LA County Instructors

[SeaRat]

I was going through my really old "stuff" from a file cabinet I haven't looked into for a while, and found my old, original scuba certification card. It is an LA County card, signed by Roy France. It also states that Roy is "UICC #5" but the area of the card with this number is then worn off. So I don't know whether he is #5, or #50+. But seeing the card made me want to know more about Mr. Roy France. I've loaded up the front side of the card, and will put the back side of the card on the next entry.

John

[SeaRat]

I started diving in 1959, and finally got certified in 1963 when our Salem Junior Aqua Club was able to get an instructor here (Salem, Oregon) from Los Angeles. The back side of the card shows that our dive was on 6/10/63, and I remember that it was in Yaquina Bay at Newport, Oregon on the north side under the bridge. We had to do a free ascent (no air) from about 25 feet to finish the course. During the course, our "pool harassment" was to be covered by a gill net, and get out using only our buddy to help. So I untangled Elaine McGinnis' tank/regulator, and she did mine until we could escape. I was using a single hose regulator by this time, as I had sold my 38 cubic foot tank and Healthways SCUBA regulator for a single 72 cubic foot tank and a Healthways Scuba Star regulator.

Anyway, I wanted to find out more, and so I googled "Roy France LA Instructor". But I did not get any hits. I did, however get this hit:

www.lacountyscuba.com/history/pdf/AUTOBIOGRAPHYOFDAVEGOLDEN.pdf

This is a very interesting autobiography of Dave Golden, one of the original LA County diving instructors.

If anyone knows of, or can point towards, information on Roy France, I would appreciate it.

John

PS: I see that Dave Golden was LA County UAI Diving Instructor #18, and he was certified in 1969. To me this means that Roy France was UAI Diving Instructor #5, perhaps one of the original LA County Underwater Instructors.

[drado]

Tried a search through the rosters of the UICC from classes (I assume they were class numbers) 01-58, and no hits on on Roy France. Though it was interesting seeing other names in the roster that were familiar So it might be construed that Roy France's number is definitely something above 50 (in fact, there seems to be an indication of a different number after the #5)

[SeaRat]

Drado,

I put this PS into the post above:

PS: I see that Dave Golden was LA County UAI Diving Instructor #18, and he was certified in 1969. To me this means that Roy France was UAI Diving Instructor #5, perhaps one of the original LA County Underwater Instructors.

I do see that there may have been another number on the card though. Can you tell who the Training Director who also signed the card is, V. M...? I think I found the website you looked at:

www.lacountyscuba.com/index.htm

And, I've sent this letter to the alumni association.

To Whom it May Concern,

I received my initial scuba instruction from Roy France, who was an LA County scuba instructor whom we brought to Salem, Oregon in the spring of 1963 to teach us scuba. I had already been diving since 1959, but without certification. I recently found my original LA County Certification Card, and posted it on the Vintage Scuba website:

vintagescuba.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=instruction&thread=2960&page=1

What I'm trying to find out is more information about Roy France. If you have any information, I would like to know, as would some of our other vintage divers. I'm still diving, and had a career in the USAF as a Pararescueman, and became a NAUI instructor (NAUI #2710).

Thank you,
www.lacountyscuba.com/alm-mbr.htm
John

[drado]

For what its worth, UICC 07 lists a Vince Van Detta - which looks to be the signatory of the Training Director (V. M. Van Detta?) Indeed, Mr. Van Detta was training director for 7 years til 1967 or 1968 when he retired from that capacity (underwater news 1968)



It would seem that his (Vince) classmate would've been Zale Parry. Pretty cool!



Perhaps Dr. Sam Miller (UICC 11 - same as Bill Barada?) would be a great person to message and see if he remembers Mr. France?

[drado]

Interesting to note though that in the link to the Underwater News article which came out in Jan 1968, it was just the 17th UICC. There were 390 instructors at that time. Scanning through the rosters of the previous 16 UICCs does not come up with a Roy France...

[Linda]

John, Harry Vetter might know something. (You can see his name above the 07 UICC line in the photo Ed posted). You probably know, Harry lives right here in southern Oregon. You can get his contact info from Dan. He's a great guy.

[SeaRat]

Drado,

Thank you for the suggestion of contacting Dr. Sam Miller. I did so on Scubaboard, and here is his reply:

John,
Just noticed your post on my weekly visit to this board--then visited the "Other Board" which I was expelled from many moons ago by the female snorkeler...a subject for the future over a "Kool one in the Dark of the Night."

I appreciate you thinking of me and hope I will not disappoint you in information and leads ..

Yes, I knew Roy France. But it has been years since I have heard his name or had contact with Roy. At the time I knew him he was living somewhere in the LA area, I was living in a rather rural bucolic Orange County--which has now changed.

At that junction in history a lot of Kalifornians were moving to the PNW..Harry Vetter was one, Allan Carpenter was another I perhaps Roy, I just don't know. I do recall seeing him at the many mandatory LA Co UW Instructors meeting -then he was gone.

I can't recall if Roy was older, younger or the same age as me..I am Korean war vet (Captain USAF)well into my 80s (time flys when you are having fun!)If Roy was older he would be a WW 11 Vet and they are rapidly disappearing..If younger he may still be around...I just don't know.

The LA Co UW Instructors program as well as the basic SCUBA program were the world's first civilian diving program and most demanding prestigious ever presented which will never be equalled. It is my honor to consider you John as my Brother of the Underwater World.

The program required two days of pre-testing..90 applied 36 were accepted, three months later 19 or 20 finished as Certified LA Co UW Instructors, the rest were presented with certificates of competition. Yes, John D Craig was in the course as well a Bill Barada. Bill was also from OC so we often buddied - We did the 33 foot D&R together in zero disability, but I did the 100 foot free ascent with some one else..both those exercises washed a number out of the program--great times! Great memories!

Vince Van Detta (big VD!) was the program director for a few years. He and his staff encountered some "problems" and he and his staff were replaced by Glen Egstrom, Otto Gasser, Lenny Greenstone and my self. We ran the program for a number of years.

Most LA Co UW instructors remain in touch -- directly or indirectly by e mails...all to often we are receiving those that begin with "Did you hear about..." so sad that that era is closing.

I will put out an e mail to inquire about Roy France...Perhaps we will get lucky

I also know Harry Vetter very well which I will expand on later.

Thanks for thinking of me

SAM

If you deem appropriate fell free to post on the "Other Board"
www.scubaboard.com/forums/vintage-equipment-diving/436829-roy-france-la-county-diving-instructor.html

He also told some stories about Harry Vetter. I hope that someone else who might have known Roy France will also come forward.

Enjoy,

John

[Linda]

Interesting response, and not to detract from the real subject at hand, but "SDM" was never expelled from this forum, rather he asked to be deleted (this was back in the day when a user could not delete themselves). The choice to no longer participate here was his own.