Can Anyone Out There Bring Us Up To Date On Current Progress Of "Powerswim" (DARPA)

[Compressor]

Fabulous piece of history in Post #6.

 

[RickI]

I can't offer more insights on Powerswim other than to say Cal Gongwer told me about several pool parties he hosted for some people from DARPA. Following which they presented this concept as their own for considerable research funds. Cal had let the patent lapse and so there wasn't much recourse available to him unfortunately. More about Cal and the Aqueon at Amazing Underwater Flight! - FKA Kiteboarding Forums I am in the process of updating the account with more information and historical photos.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I am going to bring this thread back, as I also have some things to say here. I have an Aqueon, which I purchased in the early 1970s. I am going to try bringing it back to life, but since I lost one of the stabilizing fins, I’m having to make one of wood (it’s cut out, but not yet usable).

In the meantime, I found this short YouTube video from 1969 about the Aqueon:


SeaRat

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I don't even like sleeping in a mummy bag. Having my legs bound together like that would send me screaming into the darkness.

How do you turn?

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I don't even like sleeping in a mummy bag. Having my legs bound together like that would send me screaming into the darkness.

How do you turn?

There are a whole bunch of new skills needed for using the Aqueon. Turning is actually fairly easy, simply by bending in the desired direction. But a surface dive; that’s really problematical as the main blade is above the bend in the waist, so compensations need to be made. I had two hooks on my Aqueon that allowed me to reverse the direction of the blades to go down feet-first. Going horizontally was not too much of a problem, and angling up was not much of a problem. The Aqueon forces the diver to get into a more streamlined position in the water, with the arms in front being better than trailing arms. This in itself increased the speed the diver could attain. Spring tension on the two forward propulsive blades was one of the keys, too great and it was hard to kick, and too little meant no “bite” into the water.

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Here are three photos of me using my Aqueon in Lake Chelan, Washington in 1972. I found the Aqueon usable, but somewhat awkward.

I still have that Aqueon, which I have started to rebuild. I am putting together a new lower stabilizing fin, and think it would be good to take the other wooden parts, sand them down, and re-apply the sealant coating before starting to use it again this summer. I will probably also try repositioning the leg supports higher on the main mast so as to allow better waist flexibility.

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I'm making progress on making a new stabilizer fin for my Aqueon. It's almost complete, and in need of finishing. I've also disassembled my Aqueon completely so as to re-apply the coating to the wooden parts, as they are in great need of it. I will put it back together, and put it in the water sometime this summer.

SeaRat

 

[OTF]

Huh, well this is fascinating! Towing another person 26 miles is no joke!

If nothing else this demonstrates how inefficiently we humans use our muscles when we swim with normal fins, and proves that there is potential to innovate there.

I might have to build one of these some day.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Well, my Aqueon is just about complete. I’ve got it mostly assembled now, and will have some photos a bit later. I hope to get it wet sometime this month.

SeaRat

PS, a lot can be gleaned from the PowerSwim patent.
US10392090B2 - Swimming propulsion device - Google Patents

 

[lairdb]

(Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon, anyone?)

Someone on the San Diego area Divebums listserv just last week posted that they have an intact, good condition Aqueon, looking to donate to a museum or similar.