| Description | : | This book is the saga of diving in America as told by the pioneer men and women who lived it and made it. It begins with a timeline of diving and discusses what diving was like in the early days. Following are seven sections: Free Diving, From Hardhat to Scuba, Science Underwater, Women Underwater, Art Underwater, Captains of Industry, and Underwater Educators. It contains exciting accounts of The San Diego Bottom Scratchers who began free diving before Cousteau; Zale Parry, Hollywood's first underwater stunt girl and the damsel in distress in many Sea Hunt episodes; E.R. Cross, whose 60-year career spans an era from hardhats to computers; John Steel, the first great underwater artist; Conrad Limbaugh, who developed the first scuba classes both for science and for sport; Jim Stewart, who succeeded Limbaugh as Scripps diving officer, and spread the techniques for scientific diving worldwide; Dr. Andy Rechnitzer, chief scientist on the Trieste project that sent man to the deepest spot in the ocean; Dick Anderson, inventor, writer, humorist and adventurer; Dottie Frazier, the first woman instructor; Ralph Erikson, co-founder of PADI; and Tom Mount, who developed many of the techniques used today in cave and technical diving. Also featured are Walter Davis, Wheeler North, Jim Stewart, Chuck Mitchell, Norrine Rouse, Chuck Nicklin, Bill and Bob Meistrell, Dick Bonin, Bob Hollis, Frank Scalli, Dan Wagner, and Lee Somers. These pioneer divers of the 40's and 50's, when every dive was an adventure, will regale you with their diving lore. |
