Was Sheck Exley the first to introduce the "octopus?"

[Jeff Toorish]

I've done some research on this and there are conflicting stories.

One story has Sheck coming up with the idea for the octopus as part of his work to make cave diving safer.

Many people credit Dave Woodward with the octopus creatuion while he was working at UNEXSO in the Bahamas.

I suspect there were others, as well.

It is entirely plausible that the idea sort of manifested essentially simultaneously in various places; which is not unusual in the course of human development. I asked Dave about that last year while interviewing him for a documentary on early divers and he agreed the simultaneous scenario was likely.

Jeff

 

[AquaTec]

I was a dive guide in Hawaii from 1980 to 1989, in 1980 nobody new about an octopus, in about 83 my boss told me that all dive guides would be required to have an octopus but the tourist / rental gear would not have them.
We did not like this because they dragged behind us catching on coral etc and always getting snagged. We then found different types of clips to keep them attached to us.

 

[ams511]

Al Gore invented it right before the internet. LOL

 

[diver257a]

I learnt to scuba dive in early 1978; I remember the instructor leading the first openwater training dive had an octopus because he used it to supply one of the guys in the class who had run out of air.

 

[Divor]

How awesome is it that when you are researching the early history of a sport, people are still around to give their personal accounts? Great stuff.

 

[Jg1]

The Taming of the Slough gives Hal Watts credit for coming up with the use of the octo.
Ive read it a couple of other places but thats the one I know for sure it is in.
It might be in Caverns Masureless to man as well but I havent read that one in a while.

 

[alien]

I was certified by FAUI in Australia and we did not use occie regs. Cave divers were already using them in Australia. Did not get one until the late 80's when charter boats started to make them mandatory.
Ted Eldred's Porpoise was an Australian invention.
Can read more about it here:

Surfacing at last: the story of Australia's father of scuba - National - www.theage.com.au

 

[matts1w]

My PADI Junior OW and AOW cards from 1983-1984 both have printed in big black letters: "Alternate Air Source Required." However my father's, who took the classes with me, cards did not.

 

[Motivator-1]

Hello Fellow Cave Divers,
I hope that you don't blow me off for restoring this old post, but I might have answers. It always seems that us old guys have those answers because we were there. I can possibly add some light to this conversation if you want me to go on. I was trained in Cave Diving by the great Tom Mount, who, at that time wrote the book on Cave Diving (Safe Cave Diving) . This was back around 1972 or so, and I was 20 years old. Tom, I believe was the first Cave Diving instructor, and my certification number is #00027, His first or second class...never thought to ask him. Dave Desautels was the NACD president at the time, and Tom introduced me to Sheck while on my certification dive series in North Florida. Sheck was a seriously energetic Cave Diving Maniac at that time, as Tom confirmed. No Doubt a true pioneer. If you want to know more, I'll try to recollect...otherwise I'll let it go. I do have some interesting things to offer, though. As for Sheck inventing the Octopus? I think not. We had better concepts back then. Please respond if you want some history.

Best Regards,
John

 

[AA3JY]

Hello Fellow Cave Divers,
I hope that you don't blow me off for restoring this old post, but I might have answers. It always seems that us old guys have those answers because we were there. I can possibly add some light to this conversation if you want me to go on. I was trained in Cave Diving by the great Tom Mount, who, at that time wrote the book on Cave Diving (Safe Cave Diving) . This was back around 1972 or so, and I was 20 years old. Tom, I believe was the first Cave Diving instructor, and my certification number is #00027, His first or second class...never thought to ask him. Dave Desautels was the NACD president at the time, and Tom introduced me to Sheck while on my certification dive series in North Florida. Sheck was a seriously energetic Cave Diving Maniac at that time, as Tom confirmed. No Doubt a true pioneer. If you want to know more, I'll try to recollect...otherwise I'll let it go. I do have some interesting things to offer, though. As for Sheck inventing the Octopus? I think not. We had better concepts back then. Please respond if you want some history.

Best Regards,
John

I was cert. under the old NASDS program and my first cave dive was in Blue Springs, Orange City, Fl using a Scuba Pro Mk 5, first and second stage and a Mk 1, second stage connected as an octopus setup..that was in 1972.

regards,

Clay
Kimberton,Pa.