THE SOUTHWEST COUNCIL OF SKIN DIVING CLUBS (1969 - 1980) by B. A. McCollum Revised February 2019 Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas
As I reflect on a lifetime of water sports, from a very young child to a senior citizen, snorkeling and scuba diving have played a major role. A significant portion of that unique knowledge and experience was acquired through my early association with the Southwest Council of Skin Diving Clubs.
I have a vivid memory watching SEA HUNT with Dad when it originally aired from 1958 through 1961. I was already familiar with breathing underwater, because we always attended the annual boat shows in Oklahoma City, where the local dive shops had a nice display. Their display included a huge aquarium where divers demonstrated the ease of breathing underwater and the freedom of movement allowed with scuba. At that time, it was still called skin diving, with the acronym "scuba" beginning to be more commonly used. In 1960 at age 5, Dad took me to a dive shop in Oklahoma City, and purchased my first mask, snorkel and fins. Also on that special day, I had the opportunity to wear a tank with a double hose regulator for the first time. Since it weighed as much as I did, the tank set on the floor of the dive shop on a stand, but I did have the shoulder straps over my shoulders and the regulator hoses around my neck. Although SEA HUNT was cancelled when I was in first grade, it left a permanent impression with an intense desire to pursue.
Partially because of SEA HUNT, scuba diving was gaining in popularity through the 1960s. Besides the coasts of Florida and California, the area of northeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas was a significate dive destination because of the numerous large lakes and clear water. Texas followed, and in 1969, August 30 through September 6 was designated as "Skin and Scuba Diving Week" by Governor Preston Smith. It started with a spearfishing contest at Lake Travis (near Austin), followed by a variety of scuba related activities hosted by dive clubs throughout the state.
After snorkeling for 9 years, it was time for scuba. At that time in 1969, the minimum age to be certified by the YMCA was 16. I was 14, but that requirement was waived by the YMCA and our instructor Bill Green, because Dad took the scuba class with me. We were YMCA certified within a few weeks, and joined the local dive club in Midland, Texas, the Midland Dune Divers. This enhanced our already close relationship, and began an incredible experience and adventure underwater that continued for decades. I often think how that $35.00 scuba class has positively affected my entire life.
Discussions throughout the scuba class and at the dive club meetings included the activities associated with the Southwest Council of Skin Diving Clubs. The Southwest Council consisted of dive clubs mainly in Texas and Oklahoma, with some members living in Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri. The Southwest Council's focus was dive safety, legislation, conservation and education through its scuba instructor program (SCIP), with an annual convention hosted by different member clubs in February of each year.
Our instructor and the active local divers in Midland spoke of the Southwest Council events predominately held at Possum Kingdom Lake and Lake Travis, but also Lake Whitney and Lake Murray. Events included spearfishing contests, treasure hunts, compass runs and scuba skills, beginning in March through September of each year, plus the Texas Gar Rodeo at Caddo Lake in December. Individual clubs that were members of the Southwest Council hosted these contests. An annual underwater photography contest added to the competition. The monthly publication, called the SLATE, kept all its members in close contact with the upcoming Council events, and the results of the competition of the last event.
After waiting nearly a decade to get certified, how could Dad and I not become members, and miss participating in the Southwest Council dives?
Dad spared no expense in equipping us with the finest scuba gear available, including full wetsuits and spearguns. We even had Mae West style flotation vests, which were considered optional at that time. U.S. DIVERS (now AQUA-LUNG), would have been very proud of us. They could have shot their 1970 catalog aboard our boat.
Our first Southwest Council dive was at Possum Kingdom Lake in April 1970. The water was 51 degrees, and visibility was in excess of 20 feet. There were nearly a hundred divers participating in the spearfishing event, plus many brought their families. At that time, I didn't think 51 degree water was cold, and I just assumed visibility greater than 20 feet in a lake was normal. I had been advised by the members of the Midland Dune Divers, that it would take numerous dives and lots of practice with a speargun before I could locate and hit my target. But I shot my first fish that weekend, a shad that couldn't have weighed more than a pound. Not large enough to win any contest, but it was my first time to use a speargun.
This dive was an annual Southwest Council event called the Buffalo Blast, hosted by Inland Divers Association, a unique club in Ft. Worth. This was a very popular event for all Southwest Council members, with an article promoting the event by Bert Smith, Jr. appearing in the April 1970 issue of SKIN DIVER magazine. Another article was in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram newspaper following the event. Bill Barada, formerly with U.S. DIVERS and later with SKIN DVER magazine, author of several books, writer of several SEA HUNT episodes, a skilled spearfisherman and underwater hunter, had attended this event in 1968. His article about the Buffalo Blast appeared in the September 1968 issue of SKIN DIVER magazine.
