BajaNomad

Choral Pepper= SCUBA DIVING- 1962

dean miller - 1-26-2014 at 02:09 PM

~~ 196212 Desert Magazine 1962 December ~~~~

Choral Pepper taught to to SCUBA Dive by the late great Harry Wham in lake Meade...in 1962.

SDM

David K - 1-26-2014 at 04:32 PM

Did you need a link to this issue/ story? Every issue of Desert Magazine is available to read, online... at http://dezertmagazine.com (note the use of a z instead of an s in Dezert Magazine's web site).

David K - 1-26-2014 at 04:36 PM

Here is the December 1962 issue: http://dezertmagazine.com/mine/1962DM12/index.html

The scuba story begins on page 17.

Here is the Choral Pepper (Baja photos) web site I made: http://choralpepper.com

David K - 1-26-2014 at 05:11 PM

It is sure good fun to read some of the old Desert Magazines!

Look what I just spotted on the first pages of the Nov. 1963 edition... Pompano knew J.W. Black real well... he invented many desert vehicles and Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason creator) bought them and then invited J.W., the Pepper's and other specialists to join in on Erle's Baja and desert expeditions (and Erle paid all expenses), Choral Pepper told me.



Erle was a Desert subscriber and contributed many stories to Desert Magazine.

dean miller - 1-27-2014 at 05:40 AM

Did people really SCUBA Dive in 1962?

No PADI to Put Another dollar In?

Oh the horror if it all!

SDM

larryC - 1-27-2014 at 08:23 AM

I took my first scuba class in summer of 1960, taught by Jimmy Stewart of Scripps inst, and Verne Fleet a San Diego lifeguard. The cert would have been "San Diego Aquatic center" but I failed that course. Cost my dad $10. Then in January '61 I got certified at the Diving Locker by Chuck Nicklin and Emil Hawbecker. Passed that, cost my dad $25, that might have been a NAUI cert but I can't remember and I lost the card years ago. I have been diving ever since.

dean miller - 1-27-2014 at 10:26 AM

FYI
Jim became the CDO of SIO in March 1960- he replaced Connie Limbaugh - he is now 85 doing well but in an assisted living home in SoCal

Verne passed away several years ago - he ended up as a SD firemen

Chuck is at last report still around

Emil HaYbecker moved to Montana has passed on.

Keep on kicking & blowing bubbles

Not many remaining...

SDM
LA CO UW Instructor 11
NAUI Instructor 27
PADI & rest of the alphabet

larryC - 1-27-2014 at 05:13 PM

I remember when Connie died in the cave in France, Too bad. Verne and I were on the SDFD together for 15 years or so, Chuck and I worked on a film job or 2 together and later he chartered my boat for some of his shops classes. Now Chuck is active in the San Diego underwater photo society and puts on an underwater film festival every year. I had heard that Emil had passed away. I didn't know Jimmy was still alive, he is a legend in his own right. As you are also. Good job keeping up with some of the San Diego old timers. Brings back some good memories.
Larry

dean miller - 1-28-2014 at 08:52 AM

It is a small world-- This world of recreational diving!

I am from Orange County , but retired to a hill overlooking the blue Pacific in central Kalifornia.

But we in the genius of the sport seemed to know and respect each other, even though separated many miles

Now diving is composed of modern late model tube sucking bubble blowers who have no concept of the great diving heritage that created the sport.

SDM

Fang - 1-28-2014 at 08:31 PM

I am dating myself I know, but way back in 1950 or '51 I heard Jacques Cousteau being interviewed on radio about his SCUBA gear. I was working for Compton Police Dept. in those days & we had a small group of officers on the afternoon shift who were free divers.

Cousteau announced he & his partner, Emile Gagnan would be demonstrating their gear on the beach at Laguna the following day. Three of us made the event & were blown out of our minds over the possibilities. We were informed that a firm called Healthways was licensed to build the 2 hose regulators & tanks until such time as Jacques Cousteau's firm, U. S. Divers was up & running. Within 6 months we were all equipped & having a ball at Palos Verde, Catalina & San Clemente Islands.

