cjfox
Contributor
Today marks 40 years since I graduated my first SCUBA course, and became a "NAUI Junior SCUBA Diver" the youngest diver at the time in North Vancouver. In the years since, a lot
of other training and equipment has come and gone, but diving is something that has kept my interest ever since. I thought I would share some thoughts about what has come and
gone over the years.
When I started, the text book was "The New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving" and the course was Navy based, and placed a lot of emphasis on physical fitness, swimming laps both
on the surface and underwater. We performed many "Doff and Don" exercises like the instructor throwing everything into the pool, and us diving in to turn the air on and put on
the tank only to surface and throw it in for the next guy. We used horse collars for bouyancy, debated the benefits of single versus double hose regs, and had a square boxy mask
with a huge purge valve in the nose. Many divers used talcum powder to put on their wet suits, and we had a "J Valve" for an air reserve, which in the cold waters of BC was
almost impossible to reach back and pull at the end of your dive. At least those jet fins worked great! That was the early 70's.
The 1980's brought my first BCD, a scubapro stab jacket, and a console for my guages, and a low volume mask. The idea of an alternate air supply was gaining popularity, what
progress!
In the 1990s I found out PADI changed the tables when my Dive buddies started having different no dec limits than me. I bought my first dive computer shortly after, that was one
of the most impressive changes for me after using tables for many years. I started diving dry in the 90s, mostly because I was making more money and could afford it, another
move to more comfortable diving. I became a PADI Divemaster in the 90s.
In the 2000s I got into underwater video, because with the introduction of digital, you could now edit video at home on the computer and get great results, another excuse for me
to dive more. A backplate and wing round out the new equipment this decade. Those jet fins still work pretty good!
Thank you to all the dive buddies over all that time! I have learned a lot from everyone, shared some spectacular dives, and look forward to many more. Cousteau was diving up to
his 80s, I plan to as well.
of other training and equipment has come and gone, but diving is something that has kept my interest ever since. I thought I would share some thoughts about what has come and
gone over the years.
When I started, the text book was "The New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving" and the course was Navy based, and placed a lot of emphasis on physical fitness, swimming laps both
on the surface and underwater. We performed many "Doff and Don" exercises like the instructor throwing everything into the pool, and us diving in to turn the air on and put on
the tank only to surface and throw it in for the next guy. We used horse collars for bouyancy, debated the benefits of single versus double hose regs, and had a square boxy mask
with a huge purge valve in the nose. Many divers used talcum powder to put on their wet suits, and we had a "J Valve" for an air reserve, which in the cold waters of BC was
almost impossible to reach back and pull at the end of your dive. At least those jet fins worked great! That was the early 70's.
The 1980's brought my first BCD, a scubapro stab jacket, and a console for my guages, and a low volume mask. The idea of an alternate air supply was gaining popularity, what
progress!
In the 1990s I found out PADI changed the tables when my Dive buddies started having different no dec limits than me. I bought my first dive computer shortly after, that was one
of the most impressive changes for me after using tables for many years. I started diving dry in the 90s, mostly because I was making more money and could afford it, another
move to more comfortable diving. I became a PADI Divemaster in the 90s.
In the 2000s I got into underwater video, because with the introduction of digital, you could now edit video at home on the computer and get great results, another excuse for me
to dive more. A backplate and wing round out the new equipment this decade. Those jet fins still work pretty good!
Thank you to all the dive buddies over all that time! I have learned a lot from everyone, shared some spectacular dives, and look forward to many more. Cousteau was diving up to
his 80s, I plan to as well.
