What was the most influential development in scuba diving?

[CT-Rich]

Timeframe was set at 1960, so the regulator, and SPG for that matter, had been invented and in use at that time.

The SPG was around, but not widely in use. I was hoping to avoid things like tempered glass dive masks and away from the really early stuff. They can be argued about with the vintage crowd.

My first Parkway Farmer John (1980) was a 1/4“ and a nightmare to get out of, especially if I was cold. Modern materials are so freaking nice

I’m a little surprised training is making such a poor showing…

 

[Bob DBF]

As had training agencies, wetsuits, and a dive computer.

Agreed, except what dive computer, the bend-o-matic was in the '70's

 

[lowwall]

The original question was about innovations after the J-valve and single hose regulator. He was guessing as to the date.

Since the J-valve was introduced in 1951, the first commercial single hose reg in 1952 and formal recreational scuba training arguably began in 1954 (LA County), let's choose 1953 as the start date.

That predates the SPG and everything else on the list.

 

[Nitrox_DiverNY]

As a young diver I would think the PDC and BCD really make diving so much more safe and enjoyable. I can't imagine diving without a BCD or computer

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Agreed, except what dive computer, the bend-o-matic was in the '70's

The Foxboro Decomputer, Mark I was manufactured by the Foxboro Company and evaluated by the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit in 1957. It was not successful.

The first recreational mechanical analog dive computer, the "decompression meter" was designed by the Italians De Sanctis & Alinari in 1959 and built in their factory named SOS, which also made depth gauges. The device functioned so poorly that it was eventually nicknamed "bendomatic".

 

[Bob DBF]

I'll take '53, but the SPG on SCUBA predates that, see a @Sam Miller III post below.

That being said, during the early days of SCUBA, an SPG could cost a much as a reg set, so it wasn't widely adopted until the relative price came down, similar to the adoption,of the alternate second stage.

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Finally! give that masked man a cigar!

Commandant Yves Le Prieur! The commandant published a very interesting and all but forgotten and very rare book in 1956 "Premier de Plongee" (The first to dive.) And indeed he was the first to dive! If you don't have the book suggest you make an effort to find one -- $$$$

Also the Commandant was first to use a SPG as well as a flow meter, taught SCUBA classes, created one of the early powered spear guns, developed a "portable" underwater camera, hot water suit and was the first to use compressed air etc etc.

After a few years he discarded the Fernez mouth piece for one of his own design.

He was a diving companion of the American author Guy Gilpactric and is mentioned and pictured in his monumental book The Compleat Goggler


The Commeinhes GC series was developed and dove in the late 1940s - not 1930s.
The co-inventor Georges Commeinhes lost his life in 1944 or 1945 in Germany. His father the co inventor never followed through after WW11.

The GC 45 had an SPG, twin cylinder's, a back pack with 2 inch straps and a streamlined covering for the unit.

And we got the "Aqua Lung" based on a 90 year old design which was modified for the Gasogene..

SDM

 

[Bigbella]

I believe we are very slowly approaching a point where CCRs finally, in their multi-century-long development, can become truly safe and mainstream. We're definitely not there yet, but we will see it in our lifetimes as sensor tech gets better. Perhaps we'll even see future generations of CCRs replace OC diving entirely.

I don't know if I buy any of that "mainstreaming of the CCR" business or its potential to ever replace open circuit. I had already been assured of the same thing, back in the mid-1990s; though I have enjoyed access to them on occasion -- don't get me wrong -- but I certainly believe that they will remain a niche market within a further niche market.

They've been around for decades, yes, and the sensor technology has greatly improved, yes; but the upkeep is still several times the cost of open circuit; and rebreathers also carry with them, all of the spontaneity, associated with a space shot.

I went diving the other day, just on the spur of the moment, taking along a regulator that I had recently rebuilt, which dated from some time within the Nixon administration, with maybe twelve or so parts to its unbalanced first stage and a like number in its second -- about a kilo of steel and chromed brass, which typically lives in a small catch bag, behind the bench seat of my Tacoma.

At that beach in Carmel, were two divers sporting rebreathers, who busied themselves with their laminated pre-check lists on a truck tailgate, by the side of HWY-1; and they were still there, doing much the same thing, after I returned from a sixty minute dive, when they apparently had just called theirs, for whatever reason . . .

 

[Wibble]

The difference between early-days diving kit (e.g. my father in the 60's) and the kit I dive with is enormous.

I dive with an immense amount of kit including unheard of items in my father's day. He didn't even dive with an SPG, the depth gauge was a capillary tube, the bottom timer a watch, and BCDs were a horse-collar at best (don't think he even dived with one). Cylinders were low pressure and relatively low volume.

My kit's well developed and reliable. For example the regulators, of which a backup second stage is almost mandated, the dive computer, exposure suit, wing with inflator button, torches -- even backups -- are phenomenally bright and the cylinders contain far higher volumes of gas.

In essence it's like comparing a 1920's car with today's vehicles.


The main driver for this is economic activity. The diving kit of the 60's was very much cobbled together and minimalist. Today's kit is massive costing thousands of $$$, although it's fair to say that a regulator set would be a lot cheaper in today's money than in the 1960's. Globalisation has driven costs ever lower.

Would be interesting to compare real-money pricing of a "diving enthusiast's" kit in 1960's money/time (e.g. how many hours/days do you need to work to earn the money to buy the full kit) and the same in 2020's money/time.

 

[Wibble]

I believe we are very slowly approaching a point where CCRs finally, in their multi-century-long development, can become truly safe and mainstream. We're definitely not there yet, but we will see it in our lifetimes as sensor tech gets better. Perhaps we'll even see future generations of CCRs replace OC diving entirely.

Rebreathers are so complex in comparison with open circuit. Anyone doing a MOD1 course will vouch for that: you're not taught any diving skills on that course, just the 5 days of learning how to work your rebreather and not let it kill you.

The dream of a recreational rebreather is not that different from the search for Mr Fusion.

Simple open circuit example, remove reg from mouth open circuit: take reg out, put reg in, purge/exhale.

Rebreather example: breathe in; close dive/surface valve fully; remove from mouth; put back in; blow as you open the dive/surface valve to clear water from mouthpiece; breathe. Fail to do that properly and the unit's flooded at a potential cost of hundreds of $$$.

Then there's the care and attention required to fettle the unit before and after a dive. On open circuit it's 10 minutes of throwing the kit together, OK assuming the tank's full.

There's also the entry-level costs: many thousands of $$$$$, plus training. OC it's something you could do on holiday -- discover scuba for half a day; you won't be able to do that on a rebreather!

 

[CT-Rich]

I think the rebreathers will get there eventually. The key features are going to be redundant monitoring systems and modular systems that can be user serviced with minimal failure points. Basically a system that will be able to self monitor & self correct with all key systems pull and replaceable by the average diver and an annual servicing, and a pricing of around $2,000.

Few current divers have anything beyond a rudimentary understanding of how a OC system works. They rely on training to identify problems and someone else to fix it. Once they start going to resorts and trying out Rebreathers with an hour of training and making two or three hour guided reef tours without a noisy bubble trail, sales will hit critical mass.