This was my very favorite show when I was a kid. That said, when I was taking my SCUBA lessons in 1970, a homework assignment was to watch any episode of Sea Hunt, and list every thing Mike Nelson did wrong.
"They sucked his brains out!"
I like the SCUBA style of Mike Nelson's time: swim trunks, air tank, weight belt, mask, and fins. Maybe a wet suit if it's cold. I see recreational divers today and it's like watching NASA astronauts suiting up for an EVA on the lunar surface. I'm sure it's all for safety reasons, but it sure appears to take a lot of the freedom and fun out of it.
In his book, "Mask and Flippers, the Story of Skin Diving", Lloyd Bridges writes:
"A few divers are critical of the 'Sea Hunt' series because so often Mike Nelson is portrayed as a skin diver who works alone. They maintain that this violates the safety principles of buddy diving and is a bad influence on newcomers in the sport. These critics should keep in mind that 'Sea Hunt' is not a documentary nor an educational film. Our excuse for existing is in dramatic entertainment and our purpose is to present an illusion of reality in dangerous situations which the public will enjoy and want to see. To obtain the objective it is necessary to have a story in which the character gets into serious trouble. Interest in the story comes from the audience's desire to learn how the character manages to outwit his enemies or extricate himself from a situation. To accomplish this, week after week, it is easier to provide situations of serious trouble for a diver who is alone than a diver with a buddy. Many of the situations in which Mike Nelson finds himself would not be possible if he always had a buddy standing by. This fact in itself speaks volumes in favor of the buddy system for actual diving conditions, and 'Sea Hunt' goes a long way to illustrate the potential danger from going it alone...In traveling throughout the country and talking with skin divers in every state, I find that the effect of 'Sea Hunt' upon skin diving is beneficial...Some of my most highly prized possessions are letters of approval received from diving clubs and diving councils throughout the country."
I think the most important line from that lengthy quote is "...critics should keep in mind that 'Sea Hunt' is not a documentary nor an educational film."
I was taking my SCUBA Diver Certification in 1961, because of Sea Hunt. I was 12.
shareI have a cousin who is a cop. He enjoys telling us what the police are doing wrong during cop shows. Of course, I usually get even with him by pointing out the engineering and science mistakes made in shows like MacGyver and Big Bang Theory.
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