-Robert Wogstad- Cofounder University of Texas Skin & Scuba Diving Society

Robert Wogstad, along with his long time friend Gary Yantis, founder of the University of Texas Skin & Scuba Diving Society (UTS & SDS), confounded this student organization at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas on February 6, 1964.  The primary purpose of the UTS&SDS was to have a diving club where people interested in the relatively new sport of skin and scuba diving could come together and enjoy this activity with a wide variety of unique individuals.  A secondary purpose was to create a high quality diver training course in order to safely train the U.T. student in the sport of scuba diving.  The club would issue its on brand of certification to both the diver and club diving instructor.

At that time, fledgling diver training agencies were just beginning their rapid growth spurt into national diver certification. Prior to this time, one had to learn diving on their own or get training from those who held themselves out as "backyard instructors."  Divers learning to dive during these early days of diving were referred to as an "old moss back."   The club's course was patterned after the U.S. Navy Diving Manual and other budding diver certification agencies like NAUI,  the National Association of Underwater Instructors.  From inception to around 1970, the club trained its own divers and instructors.  Its high quality of standards is something that all club members can be proud of.  

Thanks to Robert Wogstad and many other dedicated enthusiastic club members, this diving club has created its own long standing traditions as a noteworthy student organization of the University of Texas in Austin.

Interviews conducted by Paul Johnston

Date: 7/26/1999 11:39:32 PM Central Daylight Time

Paul,

I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you, but I've been doing a lot of TDY [temporary duty]. Gary's responses [see interview of Gary Yantis], in general, pretty well answered the questions from our perspective.

As Gary said, we've been friends since way back, and since I was a year ahead I already had a year in at UT before Gary's arrival. I got my B.S. in Math in 1964 and a B.S. in Education in 1965. After teaching for two years, I was able to recognize that I was not the kind of teacher I wanted to be, so I went back to San Antonio College to take courses in Data Processing. This lead to my job as a Department of Army Civilian as a Computer Specialist, where I still am.

When Gary brought up the idea of the scuba club, I helped him where I could. The initial meeting posters were made using a linoleum block that I cut in the student union shop. It was a sea horse with horns, therefore a sea steer. I am not sure that I still have a copy of it (I had some of my valuable trash damaged or destroyed a while back and I haven't had much chance to look for anything since I received your and Gary's messages). The grouper with horns was done by Jerrel Derryberry. I remember one of the problems we ran into with our name, University of Texas Skin and Scuba Diving Society (UTS&SDS) was that at that time there was a national organization called Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), an organization that seemed to be opposed to established society. We had some people show up at some of our early meetings, thinking we were SDS.

I'm not really that great with names, but it seemed to me that we had a gentleman, a graduate student I think, who was Underwater Demolition Team(UDT) qualified and worked with the club as an instructor also. While I was involved, I don't think we bought any equipment; we either borrowed or rented. It seemed to me that the dive flag was professionally made and bought. I know that the club's training was more stringent then the state(?) certification program.

These are some of my thoughts when I found your page and reread Gary's answers to your questions. I know that these answers are too late for what you wanted, but I thought I'd send them to you for whatever use you can make. I seem to be thinking a little more clearly about the club tonight than on previous occasions. If you have further questions let me know, I might even be able to answer them.

Robert Wogstad

Benson, AZ 85602

Date: 7/30/1999 10:30:06 PM Central Daylight Time

Dear Robert,

It is good to hear from you. Your comments and memories are certainly appreciated and important. I will post them in the near future to the historical web page. If you have access to the Internet, the historical web page is located at:

http://members.aol.com/kfyi/index5.html

The overall history is given in "The Early Years" article. The 25th anniversary transcript has the "SDS" story from Chuck Ervin. Also there is an interview of Jim McAfee.

There are several more areas that you might think about and see what you can come up with:

1. Take a look at the "Officer List" during those early years and see if you can supply any more names.

If I have a list of officers, they're buried and will take some time to locate.

2. Tell us about how you got involved and interested in scuba diving.

I had a mild interest in it before, when Gary approached me with his idea for a club and asked for help and support, I had to help him, although how much I helped is up for question.

3. Do you have any memories, stories or events surrounding the dive club you would like to tell us?

One time we were at the lake where Aquarena is located (This was before the government land that we used for access was transferred to the college in San Marcos, which tended to support the Aquarena people). A group of Boy Scouts from Houston, I believe, came to the lake, supposedly well-qualified. One them of went down, panicked, dropped his tank and regulator and surfaced, asking for help. Gary got him and gave him support while asking the scoutmaster for help. The scoutmaster first ask if it was one of his boys, then asked who it was. He was at that point making no effort to come to Gary's assistance. GOOD SCOUTING!

Later some of the scouts crawled through the rusty barbed wire wearing nothing but their swimsuits and shoes. BE PREPARED! Several other things happened that made us realize that these people were a disaster waiting to happened, then one of our people heard one of them talking about going to eat their picnic lunch and then going to Jacob's Well. We let the dive shop owner know about their plans. We were very glad to see him take back his rental equipment. HAPPY ENDING!

We got a kick out of us guys being YWCA [Young Women's Christian Association] members when we used their pool for our early training. It was required that you be a member in order to use the facilities.

I remember that Gary tried so hard to get a good film to show at the organizational meeting. Unfortunately the one he got showed an intrepid spear fisherman battling a Nurse Shark to the death. It had some nice underwater scenes, but most of the people that recognized the type of shark were bothered.

One of the member's father had a newspaper and had lead available. The member had a mold and made weights for weight belts that a number of members used. I can't remember who the member was, but maybe Gary does.

4. Do you have any club memorabilia (newsletters, patches, posters, membership cards, diplomas, awards) that you can supply me copies or photographs of?

I might have some stuff but, again, it's buried and will take a while to find. I don't remember a newsletter when I was involved. I do have a patch somewhere, but I'd have to find it. I may have an original poster and the linoleum block. I don't recall membership cards, diplomas, or awards, except for possible completion of training.

5. Do you have any slides or photographs of club activities or members that you can scan and email me or send me copies that I can scan and return to you?

I don't have any pictures.

6. Tell us how you cut the linoleum block in the student union shop to give the imprint of the sea horse.

It was the first time I had ever cut a block, so it was fairly basic, trimming away the surface that wasn't the sea steer or sea grass. It was intended for posters for the organizational meeting.

7. Are you the "inventor" of the seahorse with horns idea or was it Jerry Derryberry's idea. If you know the story surrounding the seahorse and grouper, please relate them.

When I became aware of the grouper artwork it was a done deed by Jerry and a big improvement over the original poster.

8. Were you an officer of the club and if so, what office did you hold and for what period of time?

I don't recall being an officer, if I was it was a minor one.

9. Do you have any idea when the club started putting out a newsletter and have any information surrounding it?

No.

10. Any comments surrounding the dive club or your participation that you would like to relate would be appreciated.

Well Robert, maybe these additional questions will jog more memories to the surface. Since you are the club's cofounder, all information you can supply is important to its history. I have really enjoyed helping reconstruct its history. I am looking forward to hearing from you again when you have time.

Sincerely,

Paul Johnston

Copyright - 1999 - Paul Johnston