Questions about history of octos...

[roakey]

View attachment 538564

Yup, that was my first regulator!

You didn't have to put as much weight on your weight belt when diving it.

O2

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Octopus wasn't standard when I was certified in 1985. My recollection is that research divers had to have one sometime after 1992 and before 1998, but I wouldn't swear to it.

I learned to dive with a horse collar BCD, though with power inflator. Looked like a snorkelers vest.

 

[tursiops]

Indicated first used by cave divers in 1970s

It was on the market via Sportsways and being used in Kalifornia in early 1961
I was one who had and used a Sportsways Navy Unit in 1961
Complete with SPG''

SDM

Not sure what you mean. You used an octo that had a SPG?
Can you provide the Sportsways 1961 link to clarify your statement?

 

[Akimbo]

Can you provide the Sportsways 1961 link to clarify your statement?

You can download a great many catalogs here:
https://personal.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8d6d638a5f6075b5a46a

Here's an image from the Sportsways 1961 catalog:

Here is an image from the 1960 US Divers (now Aqua Lung) catalog. Their SPG screwed into the cylinder valve but the Calypso regulator in the 1961 catalog had a port for in it on the first stage:

As I recall, Poseidon was the first company in the US that really pushed the Octo in the late 1960s. Sportsways was the first US company with first stages that supported two second stages plus an SPG, though they didn't sell second stages separately in their catalogs.

 

[pauldw]

And the big 3 safety advances (SPG, Octo and BCs) all came from cave diving. Though in cave diving we don't have an octo, we have a backup.

Interesting. When I certified in 1985, the class and the PADI manual discussed all three as recreational equipment, and we didn't hear a word about cave diving. Nor do I recall cave diving being mentioned in any of the magazines or catalogs I ran across in the eighties. So, was there an answer to the other guy's question about a citation?

This publication says octos started with cave divers, as well as some other innovations. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2002.30

I read the book review linked to, and didn't see where it said that. Where was it? I did see where it said octos were recreational equipment.

 

[tursiops]

I read the book review linked to, and didn't see where it said that. Where was it? I did see where it said octos were recreational equipment.

p104 of that publication: The recreational dive community has popularized the "Octopus" system. An additional breathing regulator ("second stage") is added to simplify sharing a single source of gas. First used by cave divers in the early 1970s, diving instructors in the late 1970s, and then adopted bv the recreational training agencies in the early 1980s, the Octopus or alternate 2 nd stage has become standard for most open-circuit dive operations.

 

[tursiops]

You can download a great many catalogs here:
https://personal.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8d6d638a5f6075b5a46a

Here's an image from the Sportsways 1961 catalog:

View attachment 538593​

Here is an image from the 1960 US Divers (now Aqua Lung) catalog. Their SPG screwed into the cylinder valve but the Calypso regulator in the 1961 catalog had a port for in it on the first stage:

View attachment 538595​

As I recall, Poseidon was the first company in the US that really pushed the Octo in the late 1960s. Sportsways was the first US company with first stages that supported two second stages plus an SPG, though they didn't sell second stages separately in their catalogs.

So Sam's input is missing the point? The cited article is talking about octo's...he appears to be talking about SPGs.

 

[rhwestfall]

It is funny when these discussions happen. Seems nobody is willing to admit their instructor was possibly "behind the times", teaching on equipment that was not current.

Like that never happens...

 

[roakey]

Interesting. When I certified in 1985, the class and the PADI manual discussed all three as recreational equipment, and we didn't hear a word about cave diving. Nor do I recall cave diving being mentioned in any of the magazines or catalogs I ran across in the eighties.

Seriously? Why would they? Cave diving was more taboo than voodoo gas in the 80s.

The agencies and manufacturers were more than willing to adopt safer practices from cave diving, but there was no reason to credit them. That's not good nor bad, just a statement of fact.

If you had taken an OW course in Florida, I bet caves would have been mentioned in passing, basically "Stay the heck out of them!"

Roak

Ps. As a guess, maybe about 10 years ago was the first time I saw cave diving mentioned in a major publication in a positive way, probably DAN's magazine.

PPs. Even as late as 2000, when instructors and divemasters were still showing off their "Buddah hang" and "fin pivots", pretty much it was only the cave instructors that were teaching horizontal trim.

 

[Akimbo]

So Sam's input is missing the point? The cited article is talking about octo's...he appears to be talking about SPGs.

I think the real point is that these items were not first used by, developed by, or popularized by cave divers. The article you cite is inconsistent with the experiences of many of us who lived through that time. Easily the best historical record for the diving industry in the US is Skin Diver Magazine. I recall seeing Octos used by magazine editors and professional underwater photographers by the mid-1960s, in the magazine and on dives I was on. I never remember cave diving being mentioned. Octos were fairly common by the early 1970s, at least on more demanding dives like wreck penetration and decompression dives.

Second independent regulators were also common practice on more advanced dives. I personally used a delta-pack with triple-72s and two independent regulators in 1967. This setup was copied, not invented by my teenage imagination.