Inland Divers Association was a well-organized dive club, having a nice waterfront facility and boat dock on the south side of the peninsula at Possum Kingdom Lake located next to Scuba Point Dive Shop. Those divers that arrived early enough, as long as space permitted, could camp within their fenced facility, which was also used as dive headquarters and for the fish weigh-in.
It was convenient to have Scuba Point Dive Shop (owned by Tom and Mary Davis) located next to IDA for equipment, service and air. Established in the late 1950s, Scuba Point was, without any doubt, became the most complete and stocked dive shop I've ever personally patronized to this date. It was the home of "Goldfinger", the world's largest scuba air compressor. The filling station could handle numerous tanks simultaneously. Tom would pro-rate the fill. Topping off a tank was $0.10, increasing in various increments to $1.50 for an empty tank. Service was beyond outstanding, as Tom could service a regulator or valve literally in minutes. So successful, Scuba Point Travis, near Austin on Lake Travis, was opened in 1972, with "Goldfinger, Jr." and an indoor pool for training.
Buffalo are rough fish, and there is no limit for the spearfisherman. Removal of these rough fish, including carp, shad and gar, increases the food supply and habitation for more desirable game fish. Buffalo only run in numbers 3 to 5 days annually, normally within a week before or after April 1st, swimming downstream in masses to spawn. We always hoped their run would be when we were there during the spearfishing contest. However, if we missed the run, and we usually did, huge carp could also be speared without limit.
Another annual Southwest Council event that we enjoyed and always attended was the Underwater Safari sponsored by the Texins Divers out of Dallas, held each Labor Day Weekend at Lake Travis. A club with individuals or family members employed by Texas Instruments, they were well funded with the company RV used as dive headquarters, a trailer mounted air compressor with free air for all participating divers, and a memorable catfish dinner the night before the spearfishing contest. Impressive donations to the Texins Divers of dive equipment from the Dallas area dive shops, and other donations of camping and hunting gear from other stores like Wal-Mart, were given as door prizes.
The Lawton (Oklahoma) Argonauts was organized in 1971, a club that was accepted for membership to the Southwest Council only 6 weeks after being organized. The Argonauts sponsored lake clean up dives at Lake Murray, and worked with the local Jaycees in a shoreline beautification program. They also were available to the local city, county and state authorities for search and recovery operations. The first dive the Argonauts hosted was at Possum Kingdom Lake in September 1971, with proceeds donated to charity. It was the first Inter-Council non-sanctioned contest between the Southwest Council and Oklahoma Council, with the Southwest Council winning. Trophies were awarded for each event, even to the club that traveled the greatest distance to the lake. Dad and I won that trophy. As a door prize, I won a very nice diver's chronograph watch.
Other clubs hosted outstanding Southwest Council dives, like Les Hommes DeMer, American Airlines Aquajets, Orca Tamers, Lawton Divers, East Texas Aquanauts, Blue Ridge Divers, and other clubs, but not necessarily on a regular annual basis. All dives were excellent and similar in organization, sponsoring various contests under the rules and regulations established by the Southwest Council of Skin Diving Clubs.
With the large geographical region the Southwest Council covered, it was divided into 7 areas. Some areas had as few as one club, while others may represent several clubs. The list of member clubs in the 1960s was much greater than in the 1970s, due in part to the consolidation of clubs within an area. Membership throughout the 1970s was relatively consistent, except when new clubs joined the Council. Area I consisted of the Dallas Divers, Les Hommes DeMer, Aqua Sports, Sherman Divers and the Texins Divers. Area II consisted of the Aqua-Holics, Inland Divers Association, Orca Tamers, Westside Divers and Whitney Divers. Area III clubs consisted of the American Airlines Aquajets and LTV Divers. The only club in Area IV was the Midland Dune Divers. Area V consisted of Cen-Tex Divers, but at one time, the University of Texas Skin & Scuba Diving Society. Area VI consisted of the East Texas Aquanauts, Quitman Dolphins, East Texas Men-O-War, Ark-La-Tex Divers and the Blue Ridge Divers. Area VII consisted of the Hell Divers, Lawton Divers, Lawton Argonauts and the Little Gems. Each area elected a Vice President to represent the Southwest Council.
Although Midland was possibly the worst location to live for scuba diving and usually the greatest distance from the lakes where the Southwest Council dives were located, Dad made sure we attended all the dives. Dad was Vice President of Area IV in 1972 and 1973. I became Vice President of Area IV from 1975 through 1980.
