Dottie Frazier – First Female Scuba Instructor
In this podcast I chat with Dottie Frazier. Dottie Frazier is credited with many firsts in the diving industry. It all started as a child with her passion and talents in swimming. As a teen Dottie began entering spearfishing competitions – and winning – making her the first female freediving and spearfishing athlete and champion. Due to extreme prejudice Dottie almost did not get her scuba certification, but she was sponsored and supported by those who knew her talents. Once Dottie was in the water, she shined and came out tops in her class. The instructors invited Dottie to return often to assist in their classes, and it was not long before she was in the L.A. County Parks and Recreation Scuba Instructor course. Again, she excelled and became the first female scuba instructor in the diving industry.
Dottie continued to acheive from there. She opened up a dive shop called Penguin Dive Shop – making her the first female dive shop owner. Then she got into the manufacturing of wetsuits and drysuits. Dottie even did commercial diving. What is amazing is that she did this in the 1940’s and 1950’s when women were not in such positions. Dottie is a charter member of the Long Beach Neptunes and the Women Divers Hall of Fame. At the time of this podcast (2016) Dottie was 94 years old – yet she still works in her garden every day, rides her motorcycle, and surfs!
Items in this Podcast
- First woman at freediving/spearfishing competitions
- L.A. County scuba certification
- First female L.A. County scuba instructor
- Penguin Wetsuits and Dive Shop
- Hard hat diving
- Tiburon Blanco Grande
- What was found on a mask and snorkel at the bottom of Catalina Island
- Long Beach Neptunes
- The ocean’s bounty then and now
- Kelp diving
- British Honduras, Glover’s Reef
- Advice for divers
- Health and diving
Resources
Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Scuba
Sponsor
Special thanks to our episode sponsor Aggressor Fleet
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