Scuba diving shop Sea d Sea closes its doors Jul. 31, leaving behind a four-decade legacy in the Riviera Village.
For owner Barry Friedman, 72, retirement will be bittersweet. He looks forward to the next chapter of his life, but will miss the last one.
Friedman remembers getting involved with the diving industry nearly half a century ago. A flyer caught the New Yorker’s attention in 1969, prompting him to take his first scuba diving lesson. He became an immediate diving enthusiast and left behind a career as a medical photographer to pursue his newfound hobby.
Friedman realized that the best way to become more knowledgeable about the industry was to start working in it.
“[Sea d Sea] was already a scuba store when I started working here, but it was poorly run,” he remembers. “The owner had the shop for only nine months; he just wasn’t interested in it. First time I came here, there was a sign on the door that read ‘Closed: Gone Diving’.”
Initially bought under a partnership that lasted roughly three years, Friedman and his wife Nancy have been the shop’s exclusive owners since 1972. Over the past couple of decades, Friedman has watched Sea d Sea and the diving industry change dramatically.
“People’s attitudes have changed. They don’t take up scuba diving as a hobby anymore, but rather as something to do for a short period of time on vacation,” Friedman said.
The downturn of the economy, the impact of the Internet, and rising airline baggage fees have also cut into sales. However, that hasn’t been enough to diminish Friedman’s love for his job.
“I had to undergo spine surgery a couple years ago to remove a disc. From the hospital after the surgery, however, I was sitting on the bench in my shop to answer any questions my customers would have,” Friedman said, with a smile.
Starting Aug. 1, all the scuba equipment and gear covering the shelves of Sea d Sea will be replaced with gifts and novelties by artists. Harmony Works, which until recently was located at the corner of Catalina Ave. and Avenue I, will move into the building.
One thing is certain: that Sea d Sea will always be a big part of the Friedman family’s life and the history of Riviera Village.
