Seattle, Washington: 1961 – present
Marker Buoy Dive Club traces its roots to 1961 as a shop-sponsored dive club in Ballard, WA. The club was founded by John T. Miller, who together with his wife Alma, owned and operated the Marker Buoy dive shop in Ballard. The club was originally called “The Marker Boys” because in the early 60s, scuba diving was a male-dominated sport and the membership was entirely male.
However within a few years, the club name was changed to “Marker Buoys” as more women became interested in scuba diving and joining the club, and also to more closely identify with the business name of the shop. The original Marker Buoy dive shop closed in the late 60s for reasons lost to history. Marker Buoys continued as a shop-sponsored club with Lighthouse Diving until 1987, then with Underwater Sports until 2007, when it became an independent dive club.