Fast forward 30 some odd years to & I am setting at a luncheon table in Newport Beach with ,,,,,,,,,,,,Jacques Cousteau, Mel Fisher (The discoverer of the Antochia treasure ship in Florida ) and Tommy Thompson, Coustea's Director of New Product Development at US Divers who now has their HQ in Santa Ana, Calif.

Mel Fisher, his wife & parents owned the best dive shop in Southern Calif back in the 1960's & '70's & we always refilled our tanks at their Redondo Bch. store.

Tommy Thompson was an old friend & I had used him many times to train folks for me in different LE units over the year.

Mr. Cousteau was as cordial & pleasant as he could be . We spent over 2 hours eating & telling lies about our diving adventures.

In 1979 i was forced to become a PADI certified diver. Only because I could no longer get my tanks refilled without proof of certification. I regret that decision.

I do have old diver friends who refused to subjugate themselves to this indignity & purchased their own compressors & continue to refill & use tanks dating from the 1960-1970 era without any need of VIP inspections or Hydro-Static checks. They have never suffered a failure or injury as a result of their decisions.

Baja still remains the best dive destination in the world!

larryC - 1-29-2014 at 08:42 AM

Fang
You and Dean are a generation ahead of me. I met Mel Fisher in Chicago at the "Our World Underwater" film festival. He presented a film about his quest of looking for and finding the Atocha. He had a photo of himself underwater with gold coins raining down from above all around him. Very impressive. I showed 2 short comedy films that I had made and from there was invited to show them at a film festival in Hawaii. In Hawaii another contributor was Dick Anderson. You two guys may know or remember him, he was from Orange county I think. He was showing a short comedy film about diving and finding gold in northern California's rivers. He actually found a huge gold nugget weighing pounds not ounces. I don't remember the exact weight. Funny guy. Told stories about when he worked for a scuba equipment manufacturer and saw that another manufacturer had a very nice looking diving mask prototype. Dick was able to copy the mask and get it to market before the original company and then heard from other people how unfortunate it was that his mask had been copied already. Sounded better when he told it, but funny none the less.
Larry

David K - 1-29-2014 at 01:57 PM

Very cool...

Neat story Earle, thanks for sharing!

dean miller - 1-31-2014 at 09:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by larryC
Fang
You and Dean are a generation ahead of me. I met Mel Fisher in Chicago at the "Our World Underwater" film festival. He presented a film about his quest of looking for and finding the Atocha. He had a photo of himself underwater with gold coins raining down from above all around him. Very impressive. I showed 2 short comedy films that I had made and from there was invited to show them at a film festival in Hawaii. In Hawaii another contributor was Dick Anderson. You two guys may know or remember him, he was from Orange county I think. He was showing a short comedy film about diving and finding gold in northern California's rivers. He actually found a huge gold nugget weighing pounds not ounces. I don't remember the exact weight. Funny guy. Told stories about when he worked for a scuba equipment manufacturer and saw that another manufacturer had a very nice looking diving mask prototype. Dick was able to copy the mask and get it to market before the original company and then heard from other people how unfortunate it was that his mask had been copied already. Sounded better when he told it, but funny none the less.
Larry


Larry C.

I knew them both very well.

Mel was a chicken farmer from Goshen Indiana the same town as the wizard of West wood. He owned a small dive shop and owned a dive boat. Not the most sterling of characters.

Dick was from the LA area. worked for several dive companies.
became interested in Gold and after much searching found the huge 7 pound nugget .

Dick a born comedian. He was difficult to have a conversation because he could find humor in every thing and always injected humor.

When Dick made the movie he was married to his first wife Mary who was also from Indiana. The fellow who ran up and down the hill with the dredge was John Marry's young brother.

Mary is now married to a very serious Cal Poly professor a huge departure from Dick. John passed away about 5 years ago from CA. Mary lives about ten miles away and John lived in the same town as I currently live.

The diving world was a small one during the geneses of the sport . We all knew each other and still remain in touch especially now with the advent of the internet.

SDM

dean miller - 2-3-2014 at 11:48 AM

Quote:


Originally posted by Fang
I am dating myself I know, but way back in 1950 or '51 I heard Jacques Cousteau being interviewed on radio about his SCUBA gear. I was working for Compton Police Dept. in those days & we had a small group of officers on the afternoon shift who were free divers.

