I'm not a vintage gear diver (except I still have my 14-y.o. rookie gear, but that's not old enough) but a friend who had moved gave me some old scuba pubs, I suspect they may be interesting to the historian?
"Diving With Safety", 73p. pamphlet, by Bev Morgan, red cover, published by U.S. Divers in Los Angeles, 1956
****Written by Bev Morgan on contract to US Divers. Was often used as a basic dive manual of that era. Bev was one of the founders of The LA CO UW Instructors program in 1954. The pamphlet was reproduced a number of times with different color covers and even different authors .
Bev is the founder Kirby Morgan and is alive and well living in Santa Barbara, California
"Diving with the 'aqua.lung'" 39pp. pamphlet by US Divers, photo of Eile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau on the cover, 1959
**** Was included with every regulator sold as a training guide. Once again there was only one effective training program and that was The LA CO UW Instructors program; NAUI was not established until August 1960 and PADI raised it's head about 10 years later. The pamphlet was reproduced a number of times over the years. Read closely you will discover the gentleman's name is Emile, not Eile. Emile Gagnon was the co-inventor of the Aqua Lung that Cousteau took credit.
There were a number of these pamphlets printed. The first was by Spaco in 1948. It was essentially copied in total and published by Rene Bussoz the founder of US Divers, when he sold US Divers to Cousteau, with backing from a restate mogul and two auto dealers in 1954. Cousteau and Gagnon followed suit and changed the cover with their picture.
I had a complete set, as I understand the only set in existence that was stolen in a home invasion grand theft robbery by a house guest who took off for his home in Mexico and as of this date has not been apprehended, but there is a John Doe bench warrant with is name on it. See SDM June 1960 page 22 for his picture ( don't you love thieves! )
Skin Diver magazine, June 1960
**** This was the first SDM boating issue.
If you will look closely on the cover you will notice a red "Power cat boat" in the lower left corner- the individual standing is me the driver is the late Jack Waite, who was my diving buddy for a number of years. The picture was snapped off PV in California by Jere Blakeslee the wife of the founder of Skin Diver Magazine, Chuck Blakeslee.
Page 16&17 "Rare coral discovery" was an account of the first recreational/exploration dive on Farnsworth banks of Catalina island. I "THINK" the diver jumping into the water with double twin 44 tanks is me. The famous "OC twin 44s" Either I or Dick Spencer took the picture of the three divers. It was a very exciting day to locate the purple coral.
In December of 1960 I organized and led the first recreational dive to Farnsworth off Dick Petter's boat "The Outrider." Lots of sharks! Suggest that you check out Farnsworth on this board for additional information. The boat was sold several years later and mysteriously "sunk" in several thousand feet of water between Catalina and the mainland.
Also notable in that issue is the article on page 11 "The history and purpose of the DIVERS FLAG by Gene Parker. This is possibly the best synopsis of the flag's history. Please note that Ted Nixon was given total credit for the development and not others who claimed they developed it after Ted went to the big reef in the sky.
Note the recommended unit size as compaired to the divers flag on the logo of this board== a very thin stripe..
In 1962 I was summoned as a "expert witness" at the first trial of a diver injured by a boat while flying the divers flag. It was an awesome responsibility but we prevailed and the Divers flag was entered into a court of law as an unofficial flag that denoted diving activity. Now most states have dive flag laws
Small 6 pp catalogue from "Swimaster", "makers of famous DUCK FEET etc and other accessories, "new for 1960."
**** Swimaster had just been sold by Swimaster's founder Art Brown to the late Ken Norris of Pacific molded products (PMP.) who hired Harry Vetter (pioneer LA Co UW instructor & NAUI Instructor #4) as his sales manager. This was the first or one of the first Swimaster Catalogs. Ken retained the company for a few years and sold it to Willard Voit of Voit Rubber Company.
Notable products were the:
The Duck Feet fins - possibly one of the best for propulsion but the most difficult fin to master ever made. If it was the only fin in todays market 90% of todays hero's would not be diving.
The Wide View Mask Unquestionably the best designed and most comfortable mask ever made but very labor intensive to produce.
The Spear guns were designed by the great Bottom Scratcher club member the late Wally Potts. They were the first commercial version of the original California long gun which was designed in 1939 - Check my post on Bottom Scratcher spear guns for a complete description.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
you don't have anything to rare or exciting and not too valuable but certainly worth protecting do to age and place in dive history. Perhaps some day when you give up diving you also can pass it on to another diver. If you do you have the back story according to me..
SDM