Dive headquarters at Possum Kingdom Lake was normally at Sandy Beach, located at the west end of Park Road 36 on the peninsula, except when Inland Divers Association was the host club. When dives were held at Lake Travis, dive headquarters was at the LCRA Park located on the north side of Mansfield Dam. Attendance to all Southwest Council dives was normally excellent, and we could fill each park. The divers enjoyed getting together. Campsites consisted of everything from a sleeping bag or tent, to an RV. Camping trailers were rare because most divers trailered a boat.
The schedule of activities was typical for most Southwest Council sponsored events. We were free to dive on Saturday, and if offered, participate in the treasure hunt, compass run and scuba skills. The host club often prepared an excellent dinner Saturday evening, usually a fish fry. Sunday morning was reserved for the spearfishing contest. If we had a 3 day weekend, like Memorial or Labor Day, we had 2 days for free diving and club events, then Monday morning was reserved for the spearfishing contest.
There often was a treasure hunt held the day before the spearfishing contest. This was held in an obscure location, with the location kept secret until just before the event started. The host club would spread tokens over a limited area at varying depths. A token may consist of a wheel weight or washer tied to a 2 to 4 foot string. The other end of the string was attached to a float of some type, like Styrofoam, with a number printed on it.
Just prior to beginning the treasure hunt, the participants would travel to the previously undisclosed area, either by car or boat. The contest would last for 1 hour. The officials of the host club would start the contest, with all divers entering the water at the same time from the shore or their boat anchored outside the designated search area. The object was to cover the most area underwater and retrieve the greatest number of tokens within the allotted time. You might find individual tokens or several tokens tangled together, or none at all. Not all tokens reached the lake bottom, so it was always a good idea to check the limbs of submerged trees. And if you went too far in any direction, you would exit the contest area resulting in a lot of wasted time. There were no boundary markers underwater. The only area that you could be sure to avoid was water deeper than 30 feet. They didn't place any tokens in water deeper than that, so if you watched your depth gauge, you knew to make an adjustment. The tokens were individually numbered, and only the host club officials knew the sequence and total number of tokens. Covering as much area as quickly as possible was also important, as the area would get murky with all the divers searching the limited space. Prizes, usually diving equipment like regulators, fins, masks or knives, were awarded to the top three contestants who recovered the most tokens.
At many Southwest Council dives, underwater navigation skills could be tested during the compass run competition, usually consisting of a rectangular or triangular shaped pattern. Before descending, the diver would take a compass heading on an area marked at the surface, usually a float with a diver's flag located 75 to 100 feet from the shore. The diver had to swim underwater maintaining a depth of 20 to 25 feet, where the lake bottom and surface were not visible. Depending solely on the compass, the diver's objective was to locate the anchor rope securing the first surface float, then take a predetermined degree turn to the left or right to the next anchor rope securing the second surface float, and so on, then back to the starting point, completing the pattern without surfacing in the least amount of time.
To complicate the initial heading, the water near the shore at the starting point was intentionally stirred up by the contest officials prior to beginning the course. If the diver got off course early in the run, there was no way to correct. You had to completely rely on your depth gauge and compass. It also helped to have an idea how many full kick cycles were required to travel a certain distance. If the diver was really off course and headed into the main body of the lake or into boat traffic, the officials would tract the bubbles on the surface by boat until the diver surfaced, then deliver the diver back to shore. Prizes, usually dive equipment, were awarded to the top 3 contestants who timely completed the compass run.
An occasional event, usually held in the pool at Scuba Point, was the scuba skills event. This timed 2-person team event required divers to enter the pool, descend to the bottom, doff all gear, don your partner's gear, then return to the surface together. The object was to timely switch all gear, having all backpack straps straight (not twisted), regulator hoses could not be under a backpack strap or arm, weight belts could not be twisted and masks had to be free of water. The team to accomplish this in the least amount of time, then surface together, were the winners. Prizes were awarded to the winning team.
Quality underwater photography was difficult in lakes, due to limited visibility, normally under 20', and more often under 10', and diminished available light in depth. When Southwest Council members weren't lake diving, many were ocean diving, where visibility easily exceeds 100'. The underwater photography contest through the Southwest Council consisted of color and black and white prints and slides, macro color and black and white prints and slides, and silent and sound movies, submitted by its members. These could be taken anywhere. These shots were usually of divers, coral and/or fish, or macro shots of very small shells or creatures, normally photographed in the crystal clear water of the Caribbean or Hawaii. This event became more popular each year, as more Southwest Council members were ocean diving between our lake trips.
