Fellow Navy Diver
(360) 564-9437

James Davenport

First interest in diving was watching my father Tommy Davenport, and his friend pouring lead weights in the garage in the early 60’s. his friend Cissel Kennedy, Martinez California, was an underwater photographer that specialized in 16mm movies. I Remember watching these movies and being mesmerized with all of the different adventures. What an influence my father was; I’m still diving today with the same enthusiasm of my first dive.

Stevens County Sheriff’s Department

Started diving with the Stevens County Sheriff’s Department, Civil Defense Diving unit at the age of 17. Involved with search and recovery operations and maintenance projects in the surrounding lakes and rivers. Joined the military right after high school with my first duty station USS Canopus, Holy Loch Scotland. This is where I meet up with a Navy Diver, wish I could remember his name. He gave me a full tour of the dive locker, showing me the different diving rigs and equipment. He informed me of the requirements: I needed to be qualified in a source rating and  achieve the rank second class before I could apply to enter the Navy Diving Program..

January 1980

Second Class dive School San Clementi California starting with scuba (steel doubles), Jack Brown and the MK 1 band mask light weight surface supplied diving, and the treasure of all diving was qualifying in the MK V Mod 0, Hard Hat diving system. 14-man dive team to support three divers Red, Green, and Yellow diver. Attended First Class Diving School in Panama City Florida. This advanced salvage and Mixed Gas training was the pinnacle of all diving. During the training we become proficient with underwater salvage to include welding, cutting, demolitions, patching and ships husbandry. ​ Duty stations as a diver: USS Proteus in Guam, Keyport and Bangor Washington and USS Conserver stationed Hawaii.