It’s amazing to me how ‘back in the day” dive equipment was just another sporting goods product like a basketball or a set of golf clubs, no big deal, just throw it on and jump in go have fun, and BTW don’t forget to breathe and don’t hold your breath. Pretty much the basic rule.
Then somewhere along the way the sport got more and more regulated, to where we are now with certifications and gear designed for safety. But not just any certification and any gear, because if you don’t have the right certification and the right gear you’ll die!
It’s typical of any sport or past time. I look at mountaineering and how it was when I was a boy going out on long hiking trips out in the wilderness with my dad off trail exploring uncharted territory, He was from Russia and hiked all over Europe and the Alps, etc. so mountaineering was in his blood.
Now, all of it is so regulated and nobody can function without a GPS and a bunch of other fancy stuff including the latest trendy gear, etc.
Diving is the same way. I see how minimal the gear was and how people made use with what they had, it’s great fun to put on that style of gear and do “retro” dives just like they used to do. You can learn a hell of a lot. That era is before my time, but that never stopped me from getting involved and living the life for an hour or so using vintage gear or at least minimal gear just for historical reasons and to help me understand how it used to be “back in the day”. It’s a very valuable lesson which makes you appreciate what we have now and also gives you a reality check on realizing that the new gear as nice as it is, should not be misused or taken for granted.