By far, the most participated and intense competition, and our favorite Southwest Council event, was spearfishing. The spearfishing contest was held the morning of the last day of the event, rain or shine, and on at least one occasion in April 1973, snow. Most everyone dove from boats. We had our boats in the water with the engine running, loaded with scuba gear, ready for the officials to sound the horn to begin the spearfishing contest. Those that didn't have boats were in their car, ready to drive to their dive site accessible from the shore. Once the contest started promptly at 9:00 a.m., we cruised to the area we had located the day before where we thought would be the most prolific. This was a very intense and exciting 4 hours. We were ready to dive as soon as we got the boat anchored. Extra scuba tanks were necessary, as there wasn't time to make a trip back to the dive shop for air. If we weren't cruising to or from the dive site, we were underwater or changing tanks.
We returned to dive headquarters for the weigh-in no more than four hours later. The officials sounded a horn when the contest ended, promptly at 1:00 p.m., and if you weren't within the dive headquarters weigh-in area with your fish, you were disqualified. Trophies were awarded after the weigh-in. Trophies were given for the first, second, third and fourth place team, first through fourth largest fish, and first through fourth novice largest fish. Trophies were also awarded in the women's division. Occasionally, there was a trophy for the largest turtle.
Dad and I were fortunate to learn the unique underwater hunting techniques and skills required for successful spearfishing from the professionals in the Southwest Council. Within the Council, was the ultimate manifestation of freshwater spearfishing experience. When I think of a professional freshwater spearfisherman, I first think of Charlie Crawford from Lawton, Oklahoma. Charlie and his wife, Helen, attended every Southwest Council dive. Camping near them, and often having dinner together, Dad and I listened to his words of advice for successful underwater hunting and spearfishing. A novice diver, and even experienced divers that haven't mastered these techniques and skills, will rarely see any rough fish in lakes.
Charlie would regularly place at or near the top of every spearfishing event, and I can't ever remember him not taking home at least one trophy in some category. My most memorable recollection of his success occurred on April 11, 1976 during the Buffalo Blast at Possum Kingdom Lake. He dominated the competition that day by spearing a first place 29.4 pound buffalo, a second place 19.3 pound buffalo, and a third place 18.10 pound buffalo. These were not record sized fish, they just happened to weigh enough that day to allow him to take the top three categories, plus his team (with Robert Swilley) to take the first place team trophy with 306.2 total pounds.
Through the efforts of the Southwest Council, and the persistence and dedication of Hank Silver of Dallas in particular, a study in connection with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department was commissioned in 1973. The goal was to once again legalize the spearing of game fish denied to spearfishermen in the early 1960s. Not for competition, but for consumption with the same bag limits as the surface angler.
Reports and surveys conducted by the appropriate officials in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Nebraska, where spearing game fish is legal, substantiate the Southwest Council's view that spearfishing will not harm the population of game fish any more than that caused by surface anglers. Since Texas spearfishermen are required to purchase the same fishing license as surface anglers, they should have the same rights. Lake Bastrop, and on a very limited basis, Lake Travis, were initially chosen for the one year study because the Texas Fish & Game Commission was very familiar with their fish population. The Sportsman's Club of Texas, Inc., a powerful voice in Austin on behalf of all sportsmen, supported this study and the view of the Southwest Council. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department agreed to conduct a study on the effects of spearing game fish before the next legislative session. The study was changed to a two day survey on September 8 and October 6, 1974 at Lake Whitney. This study didn't take place either, but attempts to legalize the spearing of game fish seemed to be making progress by 1975.
Representatives of the Southwest Council requested, and were promised a two week notice of the meeting for discussion within the House of Representatives. Finally, House Bill 1681, proposed by Representative Bob Simpson of Amarillo, was before the Legislature on May 7, 1975. The Southwest Council's representatives, most living in Dallas, were only given an 8 hour notice to attend the meeting in Austin. With inadequate notice and no representation by the Southwest Council, the Bill was rejected. The issue was revived in May 1976 by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department after conducting a short study at Possum Kingdom Lake. Their conclusion was that spearfishing for game fish should be legal, but not allowed at night or during the spring spawning periods. A few months later, we were advised that the full scale research study promised earlier by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department was not being considered or in their budget. Representative Simpson proposed a second Bill, House Bill 434 in April 1977, and was favorably viewed by the House of Representatives, but later died. No future attempts to legalize the spearing of game fish were ever pursued.
