Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Sweden

[Bigbella]

Here is a slightly more "recent" ad -- Sweden, by way of Germany -- well in excess of three decades ago (considering the regulators shown) -- and probably among the earliest example, I had seen, of the true dumbing-down of both product advertisements and that of user manuals. Nowadays, it's not uncommon to see those publications, printed in large blocks of green, yellow and red, to aid mouth breathers, in taking into account, what I can only assume, are traffic signals.

Prior to that time, there were often full breakdowns of internal parts (see below, from the 1970s); their catalogue numbers; and a full written rationale, in multiple languages, on the proper use of the devices and their accessories -- even to the extent of the swapping out of bodies (in the case of the Poseidon Cyklon) for full-face mask, or even firefighting use, back in the day -- not just some dipscheiß red "x" on an ad for a Frostschutzkappe (an "antifreeze cap"), to dissuade someone, without any further explanation . . .

 

[Bigbella]

Here is yet another Swedish blast from the past —also filtered through Germany —from the company, Turbulent Tauchtechnik ("diving technique"), along with some fondly-recalled after-market options, for very cold water. It is amazing what can be found, while digging through boxes of old papers.

The kit attached Poseidon Cyklon second-stage innards to a new body; added threaded inserts; and offered a rubber or, later, a silicone full-face mask — either one then distributed through Poseidon; or that, of Cressi-Sub, which is still available today. Mine sadly rotted during the reign of "Dubya," the XLIII.

The kit was always intended for installation by the end-user; and I recall cobbling it together, when I first began diving, and testing it in a local pool. Nowadays, manufacturers, for the most part, will only grudgingly allow customers to attach or remove a few hoses; or futz with an external adjustment knob.

Cousteau's team used that very set-up, in their 1972 Antarctic expedition,”The Odyssey,“ along with the curious use of Poseidon Unisuits, its fishy logo cleverly obscured by Calypso patches, in lieu of any Aqua-Lung / US Divers products, at all -- can't imagine why, heh, heh . . .

It was a great multi-episode show, narrated by Rod Serling, fifty years ago, and worth your time; though I honestly couldn't stop thinking of Bill Murray; The Life Aquatic; and "crazy eye."

There was also the unfortunate death of a Calypso crew member, during filming, reminiscent of the later Wes Anderson film.



So, for those of you, German-impaired:

"Metal mouthpiece for Cyklon with screw[-in] connection for [a] full face mask.

"Inexpensive and uncomplicated mask system with [long-lasting] comfort; reliable and fast [attachment] between the mask and [regulator], suitable for right and left hose [use].

"Inner mouthpiece enables direct breathing.

"Suitable for [use as an] octopus . . ."

 

[Bigbella]

Here's a recent shot of that "Turbulent" set-up, with and without the Cyklon body attached -- thanks to an old friend, who happened to have one of the masks on hand. It was truly typical of what was used in freezing and suspect water for years -- and a relatively inexpensive set-up, at that.

They are still manufactured.

My girlfriend initially thought that it looked like some sort of kinked-out fetish gear; but when I told her that it was just some Swedish / German dive equipment, that really didn't help my case . . .

 

[Bigbella]

It is becoming a bit alarming when memories of your troubled yoot, have now been relegated to the realm of "vintage" ads.

Here is a strange example from 1981, not mid-twentieth century by any stretch; but at least, forty years out, when Parkway (a pox upon them all) -- then out of the worker's paradise of South Amboy, New Jersey -- was distributing Poseidon, making spare parts all-but impossible to come by, at the time, and oddly marketed what was to be the Odin, in the US, as the "Cyklon Maximum," along with a fixed yoke model 2960, that few of us ever saw, domestically . . .

 

[Bigbella]

Here is an old catalogue listing for the Poseidon Unisuit, credited as the first compressed neoprene drysuit, decades ago -- and a great product, that was later "reproduced" by O'Neill as its Supersuit (below, right -- the late Jack was always a portly fellow), also a dynamite product, for those of us who preferred a wetsuit-style drysuit over the swimming in garbage bag experience of some laminates.

The diver with that '70s pornstache is also sporting a Cyklon 300 with the old-style full face mask that originated, I believe, with the folks at Cressi-Sub, and was also distributed for years by Poseidon -- and which is still available today . . .

 

[David Wilson]

Cressi designed pairs of closed-heel Rondine fins whose foot pockets were large enough to accommodate the Poseidon Unisuit's bulky fitted boots:

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

that zipper location seems like it could be a real hazard if one goes commando...