Cousteau announced he & his partner, Emile Gagnan would be demonstrating their gear on the beach at Laguna the following day. Three of us made the event & were blown out of our minds over the possibilities. We were informed that a firm called Healthways was licensed to build the 2 hose regulators & tanks until such time as Jacques Cousteau's firm, U. S. Divers was up & running. Within 6 months we were all equipped & having a ball at Palos Verde, Catalina & San Clemente Islands.

Fast forward 30 some odd years to & I am setting at a luncheon table in Newport Beach with ,,,,,,,,,,,,Jacques Cousteau, Mel Fisher (The discoverer of the Antochia treasure ship in Florida ) and Tommy Thompson, Coustea's Director of New Product Development at US Divers who now has their HQ in Santa Ana, Calif.

Mel Fisher, his wife & parents owned the best dive shop in Southern Calif back in the 1960's & '70's & we always refilled our tanks at their Redondo Bch. store.

Tommy Thompson was an old friend & I had used him many times to train folks for me in different LE units over the year.

Mr. Cousteau was as cordial & pleasant as he could be . We spent over 2 hours eating & telling lies about our diving adventures.

In 1979 i was forced to become a PADI certified diver. Only because I could no longer get my tanks refilled without proof of certification. I regret that decision.

I do have old diver friends who refused to subjugate themselves to this indignity & purchased their own compressors & continue to refill & use tanks dating from the 1960-1970 era without any need of VIP inspections or Hydro-Static checks. They have never suffered a failure or injury as a result of their decisions.

Baja still remains the best dive destination in the world!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good gosh what a great story to share around a camp fire when there are no divers present. Very Impressive to say the least.

Exactly what would be expected from a PADI super duper popper diver.

Keep up the great stories. This one Made MY Day

SDM

wessongroup - 2-3-2014 at 02:59 PM

Thanks much ... :):)

Vince - 2-3-2014 at 06:45 PM

I not2 hoseiced Coral Pepper was learning on the latest one hose regulator. Not sure when they came out. I learned on a two hose regulator which was standard in 1952. We were navy kids in Coronado and were lucky enough to be taught by the local UDT guys in their pool on the Amphib base. Then we went out to the Coronado islands for our ocean dives and that opened up a fantastic new world for us 13 year old kids. I have been diving ever since but like the others, had to eventually get certified in order to get air (other than at an industrial supply shop). That was OK with me, I was still using the inflatable vest and they introduced me to the BC vest. What a great improvement that was! Thanks for the article in Desert Magazine, use to read that as a kid.

Vince - 2-4-2014 at 11:54 AM

The above was supposed to read: I noticed Coral Pepper was......

dean miller - 2-5-2014 at 09:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Vince

I not2 hoseiced Coral Pepper was learning on the latest one hose regulator. Not sure when they came out. I learned on a two hose regulator which was standard in 1952. We were navy kids in Coronado and were lucky enough to be taught by the local UDT guys in their pool on the Amphib base. Then we went out to the Coronado islands for our ocean dives and that opened up a fantastic new world for us 13 year old kids. I have been diving ever since but like the others, had to eventually get certified in order to get air (other than at an industrial supply shop). That was OK with me, I was still using the inflatable vest and they introduced me to the BC vest. What a great improvement that was! Thanks for the article in Desert Magazine, use to read that as a kid.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vince I applaud you! You post is a very impressive story dotted with historical facts that can be told in the presence of diver and believed by all. I certainly enjoyed it.

"We were navy kids in Coronado and were lucky enough to be taught by the local UDT guys in their pool on the Amphib base.
"
"I not2 hoseiced Coral Pepper was learning on the latest one hose regulator. Not sure when they came out."

Vince the "single hose regulator" was a Aussie invention appearing in the early 1950s. It's original design was rather crude; the first stage that attached to the tank (HP cylinder) was a modified welding regulator attached to the very crude mouth piece via a LP hose. The inventor produced four distinct models which he marketed from his garage workshop.
His company was "purchased" with an offer he couldn't refuse by Cousteau's parent French company who opened operations down under and the production of the Aussie regulator ceased and the company folded.

However the original regulators still around are now highly prized by the Aussies who collect them and restore them to original condition.