The Southwest Council hosted the National Spearfishing Competition at Lake Amistad in August 1975. Lake Amistad is located on the Texas-Mexico border at Del Rio, and was mainly attended by members of the Southwest Council, Missouri Council and Oklahoma Council. During the 4 hour competition, 917 rough fish were speared, weighing a total of 3,796 pounds.
Lake Amistad offered superior diving, so good, it was chosen for the National Spearfishing Competition again in August 1977, hosted by the Southwest Council, with 2,877 pounds of rough fish speared. After the weigh-in for both events, Mexican officials were waiting with dump trucks to take the fish to Mexico.
The Southwest Council was a pioneering organization dedicated to promoting dive safety, legislation, conservation and education, as certifying organizations like PADI, NASDS, NAUI and others, continue to do today. In addition to the Area Vice Presidents, there were many Southwest Council members that devoted endless hours and were instrumental in making the mechanics of the organization successful year after year. As a group effort, they were responsible for many functions, including executive leadership within the Southwest Council of Skin Diving Clubs and the Southwest Council Instructor Program (SCIP), and the association and interaction with the Underwater Society of America. Individual clubs that hosted the annual convention and each sanctioned dive worked many hours behind the scene before, during and after the scheduled events to make them successful, including the monthly editing, printing and mailing of the SLATE.
To mention and recognize a very few who did far more for the Southwest Council that just participate in the events, this group would include Bud Columbia, Dennis Cocoran, Charlie and Helen Crawford, Hilton Quinn, Judy Crouch, Gary and Carolyn Embree, Ron and Myrna Jorgensen, Wayne Mathewson, Than and Anita Moore, Ed Ralston, Hank Silver, Ben Sleigh, Bert Smith, Robert Swilley, Shorty and Carolyn Weatherman, Dick Wilgus, Matt Wiley, and others, but especially my Dad who make this incredible adventure possible for us.
As with any large organization, the Southwest Council was not without problems. Fortunately, with an organization the size of the Southwest Council, in both the number of dive clubs and members it represented, problems were initially seldom and few. However, as the Southwest Council and sport diving grew and matured, there were problems.
It became more difficult for the Southwest Council to continue to grow following the Southwest Council Instructor Program (SCIP) being merged into the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) in 1973. In retrospect, having the Southwest Council Instructor Program certify new divers, and bring them in and up through the Southwest Council of Skin Diving Clubs, resulted in more dedication to the Southwest Council and its sanctioned lake diving events. Once SCIP was merged into NAUI, NAUI as with all certifying organizations, promoted ocean diving over lake diving. Many scuba instructors began masquerading as travel agents (and vice versa), and quit teaching and encouraging lake diving. For many, they couldn't teach lake diving because they never experienced it. This had a significant and detrimental effect that continues today, reducing the overall interest in diving and on equipment sales.
Subsequently, reports by some Area Vice Presidents on monthly activities within their area were not submitted timely, or not submitted at all, making information supplied to the SLATE editor late at best. The monthly publication of the SLATE was a significant time consuming and expensive job, and volunteers were thinning. Major scuba manufactures, like U.S. DIVERS and DACOR, took less or no advertising space in the SLATE. Spearfishing was the primary attraction, so participation at scheduled events was reduced if there was not a spearfishing contest. Initially, lake clean up dives and the photography contests were not very popular. By the late 1970s, the photography contest became more popular, as more and more of the Southwest Council members were spending their vacations ocean diving, but this didn't require the interaction between the members as lake diving offered.
Participation in organized scuba diving events drastically changed, declining during the late 1970s. With severe fuel shortages, high unemployment and the economic downturn that extended into the mid-1980s, it made expenses associated with weekend lake trips prohibitive for many of the dedicated Southwest Council members who had consistently supported and faithfully participated in the events. As a result, a unique time in diving history, and the existence of the Southwest Council of Skin Diving Clubs, ended in 1980.
Although without the camaraderie of the divers I knew and respected 50 years ago, I will always have very fond and distinct memories of that period in history when scuba diving was still relatively new, and divers were trained to know the risks and successfully deal with situations. The Southwest Council's safety record was flawless. That's impressive, considering most of the divers were armed with spearguns, often in less than ideal water conditions, using a modified buddy system.
With numerous dive trips to Hawaii, Isle Mujeres, Cozumel, Grand Caymans and the Virgin Islands, I still prefer lake diving. The continued attraction for lake diving is the convenience, diving from my boat with my gear on my schedule, and incorporating those underwater hunting techniques and skills learned from the true professionals, those old timers that were members of the Southwest Council of Skin Diving Clubs.