxa as does Clive in the pictures of him and Dirk's autos on the back of his numerous books.
Clive was introduced to the orange faced Doxa while employed at the Aquatic Center on Harbor Boulevard in Santa Ana, California were, between customers, he collected information to do character studies and wrote the his first two of his many diving based novels, "Ice Berg" and "Raise the Titanic." During this era there were only a few active Underwater Instructors for all of Orange county; All certified by LA County; a few had crossed over LA county to NAUI which had just recently been established but no PADI which was not even a dream of the future in the minds of Chicagoans Cronin, Erikson and Chow.
LA Co Instructor and US Diver's PR Tommy Thompson made an offer to the active LA County Certified instructors residing in Orange County for the Oranged faced Doxas Doxas that none could refuse.
It was in this setting that Clive Cussler was exposed to the magic glow of the orange faced Doxa sub; it was the sign the symbol of the OC instructors and on occasion, since diver ranking had been established but rejected by LA Co and NAUI, also the sign of what was then refereed to as a "serious diver."
Clive's first book "Ice berg" received an equally cold reception only 5000 were printed in hard cover and immediately went to soft cover trade paper back. A some time later "Raise the Titanic" was printed and became a run away best seller and Clive was on his way to literary immortality.
As a going away present the owners of the Aquatic Center presented Clive with his very own orange faced US Divers Doxa sub. Clive in turn immortalized the owners in Raise the Titanic, Dick Spencer aka "Spence," Al "O" Woods aka "Woodson" and Sam Merker was a complation of two of Clive's major antagonist as "Sam Merker." (aka SAM Miller and Ron MERKER.) Clive has continued to write to this day with the very same Orange faced Doxa on his and his fictional hero Dirk Pitt's wrist
The book "The DOXA sub, forty years 1967-2007," Was introduced in May 2007 to the diving bibliophile and diving watch collecting world in a hard cover, jacketed edition. Printed on very high grade glossy paper, it measures 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches by 1 inch thick. Between the bright orange covers are 278 information filled pages loaded with photographs and descriptions of the of the various models. The book "DOXA sub" is the first and only book printed to accurately document the origins of a diving watch and has immediately became a diving book classic upon its release. It is the definitive book on this historic watch.
It is predicted that the book "The Doxa sub" will escalate in value many times over in a record time. It will no doubt be as collectable and desirable as Leon Lyons definitive book "Helmets of the deep," It retailed for $300.00 upon release, now 10 years after its printing is selling for in excess of $4000.00 and Torrance Parker's "20,000 Jobs under the sea," which originally sold for $85.00 are currently selling for around $800.00 and is on its way to $1000 a copy. So it will be with the new book on the market "Doxa sub;forty years, 1967-2007."
The author, Dr. Pete Millar, is a well known medical doctor in Chicago, enthusastic diver a world renown expert on Doxa watches and a member of the SCUBA board. Dr Millar spent many years collecting overhauling and cataloging Doxas watches and untold dollars researching and publishing this monumental book.
With its publication DOXA sub-forty years 1967-2007 Dr. Millar has created a great book and a created a lasting tribute to diving world.
Interested in the book? It may be ordered through the Doxa web site for $79.00 +$20.00 Shipping with in the US. But you better hurry, it is a limited edition book and the supply is very limit.
Yes, I have and am currently wearing a 1968 US Divers logo Orange faced Doxa sub
SDM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suggest that you make and appointment with Alex Pierce @ SCUBA 2000 in Richmond Hill who is A Pro 5000 and a member of the Legends to discuss my long term relation ship with Clive
sdm
THE BOOK....The DOXA SUB, forty years. 1967-2007
THE AUTHOR...Dr. Pete Millar
The Swiss made DOXA watch was introduced by US Divers of Santa Ana, California in their 1968 catalog.
It was offered in one model the "Doxa sub" which was offered in 3 faces, black,Silver and bright Orange. The black faced one was listed as part number #7269 aka "Shark Hunter," silver, part number #7270 aka "Sea Rambler," and the popular orange faced model as part number 7268 "The Professional" and retailed for $150.00 hard earned California dollars.
The original Doxa models were followed by other Doxa models such as the Doxa Chronograph, retail $250.00 the smaller mini Doxa retail $170.00 and the Conquistador listed at retail $175.00 in the US Divers commercial catalog of that era.
But it is the original Orange faced Doxa watch that made an immediate impact on the diving world. Prior to its introduction the majority of the diving watches were smaller in size, often the bezel rotated both left and right, most were black faced making them difficult, if not almost impossible to read in low light conditions, therefore most were difficult to use as an effective diving decompression tool, and guaranteed to eventually leak- (Before the Doxa I never owned a dive watch I couldn't flood)
The Orange faced model has been made even more famous by the diving adventure author Clive Cussler whose main fictional character Dirk Pitt, always wears a Doxa as does Clive in the pictures of him and Dirk's autos on the back of his numerous books.