The American single hose appeared in 1952 which was produced by and American aircraft company in St Louis. It also used a welding first stage and a very unique second stage. It survived for a number of years. Once again highly prized by the collector.


A SoCal company produced a number of single hose regulators before they went belly up. The owner had establish two other ancillary companies since his reputation was less that sterling , one was Sportsways headed by Sam Le cocq, who resides full time in BOLA. He is un-affectionately and universally refereed to as "The Crook' by divers in the US. With his leadership that company also went by the ways side. The other company was SCUBA Pro which was purchased by two gentlemen and developed the company in to a very prestigious honest organization 51 years ago




"I learned on a two hose regulator which was standard in 1952."


Vince, you learned on the original "Aqua Lung" the most dangerous and crude bubble machine ever produced. The American company Rene sports redesigned certain components and produced the "DA Aqua Lung" which with occasion upgrades was the standard bearer of double hose until production ceased in as I recall 1972.


"I have been diving ever since but like the others, had to eventually get certified in order to get air (other than at an industrial supply shop)...."

Vince I also recall those days when dive shops were few .. I (we) went to a local fire station and obtained air from then for free-- Sort of free - we paid them back with freshly speared fish,

"I was still using the inflatable vest and they introduced me to the BC vest. What a great improvement that was!"

Vince Surplus stores were the substitute dive shops of that era. My tribe became very selective in acquiring surplus inflatable vests, the least desirable was the heavy USN vest worn by the submarine crews, the most desirable was the very pliable navy blue vest used by the deck crews of air craft carriers (so I was informed) (I was a USAF officer in Korea- don't know much about he USN)


Thanks for a very interesting post. I and I suspect many others enjoyed your historical insight as to the genesis of bubble diving

SDM

larryC - 2-6-2014 at 08:11 AM

Dean,
Your memories are priceless.
"A SoCal company produced a number of single hose regulators before they went belly up. The owner had establish two other ancillary companies since his reputation was less that sterling , one was Sportsways headed by Sam Le cocq, who resides full time in BOLA. He is un-affectionately and universally refereed to as "The Crook' by divers in the US. With his leadership that company also went by the ways side. The other company was SCUBA Pro which was purchased by two gentlemen and developed the company in to a very prestigious honest organization 51 years ago"

I have been here in BoLA almost full time for 15 years now. I ran into Sam Le Cocq early on. I still owned my dive charter business then and Sam and I talked about mutual friends in the industry. The next time I got up to San Diego I contacted Charley Townsend of Compressed Air Specialties (he did all the compressor work and Nitrox maintenance on my boat) and mentioned to him that I had met Sam Le Cocq and asked if Charlie knew him? he responded "That crook, where is that a$$whole he owes me money". He then proceeded to tell me numerous stories about "the crook" and how he screwed people all over the Los Angeles area. Any way thanks for history, your knowledge is great.
Larry

dean miller - 2-9-2014 at 12:55 PM

LarryC

It is strongly suggested that you avoid - Shun as the Amish do- Sam & Debbie Le cocq. They have some serious problems that are too numerous to list on this board.

I have know Sam perhaps 60 years and Debbie 40. When we were traveling regularly to Baja we stopped in for a short visit. Our wives had never met and became close friends. We invited them to visit and use our guest room every time the are in the US. This arrangement worked for 10 years.

The last visit was for a week, to gather information for a book. We gave them free run of or home and my dive library which is reportedly the one of the largest in the world.

One morning they were up early and had to depart immediately, and away they went !

Frist thing I noticed missing was my gold wedding ring, many of my wife's expensive cook books, three antique spear guns, plus my wife's custom Baja spear gun, then very valuable one of a kind books, many of my computer files were destroyed etc etc,,,And my grand daughter's pellet gun--how low can one couple sink?

I went to the local police completed a report.. a john/Jane Doe warrant was issued "Premeditated grand thief home invasion burglary." (15 years)

Some day at the border one of the officers will do his job and detain them or possibly a traffic ticket will do they job..

Now you know ....Yes avoid both of them...

I knew Charlie's father -in -Law Leo Bern & his wife Ginger who established the company. We were in the same dive tribe.

Now I need to reply to Fang... Stay tuned

SDM