Yes, you are right but with one exception. Kip Wagner as a building contractor, began with lucking out with his coin finds on the beach. Start up with no experience (perhaps everyone starts that way in one way or the other), with help developed research, a team and the rest is history documented in many books. Mel Fisher came into the quest for the Atocha in quite a different way. He had started with two trips to Silver Bank in search for the 1641 Concepcion (later found by Burt Webber) and then joined with Kip Wagner working some of the 1715 wrecks.The Fisher quest for the 1622 fleet was based on dedication and professional research done by a (low profile - real academic) researcher named Eugene Lyons. Many professionals question why it took so many years to find the Atocha but Fisher was a chaser of rainbows, which doesn't matter, bottom line is he found it.
As to SFRX, in my opinion, its so far been a piggy back ride on wrecks others had already found and worked. There is allot of flaunting of the "Dr. DeBry says" which doesn't impress me for one. Not meaning DeBry hasn't dove and acquired experience on 1715 wrecks. Is that really the best shot of sound credibility posters here can make? Short of ones own impressively created web-site, I look at what creditable books have been written by creditable authors about that persons history, achievements and discovery. Please give me a referral in that respect to DeBry?. If you review my number of previous posts I have done here, I am a supporter of SFRX, now dedicated effort on this Site #3 because I believe it has substance and may turn out a winner. To compare SFRX with their come-on approach to the industry to the likes of Kip Wagner or Mel Fisher doesn't seem to be justified. Let all do your own due diligence and thus make fair judgement.
