Dacor trivia #2

[21]

Ok any guesses who was the first Dacor distributor in California...

21

[Dacor Tom]

Sorry, don't know, was in Illinois...Bamboo Reef shop, nah don't think so!

I give!

Tom

[21]

Bamboo reef?

Not in business at that time and had not gone out of busines at that time... Leroy French and Al Giddinge were still in Grade school

This was in the very beginning of Dacor. The dail a breath, AKA dial a death.. read the clues that should provide a hint.

21

[ovalis]

I'm stumped. I could use another hint.

[21]

We referred to him as Rob Bumbleford; the man who could snatch defeat from the jaws of sucess...

He established the Aquatic Center in OC in 1957..( not Merker!)

[ovalis]

I'm still not sure, but my guess would be Bob Rutherford.

[21]

Correcto! give that man a ceeegaar!

Bob was the first Dacor distributor in California.

He aquired the distributorship in late 1950s, poured lots of money, energy and time into marketing the Dacor line but had little sucess.
All the shops were intrenched in west coast products, US Divers, Healthways and Voit...His major detractors spread the rumor that Dacor was a fresh water regulator and parts and service would be difficult to obtain...Which in retrospect certainly isn't true.

He was all over SoCal and US diving until in the mid 1960s. He was president of one of the worlds largest SCUBA clubs in the 1950s, established the first UW signaling system in 1954, was on national TV several times for the first UW Christmas tree parties & Easter Egg hunts, won several UW film festivals, salvaged a number of interesting items etc etc and he was a neighbor--lived three houses away from me


About 1965 Bob moved to the islands and established South Seas Aquatics. He passed away about 1970. Today Bob is almost unknown and certainly forgotten but for a few in the modern diving world.

Now you know the rest of the story

21

[ovalis]

I love this type of info.

If only there was a book that had all this in it

[simonbeans]

Are you kidding? With Doc Sam's knowledge and memories it would be a multi volume encyclopedia. He is a treaure that makes VDH the best. Thank you kind Sir.
Allan

[William]

One very good and Very large book with a Vast amount of information about vintage diving and the equipment is SCUBA AMERICA by authors Zale Perry and Albert Tillman, copyright 2001. It is an Encyclopedia sized, just huge sized book, 501 pages with a very great amount of information and could be very helpfull. I was so lucky getting mine. I helped a very nice friend with some scuba tank decals he was needing and to my surprise, he purchased the book, from and autographed and a statement to Me personally by the Author, Zale Perry and then sent it to me. I am very, very gratefull to him.