Oldest diver (loong) was Chuuk,Palau,Yap
Johnson, Walt
>I'm pulling this out of context due to my interest in old people
and gonna ask
>a Jan question. How old is the oldest known diver?
> > ;-) Me
>
Jan,
I have attached a fairly long article about the Silver Dolphins,
from up here in San Jose. Although Stan has stopped diving I believe Dave
Tatsuno, 86; and Phil Irwin, 89 still dive. Part of Stan's diving museum is
on display at the Tech museum here in San Jose and the rest, as well as Stan
we hope, will be at the Discover Diving show in June.
Walt Johnson
SILVER DOLPHINS STILL SAVOR UNDERWATER SIGHTS
Published: Wednesday, November 10, 1993
Section: East Extra
Page: 9
KIM BERGHEIM, Special to the Mercury News
IN 1936, Stan Sheley put on his swimsuit, tennis shoes and his
homemade iron breathing hood and descended into the 47-degree Los Gatos
Creek. The 19-
year-old was seeking hidden treasures.
''It was the Depression and I was looking for a quick way to get
rich," he said.
Instead of jewels, he found muddy water and a chilly body
temperature. He also found a lifelong passion for scuba diving.
The San Jose Mercury Herald published a photo on March 21, 1936, of
the scuba diving pioneer as he descended into the creek. On that day, Sheley
submerged
himself underwater before the invention of wetsuits, flippers and
the Aqualung, a portable breathing device, co-developed by Jacques Cousteau
in 1943.
Sheley, 76, has been gliding underwater ever since. "I like
adventure," he says simply.
In 57 years of diving, he has searched for diamonds off the
Venezuelan coast, uncovered hidden treasures from 17th century Spanish
galleons in the Caribbean and
located airplane wreckage in San Francisco Bay.
In 1957, Sheley opened Stan's Skin Diving Shop on Bascom Avenue in
San Jose. He operated the business until he retired in 1979. He taught
diving at the YMCA
in San Jose from 1960 to 1990.
His San Jose basement resembles a scuba diving museum. His breathing
hood hangs from the ceiling in a corner designated for breathing devices.
Spear guns, diving
knives and aquamarine photos are scattered around the room.
There are shelves filled with scuba-diving magazines dating back to
1953. Miniature goggles and flippers dangle from shelf ledges above Sheley's
worktable, where
he writes his memoirs.
The staircase wall is lined with photos of Sheley and divers posed
on beaches and boats. One photo stands out among the others -- Sheley and
his current diving
buddies.
Together they are known as the Silver Dolphins: Sheley, Ken Seaton,
71, of Saratoga; Dave Tatsuno, 80; and Phil Irwin, 82, both of San Jose. The
men are the four
oldest members of the Flipper Dippers, a diving club with about 30
members.
''We don't think about our age when we're underwater," Sheley said.
The Silver Dolphins learned to dive by taking courses at the YMCA
about 30 years ago and met each other when they joined the Flipper Dippers.
Sheley taught
Irwin. "Stan was a good instructor and very safety conscious," said
Irwin, a retired mechanical engineer.
Sheley organized the Flipper Dippers in 1960 after he received
requests from students asking about good diving locations. He plans the
Flipper Dippers' annual trips.
In April, the club went to Cayman Brach in the Caribbean. The group
has dived in Cozumel, Mexico, Hawaii, El Salvador and the Bahamas.
''We're the last ones off the boat," Tatsuno said. "I like diving
with my buddies. We take our time and glide through the water. The younger
divers jump off the boat
in a hurry and swim fast, so they won't miss anything."
Sheley is the sport's zealot, but the other Silver Dolphins aren't
far behind in their enthusiasm for underwater swimming. "Scuba diving lets
me see a different and
fascinating world," said Seaton, a retired electronics engineer.
"The underwater life is incredible."
Seaton said another bonus of scuba diving are the friends he has
made through the sport. Tatsuno shoots underwater videos and presents shows
to community
organizations and church groups.
The Silver Dolphins have health concerns, but no problems have kept
the group on land.
Sheley had heart bypass surgery in August 1992, but was diving a few
months later. Seaton has arthritis in his feet and primarily dives off boats
to avoid walking
across beaches lugging heavy scuba gear. Tatsuno had back surgery a
few years ago, but every day at noon he swims a quarter-mile at the YMCA. He
works
mornings at Nichi Bei Bussan, an import store in Japantown that he
opened in 1948.
Irwin said he's in "damn good shape." He assists with diving classes
at the YMCA twice weekly. "Students ask me if I'm really 82," Irwin said.
"Scuba diving has
kept me looking pretty good."
Copyright 1993, The San Jose Mercury News. Unauthorized reproduction
prohibited.
The San Jose Mercury News archives are stored on a SAVE (tm)
newspaper library system from MediaStream, Inc., a Knight-Ridder Inc.
company.