Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG)

[Sam Miller III]

Sam, the most Commeinhes unit was the GC-42. It was the one with the painted logo on the housing you describe. It is also the one in all the photos and articles. Here is the link to the logo from the housing:

Commeinhes

I did not know Cousteau personally but I have spent a significant amount over the past 12 years visiting with and corresponding with dozens of people who worked very closely with Cousteau for decades. I know most of the family. I also know many people who had both personal and professional connections both positive and negative.

I am fully aware of the depth of his personality and his life. My experience goes beyond what what has been written. There are certainly negative aspects to the man and no one who knows anything denies that. I must say that his detractors have spent a lot of energy sighting the same well documented sources and often time exaggerating and miss representing certain accounts. Of all the people I have spent time with that knew him and worked closely with him their overall impression of Cousteau and his accomplishments were positive. None of these people are under any impression that he was without significant faults.

Cousteau was an interesting and complicated man. You don't have to idolize him to know this. He accomplished much more than most people over a very long period of time. He was able to bring together many of the most talented people of the time to work towards his vision. Together they influenced the way we interact with the sea as well as public perceptions of the sea. There is also no doubt that without Cousteau the dive industry would not be what it is today for better or for worse. I would contend mostly for the better.

You can feel free to make assumptions about my motivations in researching Cousteau and his collaborators. I think it is easier and more productive to ask than to tell.

-Ryan

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You certainly nailed it!

He was indeed one who was a thinker and doer..

I recall so many years ago when a number of us meet with him to discuss new products.. The wet suit was just introduced we had presentable spear guns - in our minds nothing more was needed.

I asked JYC "What more did he have in mind for diving?" He looked at my name tag, thought for a while and replied " Sam, I have so many things in my mind to explore and make that I doubt if I will have time to complete then all (or words to that effect)" And indeed he did.

Less than ten years later I was a guest on board while his Denise dove to several thousand feet in the Scripps canyon.

He never stopped thinking and doing..

SDM

---------- Post added February 19th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ----------

Dale.

The USD-1 was a little earlier in fact also 1973, the production drawings enclosed all show earliest date on the drawings 17th September 1973.
The little colour (color) brochure is dated on the back 1974




Edit

Added each photo separate.








Iain Middlebrook

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Iain,

Great collection of US Diver blue prints.

I also had a small selection of US Diver blue prints from long ago-- gave them to a friend who stored them under a tarp and they were destroyed - gone forever.

Who signed off on the prints? I seem to recall Sam Gupta was the chief engineer during that time.

Difficult to comprehend that they migrated from Santa Ana California to jolly old England.. Good for you! Keep them safe and sound

SDM

 

[Scared Silly]

Certainly a fun thread, I am grateful that folks like Sam are around to chime in and get folks to dig stuff up (and out of the closest) to share. Slightly off topic, about 15 years ago I started contacting pioneers in the climbing world to get them to sign their books for me (climbing is the other nonsensical fun hog thing I like doing). At first the book signing was my initial goal but then realized that hearing their stories first hand was way more important. Not only that but also getting the stories from their wives who often went went them. Not many people can say they got to have tea with the first woman to climb Denali (who, I believe will be 100 years old this year) or met two of the climbers who did the first ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger.
Sam, the edition of Premier de Plongee from 1967 can be found from book sellers in France without too much searching.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Certainly a fun thread....,
Sam, the edition of Premier de Plongee from 1967 can be found from book sellers in France without too much searching.

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I would suggest that you purchase a copy...Lots of pre Cousteau information and very historical pictures. The first formal dive class, the first SCUBA unit with HP cylinders, the first SPG, the use of the Fernez mouth piece,(aka Duck Bill) goggles and later FF mask etc All this information will amaze your dive buddies specially in the dark of the night over a cool one
It will also probably be a good investment.

I never anticipated that my diving bibliophilic addictions would morph into what it is today...but I certainly encourage you to pursue the greats of the climbing world...

