The thing is, back in the 70s and before, there was no internet. Information disseminated slowly, and only through select and limited channels.
I don't remember being told about SPGs until about 1974, when I bought one. I don't remember seeing them in dive shops here on the East Coast until that point, and I don't think I saw other divers using them.
Back in those days I read Skin Diver Magazine pretty religiously, and I don't remember any articles about SPGs. Maybe there were, but if so I didn't catch that issue. Certainly there was no big publicity splash. I have a few old Skin Diver magazines I've saved for various reasons, from 1959 and the early 60s, and I don't think SPGs are mentioned prominently. I'll have to look closer at some of the little ads.
These days most of my local NJ diving is late summer, mid 70s F, in inlets and around jetties. Primarily Gulf Stream stray tropical fish collecting and sight-seeing. I use only a plastic back pack; no BC, an old weight belt, an ancient wrist mount combination depth gauge and compass -- pretty much exactly what I used 40+ years ago, the same items, in fact, including my old Mark V. No safety second either because almost all my dives are solo. I was diving solo from the first, and still greatly prefer doing it that way. It's part of streamlining, in a way. I definitely do use an SPG, though.
With all the walls, boulders, monofilament, pilings and other structure, an SPG beats having to reach behind my back every few minutes to make sure the j valve push rod is in its up position. I have a couple of J valves in my kit, two lovely old Dacors with the knurled knob. Maybe I'll set one up for this summer, for old time's sake.
I don't remember being told about SPGs until about 1974, when I bought one. I don't remember seeing them in dive shops here on the East Coast until that point, and I don't think I saw other divers using them.
Back in those days I read Skin Diver Magazine pretty religiously, and I don't remember any articles about SPGs. Maybe there were, but if so I didn't catch that issue. Certainly there was no big publicity splash. I have a few old Skin Diver magazines I've saved for various reasons, from 1959 and the early 60s, and I don't think SPGs are mentioned prominently. I'll have to look closer at some of the little ads.
These days most of my local NJ diving is late summer, mid 70s F, in inlets and around jetties. Primarily Gulf Stream stray tropical fish collecting and sight-seeing. I use only a plastic back pack; no BC, an old weight belt, an ancient wrist mount combination depth gauge and compass -- pretty much exactly what I used 40+ years ago, the same items, in fact, including my old Mark V. No safety second either because almost all my dives are solo. I was diving solo from the first, and still greatly prefer doing it that way. It's part of streamlining, in a way. I definitely do use an SPG, though.
With all the walls, boulders, monofilament, pilings and other structure, an SPG beats having to reach behind my back every few minutes to make sure the j valve push rod is in its up position. I have a couple of J valves in my kit, two lovely old Dacors with the knurled knob. Maybe I'll set one up for this summer, for old time's sake.