Beneath the Surface of San Diego

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Ashleigh Palinkas
  • The beautiful coastal city of San Diego in southern California has been the nucleus of underwater exploration, innovation and research throughout sport diving’s relatively short history. Boasted as the home of the first dive club in the world, the first oceanographic research institution to use diving for science, and many of the most influential diving pioneers, San Diego has a rich cultural heritage in sport diving antiquity. Large and significant portions of this history have gone undocumented, as many stories and observations remain accessible only in the memories of these pioneers themselves. However, recreational divers in San Diego represent a large stakeholder group with a highly respected and knowledgeable capacity for shaping local marine resource management choices, and divers rely on the health and protection of these coastlines as a driver for their passions, leisure and fascination. The purpose of the project overall is to tell the history of sport diving in San Diego from the perspectives of those at its forefront.  Oral histories were recorded with eight experienced local San Diego divers who began diving recreationally and went on to become influential contributors to revolutions in marine science, diving technology and ocean resource management.

Interviewee Collection Sort ascending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Barbara Allen Beneath the Surface of San Diego

Barbara Allen is a seasoned diver and underwater instructor who has made significant contributions to the diving community in San Diego. Born in Los Angeles, Allen first visited San Diego as a teenager with her parents. Her first experience with diving was in 1957 when she took the LA County Underwater Instructors class. This marked the beginning of her lifelong passion for diving and underwater exploration.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Jim Fallon Beneath the Surface of San Diego

Jim Fallon is a long-time resident of San Diego, having moved there at the age of 10 in 1951. He began diving in junior high school, around the age of 12 or 13, initially focusing on free diving for abalone at Birdrock. Fallon attended PB junior high school and later Mission Bay high school, identifying himself as a local beach boy. His diving companions during his early years included Bill Curtis, Chuck Grabowski, Ted Patchen, and Randy Chapman. Fallon and his friends would wear navy sweaters purchased from the Navy surplus store as they didn't have wetsuits.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Bill Howard Beneath the Surface of San Diego

Bill Howard is a seasoned diver with a rich history in the field of oceanography. Born in Pasadena, California, on September 1, 1938, Howard moved to San Diego in the summer of 1951. His first experience wearing a mask in the ocean was in front of the Marine Room. Howard was part of a dive club called the Cormorants, which was in existence for a short while. He later joined the Addicts, along with his diving buddies Bob Shea and Dave Lynn. Howard has a history of winning dive competitions, often with large sheep head fish. He also has experience with boat trips to the Cortes Bank.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Dick Long Beneath the Surface of San Diego

Dick Long is a pioneer in the field of dive suit invention and construction. Born in Berkeley, California, he moved to San Diego in 1963. His early life was marked by the impact of World War II, which led to his parents' divorce and his subsequent boarding out to a farm in Northern California. Long's diving career began in Monterey, where he learned to dive without formal classes, relying instead on a couple of basic guidebooks. His first experience with a mask in the ocean was in Monterey, where he was introduced to skin diving by a colleague.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Ron McConnaughey Beneath the Surface of San Diego

Ron McConaughey is a native of San Diego, born in 1941, and spent his entire life in the beach area, specifically Mission Beach. His first experience with underwater exploration began around 1949 when he wore a mask in the ocean for the first time. This sparked a lifelong interest in diving and underwater exploration. Around 1954, he took an introductory scuba course at the YMCA, which further fueled his passion. McConaughey's interest in scuba diving led him to read extensively on the subject, including works by Jacques Cousteau and the U.S. Navy diving manual.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Chuck Mitchell Beneath the Surface of San Diego

Chuck Mitchell was born in Los Angeles in December 1940 and moved to San Diego in 1947. He grew up in Point Loma, attending Cabrillo Elementary School, Dana Junior High, and Point Loma High School. His father was a mechanic who owned his own garages, which led to Mitchell spending a lot of time working on cars and developing a curiosity about how things work. This curiosity has been a driving force throughout his life. In the early 1950s, Mitchell and his family moved onto a boat at Jim Underwood's Landing, the first marina on Shelter Island.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas, Paul K. Dayton San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Chuck Nicklin Beneath the Surface of San Diego

Chuck Nicklin, a renowned diver and underwater cinematographer, was born in Massachusetts and moved to San Diego in 1942 at the age of fourteen. His father was in the Navy and was reassigned to San Diego during World War II. Despite his initial reluctance to move, Nicklin fell in love with San Diego and decided to stay even when his father was reassigned back to Boston. Nicklin graduated from Point Loma in 1945 and began his journey into the world of diving as a teenager, exploring the waters around Sunset Cliffs and La Jolla Cove.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Frank Leinhaupel Beneath the Surface of San Diego

One of the founding members of the San Diego Addicts Dive Club, Frank contributed countless artifacts and histories to this project. He set many records for competitive spearfishing, hand-crafted refined models of dive equipment from spearguns to sea sleds, and collected rare specimens as a scientific diver for Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He currently resides in La Jolla with his wife Suzy, and continues to provide insight and historical knowledge to new generations of divers with unmatched generosity.

Ashleigh E. Palinkas , San Diego, CA Scripps Institution of Oceanography