Difficulty of vintage diving

[John C. Ratliff]

Chris,

Your Dad is right, if you are not wearing an exposure suit.

He was,1/8 inch wetsuit. I don't know much about "vintage diving" as far as equipment dates e.t.c, but he told me his tank was hydro'd in 1963, and he dove into the 70's.(still with no b.c. or s.p.g.) He just chuckled about the drysuit, the only drysuits at that time where full commercial suits with helmets. Maybe there should be another class of diving, "ancient"??? :diver:

Chris,

Your Dad and I are of about the same vintage. I dove 1/8 inch wet suits in the US Air Force (we used them for warm water swimming, diving and parascuba jumping). The 1/8 inch wet suit has almost no buoyancy. When I used them, we used minimum or no weight, and there was no change in their buoyancy with depth. They were ideal for warmer waters.

But the 1/4 inch wet suit had quite a bit of buoyancy, and did change with depth. This was the better choice for cold water, and I used them in the Pacific Northwest, and in Korea when I was in the USAF. I had a supervisor question that a 1/4 inch wet suit was better than dry survival suit over a flight suit, so I challenged him on it. We took him to a local reservoir and he jumped in with the survival suit over a thin flying suit. He nearly froze before we could get him out of the water (it was winter in Kunsan, Korea--cold).

Concerning whether there were dry suits at that time, the US Navy had dry suits very early (1950s). Here's one from a 1965 book titled Skin Divers in Action by Erik Bergaust and William Foss. I can show the photograph, and it can be copied by others, because it is an "Official US Navy Photo."

SeaRat

 

[Nemrod]

I occasionaly dive without a BC. I have an Aqualung set from circa 68 with Calypso J reg. The reg has a built in reserve function. It does have a HP port if I wanted a SPG but it only has one LP port--the one the reg is attached to. I modified it with a swivel port that allows two additional ports. When diving "vintage", if what I am doing can even be called vintage--lol-- I use only my steel 72 (yes--it is a steel tank from the 60s and it passes hydro), my Calypso J on my pastic anatomic backback that has a rod holder for the J valve. I use old USD mask with chrome and brass band. The fins are either Voit Skindiver full foots or Duckfeet. I usually carry a knife, vintage, that is an Aqualung Technisub Grisbi. My depth is an old brass guage from Nemrod and I have another from Aqualung. I wear my Heur watch for time. If I choose to use a BC and still look somewaht vintage I have a Dacor unit horsecollar. It is unusual in that the unit is divided into two compartments. The upper compartment is emergency only and has a large CO2 cartridge and a manual inflation hose. The lower compartment has a power inflator and a dump valve. This works pretty good cuz the BC function is under my tummy. Kinda like swimming around trying to balance on top of a basket ball---lol!!!. Actually it works great and it is streamline and cave divers used to use them as did I. I also used to have a CO2 vest from Aqualung but it was stolen from me. A May West looking device with a CO2 cartridege--no bouyancy control function at all.
I dive with no BC only with my swimsuit or low bouyancy exposure suits. Back in the day my mom bought me a rubber neoprene suit from--Montgomery Wards catalog. It was 3/16 inch, very nice made amd worked great and lasted forever. Bouyancy control with it was challenging. Yeah, it is true, you had to be a strong swimmer.
True story--I was about 15 and had been dropped off the boat on a small rock in about 30 feet. The remainder of the small group went off a few hundred yards on a deeper ledge and anchored. Here is what they told me. "Now XXXXX (insert my name), when you get out of air you swim over to the boat you hear and you behave now". OK, I was over weighted and sunk like a rock. I managed to swim about though. I was getting tired from the effort though. Well, time to surface cuz the J valve triggered on the Calypso J. OK, head to the surface--oops--down I go and now I am back on the bottom. Try again--well--I was starting to panic. I dropped my weight belt and managed to weakly dog paddle to the surface. Once on the surface I was still in trouble, exhausted, half full of water and unable to keep my head up. I could not see over the waves either but I caught sight of the boat and started swimming. About every other breath I would swallow sea water. Somehow I got back to the boat where I was scolded for having dropped my belt and that those were expensive. Then they slapped another tank on my back and down on the ledge I went but at least this time I had no weight belt--yippee. Yeah, you had to be a strong swimmer is an understatement. N

 

[jrmigs]

Dear Nemrod, Just acquired a Calypso J first and second stage. The second stage seems to work fine, but the first stage has three holes in it which seem to leak al the air out. This one has what might be the aftermarket swivel adapter for two more low pressure connections. I looked at other models and they all have the same three small holes. It sounds like this switch on the end is set one way then when the pressure gets low, it pops over for a bit more air... wow.

