What was the most influential development in scuba diving?

[Belzelbub]

I voted for SPG, PDC, and BCD. All three of those altered how dive training was done. Training is no longer done with J valves, though their existence may be mentioned as a historical note.

Likewise, the BCD has become a huge part of training. There are also now several specialized types of BCDs for personal preference or specialized diving.

When I was first certified, dive computers were mentioned, but they weren’t in wide use. We did the training using tables. Computers were only mentioned. IIRC, my first instructor saw them as a tech tool and unnecessary for recreational diving. That has flipped in training. Now, much more time is spent on the PDC, tables might be introduced, but most likely not used much in the course.

 

[jadairiii]

BCD. Prior to the BCD, a diver really had to have a "balanced" rig. You would also need to be in fairly good physical condition, since you had to swim your rig.

The advent of the BCD, with the low pressure inflator, allowed 99% of the public to basically strap on a lounge chair and go diving.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I voted for the BCD, the SPG, and the dive computer.

The pee valve is a bit ridiculous as when diving was developing, most of us had wetsuits, and there was no consequence for peeing into them.

I spent a lot of time in the 1970s helping to publicize the Buoyance Control Devices (BCDs), as with wetsuit diving that was a very important development. Photos below show a BCD that I developed that never got commercialized, but because I patented it, did further the development of BCDS. Also the ones with me in twin tanks show one that was developed by Bill Herter, of Deep Sea Bill's is Newport, Oregon, which also furthered the development of BCDs. He had a wetsuit where the entire back of the suit could be inflated as a BCD, probably the most streamlined BCD ever developed. Bill Herter also developed a vest-style BCD, which probably subsequently became the Scubapro Buoyancy Control Jacket as I demonstrated Bill's concept at IQ6, the Sixth International Conference on Underwater Education, sponsored by NAUI in 1974.

The SPG enabled the diver to ascertain precisely the remaining air supply, and plan for any eventuality while diving. Prior to that, the diver needed to know the breathing rate (Surface Air Consumption Rate) and calculate dive times based upon how deep the dive was planned. We used the J-valve to ensure that we had a warning of impending air supply exhaustion, or (as in my early dives with the Healthways Scuba double hose regulator and Healthways Scuba Star single hose regulator) a restrictor orifice to warn us of exhaustion of the air supply.

The dive computer allowed much more complex calculations to be made automatically, and during the dive, giving (in my opinion) a safer dive profile.

SeaRat

 

[Lorenzoid]

I said training—or at least the influence of training agencies on how people engage in the sport. PADI et al. promoting diving as a lifestyle and vacation opportunity brought diving to the masses.

 

[Wibble]

The pee valve is a bit ridiculous as when diving was developing, most of us had wetsuits, and there was no consequence for peeing into them.

That's because you were younger and had a massive bladder. As one gets older it seems to shrivel up to the point of needing a pee as soon as the drysuit's donned.

But, being very serious, the pee valve means you can enter the water fully hydrated. This is far more comfortable for the diver, is better for decompression and is good for your health. It takes away a lot of stress, especially if hanging around for ages at deco -- it would be an unimaginable stress to want to pee and know you've another 15mins/whatever remaining and your choice is break your deco limit or pee in your suit with all the consequences (eleven other divers literally taking the piss on the boat!).

I wouldn't be able to dive without a pee valve and cannot remember the last time I dived without plumbing in. I'm sure I'm not unique.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I chose the SPG which allowed for safer deep diving and cave diving. Without an SPG, we would not have the influence that cave diving has had on current training, skills, gear, teamwork, gas management, etc. Modern scuba diving has almost nothing in common with the early days of Sea Hunt. It no longer draws on the California style, the skill of the early watermen who could freedive, spear, scuba, surf, lifeguard, etc. It has become heavily equipment-oriented such as being reliant on multiple bottles, rebreathers, sidemount and the BCD (which was key to better performance in cave diving, but without the SPG caves would still be mostly unexplored). Swim skills are no longer international medley, but anti-silt.

Divers are no longer stereotyped as young, sexy and fit like an L.A. County lifeguard circa 1975, but tend to be career professionals, older, less physically fit, and people who can afford all the expensive toys. To be honest, today's highest level of diving is almost like an elderly lady using a mobility scooter with supplemental oxygen. The top divers just hit the scooter trigger and breathe their CCR's. Like everything in our society emphasis on technology is replacing our accolade of people.

 

[happy-diver]

Meant something - Means a heck of a lot less!

 

[CT-Rich]

That's because you were younger and had a massive bladder. As one gets older it seems to shrivel up to the point of needing a pee as soon as the drysuit's donned.

But, being very serious, the pee valve means you can enter the water fully hydrated. This is far more comfortable for the diver, is better for decompression and is good for your health. It takes away a lot of stress, especially if hanging around for ages at deco -- it would be an unimaginable stress to want to pee and know you've another 15mins/whatever remaining and your choice is break your deco limit or pee in your suit with all the consequences (eleven other divers literally taking the piss on the boat!).

I wouldn't be able to dive without a pee valve and cannot remember the last time I dived without plumbing in. I'm sure I'm not unique.

Diving Sunday in my drysuit I had a jerry rigged collar (getting replaced this winter). I wasn’t able to pee between dives and getting out of the water at the end of the second dive peeing was getting mission critical.

 

[Wibble]

Diving Sunday in my drysuit I had a jerry rigged collar (getting replaced this winter). I wasn’t able to pee between dives and getting out of the water at the end of the second dive peeing was getting mission critical.

I actually have both a pee valve (Halcyon one - works well) and a fly zip in my drysuit. This gets used for drying it out when hung up -- the HangAir (a big clothes hanger with a fan built in) blows air through the suit and out of the arms and open fly zip.

In extremis it could be used to get at the wedding tackle on the surface should there be other problems. But mostly it's for drying the suit.

 

[beldridg]

Buhlmann decompression algorithm