The Gillmen Club

Lee Prettyman, Jr., a Past Director of Aquatics at the Hartford, Connecticut YMCA, was the prime founder of the Club which was established on June 16, 1956.

The Club takes its name from the movie, "The Creature From the Black Lagoon", as the fictional 'Creature' was know as a 'Gillman'.

The Club takes pride in its key role in developing what became the YMCA's National Scuba Training Model, and many early Club members were Dive Instructors on the leading edge of Training and Technical Diving. It is estimated that more than 4000 students have received their Certifications from Club Instructors. Many
students have entered the field of Commercial Diving , and Instruction, and have owned and operated Dive Shops.

With 'Safe Scuba Diving' its  goal, the Club instituted  one of the first Search and Rescue Teams in the United States, and worked closely with many local and state
police and fire departments throughout New England, New York and Canada engaging in drowning victim
recovery and other missions. Several state and local police organizations received Club training  in the technique of victim recovery in adverse water and environmental  conditions including: Fast Currents; Zero Visibility; Cold Water; Ice Diving; Cave and Quarry Diving.

We are the 3rd oldest dive club in the US.