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The first
Underwater
Instructors
Certification
Course (UICC)
was held in
Lynwood,
California in
the Natatorium
in the spring of
1955. The
course
information and
SCUBA skills
were
substantiated by
a board of
advisors made up
of respected
leaders in
various areas of
diving and
teaching.
1 UICC was only
20 hours long
and took place
over four
Saturdays.
The participants
were not
novices; they
brought a vast
reservoir of
diving
experience into
the course and
their noses
dripped water
from a whole lot
of skin diving
and other
aquatic
activities.
From this modest
beginning the
Los Angeles
County
Underwater
Program grew in
all directions.
An Instructors
manual to guide
and standardize
the teaching was
published for
later UICC's. |
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Original
Underwater
Instructor's
Logo |
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In 1954, the Los
Angeles County
Department of
Parks and
Recreation
established a
program for the
training of
adults in
recreational
Skin and SCUBA
diving. It
soon became
obvious that a
similar program
was needed for
the youth.
Three years
later the
Junior
Frog Program
became a
valuable part of
the County
Underwater
Program.
The original Jr.
Frog Program
offered
age-orientated
Skin diving
training for the
youth, and
stressed safe
diving,
conservation,
exploration,
courtesy and
good fellowship.
Today, the
program is much
different in
many respects
but its basic
goals have not
changed.
The 1971 program
is a well
planned,
progressive
skills
orientated
program offering
four skill (or
certification)
levels, and is
broad enough in
scope to permit
easy
implementation
into virtually
any youth
aquatic program. |
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Early
Junior
Frog
Program
Participants |
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For many years
the Underwater
Unit conducted a
7 event single
day meet to
provide
youngsters in
the Los Angeles
County Junior
Frog Program an
opportunity to
demonstrate
their skills and
compete for
individual and
team prizes with
other Junior
Frogmen from all
over the County.
The program
later expanded
and became a
prestigious
County wide
tournament.
The
Golden Fin
Tournament
was
initiated in
1971 and became
an immediate
success.
The
Golden Fin
Tournament
was
aimed at making
competition
itself a
worthwhile
experience for
all youngsters,
win or lose.
The mastery of
the skills
necessary for
competition and
the courage to
face competition
were worthwhile
by themselves
and gave
youngsters the
opportunity to
try their best. |
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Original
Golden
Fin
Award |
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In 2000 the High
Energy for At
risk Teens
Program (HEAT)
was looking for
something to add
to their
activities.
Equipment was
researched and
standards
developed with
the help of the
Los Angeles
County
Underwater
Instructors
Association.
The equipment
gave and
experience of
SCUBA while
having the
safety of skin
diving.
The kids were
able to breath
off a regulator
while the BC was
made of
floatation foam
so as not to let
them submerge.
The kids receive
two days of pool
instruction and
then off to the
ocean for the
experience of
their life.
The program has
expanded and has
given inner city
kids trips to
Catalina Island
for the ocean
portion of the
program.
In many cases
this kids get
their first
experience on an
boat and island
as well. |
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Youths
having
the SAS
Experience |
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In 2003 the SAS
(Scuba Air
Snorkeling)
program was
incorporated
into a full day
event designed
to provide the
public with
aquatic related
recreation.
Some of the
activities that
were inclusive
to the
World of Water
Festival
were Swimming,
Skin Diving,
Kayaking,
Fishing,
Commercial
Diving and SAS
(Scuba Air
Snorkeling).
During this one
day event over
250 people,
families and
youngsters
participated in
the
World of Water
Festival
along with SAS
(Scuba Air
Snorkeling).
Los Angeles
County
Underwater
Instructors
volunteered
their time to
make this such a
successful
endeavor for the
community. |
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World of
Water
Demonstration |
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On November 13,
2004 the 50th
Reunion of the
Underwater
Instructors
Certification
Course was held
at the Los
Angeles Athletic
Club in Los
Angeles,
California.
Everyone in
attendance
proudly gathered
with the finest
SCUBA
Instructors in
the world for a
chance to
reflect on all
the milestones
and
accomplishments
that this
organization has
provided the
diving public
over the last 50
years.
In celebration
of this
monumental event
in the history
of the
Underwater
Instructors
Certification
Course, please
click on the
image on the
right to view a
copy of the
original 50th
Reunion
Program.
Adobe Acrobat is required to view the
event program. Click
here to download Adobe Acrobat.
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Dr. Glen
Egstrom
(13
UICC),
Vince
Van
Detta (7
UICC),
Dave
Bunch
(13
UICC),
Ron
Merker
(13
UICC),
Nick
Icorn
(13
UICC) |
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Dave
Bunch
(13
UICC),
John
Spence
(OSS
Diver -
America's
First
Frogman),
Jeff
Bozanic |
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Russ
Guiney,
Director
of the
Los
Angeles
County
Department
of Parks
and
Recreation, |
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50th
Reunion
Invitation |
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50th
Reunion
Program |
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