Thanks for the info

John <><

I occasionaly dive without a BC. I have an Aqualung set from circa 68 with Calypso J reg. The reg has a built in reserve function. It does have a HP port if I wanted a SPG but it only has one LP port--the one the reg is attached to. I modified it with a swivel port that allows two additional ports. When diving "vintage", if what I am doing can even be called vintage--lol-- I use only my steel 72 (yes--it is a steel tank from the 60s and it passes hydro), my Calypso J on my pastic anatomic backback that has a rod holder for the J valve. I use old USD mask with chrome and brass band. The fins are either Voit Skindiver full foots or Duckfeet. I usually carry a knife, vintage, that is an Aqualung Technisub Grisbi. My depth is an old brass guage from Nemrod and I have another from Aqualung. I wear my Heur watch for time. If I choose to use a BC and still look somewaht vintage I have a Dacor unit horsecollar. It is unusual in that the unit is divided into two compartments. The upper compartment is emergency only and has a large CO2 cartridge and a manual inflation hose. The lower compartment has a power inflator and a dump valve. This works pretty good cuz the BC function is under my tummy. Kinda like swimming around trying to balance on top of a basket ball---lol!!!. Actually it works great and it is streamline and cave divers used to use them as did I. I also used to have a CO2 vest from Aqualung but it was stolen from me. A May West looking device with a CO2 cartridege--no bouyancy control function at all.
I dive with no BC only with my swimsuit or low bouyancy exposure suits. Back in the day my mom bought me a rubber neoprene suit from--Montgomery Wards catalog. It was 3/16 inch, very nice made amd worked great and lasted forever. Bouyancy control with it was challenging. Yeah, it is true, you had to be a strong swimmer.
True story--I was about 15 and had been dropped off the boat on a small rock in about 30 feet. The remainder of the small group went off a few hundred yards on a deeper ledge and anchored. Here is what they told me. "Now XXXXX (insert my name), when you get out of air you swim over to the boat you hear and you behave now". OK, I was over weighted and sunk like a rock. I managed to swim about though. I was getting tired from the effort though. Well, time to surface cuz the J valve triggered on the Calypso J. OK, head to the surface--oops--down I go and now I am back on the bottom. Try again--well--I was starting to panic. I dropped my weight belt and managed to weakly dog paddle to the surface. Once on the surface I was still in trouble, exhausted, half full of water and unable to keep my head up. I could not see over the waves either but I caught sight of the boat and started swimming. About every other breath I would swallow sea water. Somehow I got back to the boat where I was scolded for having dropped my belt and that those were expensive. Then they slapped another tank on my back and down on the ledge I went but at least this time I had no weight belt--yippee. Yeah, you had to be a strong swimmer is an understatement. N

 

[Nemrod]

jrmigs, the Calypso J has a built in J valve which has a spring loaded valve to cut or reduce airflow thus signifying time to surface. This happens about 300 PSI. The three holes in the end are the ambient water pressure sense holes that allow the piston to sense ambient pressure. The Calypso J has a balanced piston first stage. The leakage is probably the result of needing several new O rings. Yes, LP multiple adapters were common long ago since many regulators only had one LP port. I have one on my Calypso as well. Mine works and works fine, I bet yours can as well with some TLC. N

 

[scubapro50]

jrmigs, the Calypso J has a built in J valve which has a spring loaded valve to cut or reduce airflow thus signifying time to surface. This happens about 300 PSI. The three holes in the end are the ambient water pressure sense holes that allow the piston to sense ambient pressure. The Calypso J has a balanced piston first stage. The leakage is probably the result of needing several new O rings. Yes, LP multiple adapters were common long ago since many regulators only had one LP port. I have one on my Calypso as well. Mine works and works fine, I bet yours can as well with some TLC. N

I have to agree with Nemrod on this one .... bad O-rings would be my 1st guess why it's leaking bubbles. I have known many divers who owned the Calypso series and liked them ...... U.S.D. changed the design of the 2nd stage sometime around 1970 but the 1st stage remained the same with the option of having a J on the side for many years. I would have a shop look over the "old girl" and see what the problem is. I just had my VOIT TITAN II J regulator (made 1968) rebuilt (cost me $60) and it works great.

