The Golden Guide to SCUBA DIVING

[Bryan]

Here is another jem that my Mom picked up for me at a Kat's Drugstore in the late 60's early 70's....It's a little book that would fit in your shirt pocket but it has a lot of cool photos in it!
She would never buy me the GI JOE Frogman dinner bucket so I took some of the pictures out of this book ang glued them to the front of my plain red plaid dinner bucket ....DON'T LAUGH, I WAS JUST A KID.
I gotta stop with the long boring stories or you guys will start calling me Lake Hamster or River Gerbil or something like that......

[21]

This was written by Dr. Wheeler North who was an early diver, a reseacher and the world class expert on California Kelp. He was also a professor at Caltec in Pasadena, one of the nation's top science research and teaching institutions.

Wheeler, because of his mind was always working 24X7 he was often distracted and on occasion appeared detached from the world. And I think that he was. I never dove with Wheeler as a buddy but were in the same SoCal diving and social circles.

Wheeler always attended social events alone-but he would attend them-I assume that he was bored stiff with the small talk, but needed some diversity in his life--he was some what shy very introverted. Along about age 50+ he found a girl friend and was married. She turned his life around and he became more of a social animal and certainly cleaned up his act and appearance.

My most vivid memory of Wheeler was over 30 years ago at Big Corona (a beach in OC) with my college advanced class to do some kelp exercises. I had the class all suited up as was I almost ready to enter the water.

A fellow, best described as a beach bum was walking slowly down the beach, his hair was uncombed, old soiled dress shirt, a belt that was at least 6 inches too long handing down like a leash, and 20 year old scuffed well worn dress shoes.

As he slowly approached he stopped short and hailed me by name, as if a question is that you? I turned, recognized Wheeler so I excused my self from the class and went over for a chat & catch up. A couple of students and one or two AIs were with in earshot of our converstion.

Later as we were preparing to enter the water--one of the AIs ask who was that fellow? I replied Wheeler North--three or four loudly exclaimed in unison and total disbelief WHELLER NORTH! ???

Ater the class I explained to the class just who in the heck was this beach bum name Wheeler North-- one of the finest minds in diving!

Ten or more years ago Wheeler was stricken with Cancer but fought it into remission. He continued diving and reserching kelp right up to the CA got him about five years ago, he was in his 80s--and still married.

Enough of Wheeler--the book is a great little paper back book, full of 60s pictures and can generally can be found on E bay for a few dollars. It would be a great reference book for vintage equipment.

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