Am I the only one here that learned to dive with a horse collar BC?

[drbill]

I couldn't afford a horse collar back in 1961 and didn't even buy a BCD until 1990 or so. Of course now I use mine all the time, but we dove without any external buoyancy control devices. Learned to weight ourselves more accurately and utilize our lungs for small cxhanges in buoyancy.

 

[tajkd]

I learned to dive without a bcd. Those were the days; always negative, great adventure during ascent, bends?... what bends?

 

[merxlin]

I learned (NASDS) with a horse collar & backpack in 1971, and I used a double hose. Mine did have the express Co2 rocket to the surface feature (never used). I had a pressure gauge too: when you could barely suck the air out of the reg, you reached back to flip the switch and hoped you had it closed the whole dive. Sometimes you were wrong........I also seem to remember that mobility was not a feature of the 1/4" neoprene back then.

I was amazed after a 30 year surface interval how gear had evolved. Then went diving with someone who still uses a backpack and no BCD. I admire the ability.

 

[TaxDiver]

Certified in 77,and even went through my padi itc in one in 1980
but then my first ...precertified days...was none at all.
seaquest horse collar. I still have it and sometimes use it as a snorkling vest when diving with kids etc when I want some extra available boyancy just in case