 

[jrmigs]

Yes, I took it apart and figured out that the three holes were for ambient pressure. there is a small hole down the center which feeds the low pressure ports and there must be a piston or diaphram that goes in there... it seems to be missing in... I'll take into my dive shop and they'll probably laugh at me... every time I bring something in like this they say its just junk and I should use it for a paper weight. Is there a shop that specializes in this type of refurbishing? Thanks... I have a second stage that I was taking apart and I slit the diaphram... but it was old and hard and needed replacement anyway. I used to sell and repair industrial regulators so I understand how these work.

John <><

I have to agree with Nemrod on this one .... bad O-rings would be my 1st guess why it's leaking bubbles. I have known many divers who owned the Calypso series and liked them ...... U.S.D. changed the design of the 2nd stage sometime around 1970 but the 1st stage remained the same with the option of having a J on the side for many years. I would have a shop look over the "old girl" and see what the problem is. I just had my VOIT TITAN II J regulator (made 1968) rebuilt (cost me $60) and it works great.

 

[jamiep3]

My local shop in an Aqualung dealer and was able to overhaul my Calypso J last year. A lot of US Divers/Aqualung parts have remained the same through the years. If you have an Aqualung dealer near you, give them a try.

 

[pescador775]

Buoyancy for vintage divers:
Ratliff has it right. Almost all wet suit divers weighted themselves a few pounds light at the surface. The idea was to trim out neutral at working depth. For no-deco diving, in the days before BC's, positive buoyancy at the surface was considered a safety measure. Diving at depth, there are huge advantages in this technique. Fairly large changes in depth, say up or down 20 feet on a 90 ft deep wreck, make no noticeable changes in trim because there is no large, partially inflated air bag with its compression and expansion to make your dive tedious (no pump and dump every few minutes). The only penalty is that one must kick hard to get down the first 10-20 feet. Coming up is a breeze. However, if one MUST come up NOW, the CO2 vest is the thing. Be aware that small 16 gram ctgs are powerless at great depth. Gas compression makes their effective volume nil. Double 26 g ctgs are sufficient to raise a diver from 200 feet. This should never be necessary and is potentially dangerous. However, if a heart attack hits at great depth, pulling that lanyard may give one a fighting chance to be picked up and treated in more controlled surroundings. I've seen two saves credited to CO2. One was a victim of a gall bladder attack. The other bailout was due to a clogged tank valve. Don't forget to fasten a whistle to that vest. It is a cheap safety device.

 

[jrmigs]

I have an old wetsuit from the late 60's... it was my dad's for taking out the pier so I finally got certified and got some vintage equipment because someone gave it to me. Tried everything out in the pool with about 15lbs of lead and a slightly boyant "floater" tank from the 70's. Couldn't even get kicking to get down to the bottom. did these same techniques apply? In my open water, with a light wetsuit, bcd etc, I only carried 12 lbs. can't imagine how this is going to work when the wetsuit loses boyancy at 30' and I have twice the weight. how do you set that up without a BC?

Buoyancy for vintage divers:
Ratliff has it right. Almost all wet suit divers weighted themselves a few pounds light at the surface. The idea was to trim out neutral at working depth. For no-deco diving, in the days before BC's, positive buoyancy at the surface was considered a safety measure. Diving at depth, there are huge advantages in this technique. Fairly large changes in depth, say up or down 20 feet on a 90 ft deep wreck, make no noticeable changes in trim because there is no large, partially inflated air bag with its compression and expansion to make your dive tedious (no pump and dump every few minutes). The only penalty is that one must kick hard to get down the first 10-20 feet. Coming up is a breeze. However, if one MUST come up NOW, the CO2 vest is the thing. Be aware that small 16 gram ctgs are powerless at great depth. Gas compression makes their effective volume nil. Double 26 g ctgs are sufficient to raise a diver from 200 feet. This should never be necessary and is potentially dangerous. However, if a heart attack hits at great depth, pulling that lanyard may give one a fighting chance to be picked up and treated in more controlled surroundings. I've seen two saves credited to CO2. One was a victim of a gall bladder attack. The other bailout was due to a clogged tank valve. Don't forget to fasten a whistle to that vest. It is a cheap safety device.

 

[captain]

You need to use an old steel 72 which is negative when full and positive when empty.
Put your wet suit in a mesh bag and add weight to the bag until the suit is just neutrally bouyant. Whatever the amount of weight required take half of it and add it to whatever amount of weight you normally need with out a suit. You should be pretty close.