[Coral-List] snorkelers and divers

[Shortfin Mako Shark]

I love hearing about all this history. Although not quite that old.... I do remember my first ping pong ball snorkel. Yeah...also I do remember purchasing my first wetsuit using student loan money back in 1986.

      From: Eugene Shinn <eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>
 To: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> 
 Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 2:22 PM
 Subject: Re: [Coral-List] snorkelers and divers
   
Thanks Steve, I guess I am just stuck in the Pleistocene. I can't 
imagine anyone learning scuba without first learning to swim and 
snorkel. Sounds like learning to run before you learn to walk. Being 
from the Ice age Pleistocene I can remind readers that the word 
snorkeling had not been invented (except for submarines). Snorkels for 
divers had not yet been invented. I made my first flippers from truck 
inner tube rubber and I then bought my first face plate (that's what we 
called them before they became known as dive masks).  The first snorkels 
had Ping-Pong balls in the top and we laughed at those who used them (we 
call those guys lids because of the lid on top). Us old diehards finally 
did adopt snorkels but not those with the lids on top. Even the 
legendary Art Pinder (great White Hunter of the Caribbean) finally 
adopted snorkels. That's when we decided it was ok. Scuba was just 
catching on for those who could afford them. The term SCUBA also had not 
yet been invented. We just called them aqualungs. My first was a fire 
extinguisher bottle fitted with a surplus aircraft oxygen regulator...it 
didn't last long in salt water) And yes, wet suits were just coming in 
but it was several years before I could afford one. I made my first one. 
Before that I painted a pair of long johns with latex paint. I finally 
bought my first Aquamatic single hose regulator from the mother of 
Jordan Klein who ran the only dive shop in Miami. Jordan had not yet 
filmed Creature from the Black Lagoon. Ah the good ole days. No 
certifications necessary. I remember Coppertone Sun Tan Crème but noting 
called sunscreen. We all just learned to accept sunburn until we tanned 
enough to stay in the sun all day.
So I gather that today divers put on a ton of scuba gear and get in 
water before they snorkel. This is all a blast from the past. Oh I 
forgot to mention the spears made from Ford Model A brake rods we bought 
from the junkyards. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did 
remembering it all. Gene

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No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
------------------------------------ -----------------------------------
E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science Room 221A
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158

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