Mrs. Miller and I use to visit Joshua Tree in the SoCal desert ...Then it became the inn place for rock climbing and all the camping spots were almost always full.

SDM

 

[ams511]

The well equipped diver of 1963, no mention of a spg:

According to the inflation calculator, $490.7 in 1963 translates into $3,761.70 in 2014.

 

[Nemrod]

According to the inflation calculator, $490.7 in 1963 translates into $3,761.70 in 2014.

Yes, I am sure it does. And people think that things were less expensive back then than now. Mostly not.

N

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

We did an add-up of what a person could get into scuba for over in the minimalist thread, and we came up under $1000 brand new right now. That's for comparable gear as close to equivalent as we could get to what was used back in the 60's.
Things are a cheaper now than they used to be.

*Sorry to hijack your thread again Sam.

---------- Post added February 21st, 2014 at 12:05 AM ----------

According to the inflation calculator, $490.7 in 1963 translates into $3,761.70 in 2014.

Look at the simple gear they used back then. They did all the same dives that 99% of todays divers do for exception of really deep or maybe technical dives.
Nowdays that is considered unacceptable or "cowboy" (as I have been called). Were people back then told they were going to die if they used gear that simple or didn't have an SPG?

 

[Sam Miller III]

No problem Eric..

The post was to demonstrate to those who loudly proclaim that "I began diving there was no SPG!" that there were SPGs --The American version was introduced in 1954 and the French (European) introduced in 1930s.


A question for RMBoulder, who has a good handle on published history and others who are internet savvy is:

"What was the design defect of the MarMac SPG that made it so dangerous ?"

I suspect inquiring minds will want to know ...

SDM

 

[Scared Silly]

Sam, without even doing any research that one is easy. But I as an engineer those things come to mind quickly for me (usually) so I am going to leave it for others to figure out. But there is a post in another forum about some who could not get any relief when he did something silly with a first stage and a SPG.

PS Regarding Joshua Tree when I first starting climbing out there it was mostly climbers and it was easy to get a camping spot. Then it became a park and more people started coming. Now it is hard for anyone to camp at times.

 

[captain]

According to the inflation calculator, $490.7 in 1963 translates into $3,761.70 in 2014.

But because of economies of scale, improved manufacturing methods and cheaper materials, actual costs haven't tracked with inflation. Many products that required skilled manual machinest hours to produce are now done in minutes by modern, CNC machining centers. Plastic injection molding has replaced stamped brass regulator housings and eliminated costly chrome plating.

 

[ams511]

Look at the simple gear they used back then. They did all the same dives that 99% of todays divers do for exception of really deep or maybe technical dives. Nowdays that is considered unacceptable or "cowboy" (as I have been called). Were people back then told they were going to die if they used gear that simple or didn't have an SPG?

Times have changed Eric, I remember when every home had ashtrays out and people offered you cigarettes. Now if you smoke you are almost a social outcast banished to the outdoors and beyond. I am not sure why people say you are going to die if diving old gear. Usually if you are in an old car people will give you a thumbs up even though the car has little or no safety equipment.

---------- Post added February 21st, 2014 at 08:17 AM ----------

But because of economies of scale, improved manufacturing methods and cheaper materials, actual costs haven't tracked with inflation. Many products that required skilled manual machinest hours to produce are now done in minutes by modern, CNC machining centers. Plastic injection molding has replaced stamped brass regulator housings and eliminated costly chrome plating.

I am sure you are correct but what I found interesting was that they advertised this. Do you think you would ever see an ad saying you can get into scuba for only $3,700 +? In all fairness I am sure they are quoting MSRP so you probably could have gotten into diving for a bit less back then.

---------- Post added February 21st, 2014 at 08:20 AM ----------

Things are a cheaper now than they used to be.

I am not sure about this but I do not think the price of scuba gear has kept pace with inflation.