Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG)

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You would be correct. I have surmised that some years back. It is more than evident without an investigation of spg origins that the bulk of the diving population is hitting 50yo (and not many beyond 65 who are still active divers) and that the years around 1972 was a demarcation line in the beach sand. However it was not the spg that made diving possible for the masses, it was instead the BC. No longer did the diver need to be able to swim and the rest is history, a false idol. Since I came of age in the 70s (60yo) I do not know first hand much of what occurred on the other side of that line, just a bare glimpse and books.

N

Agree completely Nem. But let me add, not only did the BC become the great enabler with regards to fitness, but how about proper weighting? Easy to over weight, (instructors are guilty of propagating this IMO) because the bc will (suspend the overweighted diver like a marionette) compensate for it. This puts the overweighted diver in the perfect posture to peddle like a circus clown on a unicycle.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UfM8BGE3E74&desktop_uri=/watch?v=UfM8BGE3E74

Doesn't do the bottom any favors.
 
What would we do with out the inner net?

About 20 years ago I was on the founding board of directors of the US based Historical Diving Society (HDS) and the first and only "Director of Sport Diving." ( I received more mail than all the rest of HDS combined so the position was eliminated when my term was completed)

One of the many events that I created and sponsored was a 2 day Diving Bibliophile meet in my CenCal home. It was the first Diving Bibliophile meet held in the US, but Reg Valentine of UK beat me by about two weeks. The US meet was bigger and was a 2 day event

One attendees and member of the HDS BofD Nyle Monday was fluent in Japanese and borough some literature in Japanese about the Ohgushi unit which he was investigating. At that time it was thought that all the units had been lost in the WW11 bombing raids. It is certainly refreshing to learn at least one unit has survived the war and the passage of 96 years

SDM
 
Sam, there was an amphibious version of the Commeinhes unit from 1937 that predates the purpose built GC-42 Commeinhes diving unit.

-Ryan
 
Sam, there was an amphibious version of the Commeinhes unit from 1937 that predates the purpose built GC-42 Commeinhes diving unit.

-Ryan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was unaware of the 1937 unit ...I recognize that Rene was the driving force and the owner of the company, but was not aware that he had used one of his units as an amphibious land/water unit. I must assume that George dove it?

Do you have a picture? or better yet a picture and a description?

Are you the young fellow who became interested in JYC a few years ago?

SDM
 
Rene Commeinhes (RC) developed a range of firefighting units from 1935-1939. He also collaborated with Mandet to create the MC-39. Rene's son Georges Commeinhes began experimenting with diving adaptations during this period. By 1937 Georges had submitted his design for approval by the French War Ministry. He received approval on June 20th 1937.

The leading expert in my mind on both the Commeinhes and Le Prieur is Philippe Rousseau from France. I was with PR in France in January 2014 reviewing documents and equipment relating to both pioneers. You can read his article on the Commeinhes units in Historical Diver vol 13 issue 3 # 44 summer 2005. George's Commeinhes famously dove his GC-42 to a record breaking depth of 53m on July 30th 1943. In October of 1943 the record was broken by Frederic Dumas at a depth of 62m. G Commeinhes also patented a balanced regulator design in Feb of 1944.

The eh best pictorial evolution of the Commeinhes designs is here:
Commeinhes

I am the one who has done extensive research on the evolution of Cousteau et al equipment. I have a large selection of equipment and documents at The Flashback Scuba Museum in Tacoma,WA. My focus is primarily the equipment of the free swimming diver.

-Ryan Spence
 
Thanks for the additional information.

I have been in contact with Philippe Rousseau for many years and have many of his translated articles, but didn't recall the MC 39. I was aware that his son Georges made the deep 175 foot dive and was possibly the first to describe and experience nitrogen narcosis.

In my generation the 1943 Commeinhes unit was IDed as GC43 and as I recall from pictures from long ago had GC imprinted on its faring.

Cousteau left a lot to be desired...He also went to court over the use of Sportsways "Water lung" vs Aqua Lung. His claim was denied . I assume you didn't have the opportunity to meet or to get to know him. I suspect I am one of the few remaining who knew him and possibly the longest. I met him right after he acquired US Divers in the late 1950s. Later on I consulted to US Divers and for many years I was the 'official" US divers SCUBA instructors, so had a lot of up close and personal contact. Over the years JYC inscribed and/or signed 7 of his books for me and one for my son who at 12 years old was the youngest ever to complete the US Divers regulator repair course.

Now he is yours and others hero..

About a year and a half ago Peter Jackson and Philippe Rousseau authored a book on Fernez, which Pater inscribed and sent a copy to me. If you do not have the book by all means purchase one, only 500 were printed and when they are gone they are gone. Really a treasure trove of pictures and historical data.

I would also strongly suggest that you make an effort to acquire Commandant Yves Le Prieur's very rare and becoming increasingly rarer by the minute book " Premier de Plongee." I only know of one other copy in the US which belongs (or belonged) to Ed La Rochelle,who was a member of the HDS. However I suspect there are others.

It is a book which should be dissected translated to English and republished ,but not mine- it is absolutely mint condition.

SDM.
 
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The $65 would be $160 today, that could explain why many of us younger diver of the era did not have them and few shops sold them even if they knew about them. Remarkable that I just bought a new, Made in Italy, B&G spg for under $50.

N

I think you nailed it, price. They were available in the 50's but cost as much or more than regulator, one of the reason I didn't own one until the 70's. Also instructors were the ones who most often began using newly invented gear. They were probably getting special deals or free gear to promote, then dive operators began requiring them just like BC's. For someone who had been diving for 10 years with a J valve it was a sell to convince them they should invest in an SPG.
 
Sam, the most common 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 of time 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. The people I have spent time with that knew him and worked closely with him by far 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.

Here are some photos from some of my adventures with the Cousteau guys:
DSC_0111_2.jpgIMG_0010.jpgDSC_0046.jpg
Falco, Marseille 2010, Laban & Dorado, Paris 2014, JM Cousteau New Jersey 2010

-Ryan
 
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1974 is the first year the modern pressure gauge is pictured in USD catalogs (hose entering bottom), attached to a UDS system (which I also have, though in 1975 it was relabeled the UDS-1). FWIW, the first duel primary/octo reg set was pictured in the 1973 issue.

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
 
Hey.. where did you get those! Thanks for sharing. Do you know, did they sell in 73 or was it being designed and do you have one?
This has been a fun thread as it made me look through over a decade of USD catalogs (thanks VDH) and I saw some other interesting tidbits in the process.

Nice Dale! But that photo is the Fernez-Le Prieur apparatus 1926 :)

History Ohgushi

-Ryan

Hi Ryan, nice to talk with you again.
I was quoting off this site.
The History of The Rebreather : Divetime.com : Scuba Diving Articles
I have only seen images of the chest mounted full face Ferne/Le Prieur system.
So.. Now I know, as Dr Sam would say :)
 

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