Clive was introduced to the orange faced Doxa while employed at the Aquatic Center on Harbor Boulevard in Santa Ana, California were, between customers, he collected information to do character studies and wrote the his first two of his many diving based novels, "Ice Berg" and "Raise the Titanic." During this era there were only a few active Underwater Instructors for all of Orange county; All certified by LA County; a few had crossed over LA county to NAUI which had just recently been established but no PADI which was not even a dream of the future in the minds of Chicagoans Cronin, Erikson and Chow.
LA Co Instructor and US Diver's PR Tommy Thompson made an offer to the active LA County Certified instructors residing in Orange County for the Oranged faced Doxas Doxas that none could refuse.
It was in this setting that Clive Cussler was exposed to the magic glow of the orange faced Doxa sub; it was the sign the symbol of the OC instructors and on occasion, since diver ranking had been established but rejected by LA Co and NAUI, also the sign of what was then refereed to as a "serious diver."
Clive's first book "Ice berg" received an equally cold reception only 5000 were printed in hard cover and immediately went to soft cover trade paper back. A some time later "Raise the Titanic" was printed and became a run away best seller and Clive was on his way to literary immortality.
As a going away present the owners of the Aquatic Center presented Clive with his very own orange faced US Divers Doxa sub. Clive in turn immortalized the owners in Raise the Titanic, Dick Spencer aka "Spence," Al "O" Woods aka "Woodson" and Sam Merker was a complation of two of Clive's major antagonist as "Sam Merker." (aka SAM Miller and Ron MERKER.) Clive has continued to write to this day with the very same Orange faced Doxa on his and his fictional hero Dirk Pitt's wrist
The book "The DOXA sub, forty years 1967-2007," Was introduced in May 2007 to the diving bibliophile and diving watch collecting world in a hard cover, jacketed edition. Printed on very high grade glossy paper, it measures 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches by 1 inch thick. Between the bright orange covers are 278 information filled pages loaded with photographs and descriptions of the of the various models. The book "DOXA sub" is the first and only book printed to accurately document the origins of a diving watch and has immediately became a diving book classic upon its release. It is the definitive book on this historic watch.
It is predicted that the book "The Doxa sub" will escalate in value many times over in a record time. It will no doubt be as collectable and desirable as Leon Lyons definitive book "Helmets of the deep," It retailed for $300.00 upon release, now 10 years after its printing is selling for in excess of $4000.00 and Torrance Parker's "20,000 Jobs under the sea," which originally sold for $85.00 are currently selling for around $800.00 and is on its way to $1000 a copy. So it will be with the new book on the market "Doxa sub;forty years, 1967-2007."
The author, Dr. Pete Millar, is a well known medical doctor in Chicago, enthusastic diver a world renown expert on Doxa watches and a member of the SCUBA board. Dr Millar spent many years collecting overhauling and cataloging Doxas watches and untold dollars researching and publishing this monumental book.
With its publication DOXA sub-forty years 1967-2007 Dr. Millar has created a great book and a created a lasting tribute to diving world.
Interested in the book? It may be ordered through the Doxa web site for $79.00 +$20.00 Shipping with in the US. But you better hurry, it is a limited edition book and the supply is very limit.
Yes, I have and am currently wearing a 1968 US Divers logo Orange faced Doxa sub
SDM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suggest that you make and appointment with Alex Pierce @ SCUBA 2000 in Richmond Hill who is A Pro 5000 and a member of the Legends to discuss my long term relation ship with Clive
sdm
Dam! I'm shattered! My ol' commercial diving buddy Mike Fletcher also laid claim to the title - I'll have to break the news to him!
I met Alex many years ago when I was thinking of opening a dive shop; now that I know who you are, his relation to you & subsequently to Clive, I suspect another visit is in order! BTW, you listed "Iceberg" as Clive's first novel, when I was of the understanding that it was preceeded by "The Meditteranean Caper." I'll betcha a Doxa dive watch that "Caper" came 1st!
Regards,
DSD
---------- Post added May 20th, 2013 at 04:21 PM ----------
Ah yes...Jaqueline...Stan Waterman came to F.I.T. in Florida to present on Bert Webber's salvage of the "Concepcion," & I asked him about working with Ms. Bisset - pondering my query, he looked off into the distance, remembering, his eyes misting, and said: " Ah yes...that wet t-shirt!"
Some of my fave divin' books:
> Most works by Robert F. Marx ( particularly "Always Another Adventure" - my bible during my formative years )
> "On The Bottom" by Edward Ellsberg
> "The Grey Seas Under" by Farley Mowat
>"20,000 Jobs Under The Sea" by Torrance R. Parker
Most of my library consists of volumes on Commercial Oilfield Diving, Marine Archaeology, U/W Treasure Hunting, Shipwrecks and Diving Education, along with the popular N.E. Atlantic tomes mentioned by the op.; in fact, I just ordered a summers worth of reads from Amazon based on some of the recommendations in this thread!
Dive. Read about diving / watch a diving movie. Romance a beautiful woman. Repeat.
Now THAT is living!
Regards,
DSD
Last edited:
clownfish60
Contributor
I second "The Silent World" by Cousteau! Excellent book.
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