Duck feet

[John C. Ratliff]

David,

Yes, those are the "Flipper Slippers." We did call them booties, I believe. They were great with Duck Feet as these fins were usually a bit large, and also could cause blisters on the feet if not worn with something between (gum rubber and skin, unless greased, caused blisters). Also, a lot of the time was spent getting out of the water. Here's a photo of us exiting the beach after a 1500 yard swim:

While you cannot see their feet, both these divers are wearing booties (Flipper Slippers). Note also how easily the Duck Feet fins were to carry out of the water, in comparison to full-foot fins. Other strap fins follow, such as the Jet Fin, the Rocket Fin, and the White Stage Super Stage fin.

One other observation is that both these divers are walking out with their masks in place, and still breathing off their scuba. This was required at the US Naval School for Underwater Swimmers. It was not until we were up, and over the high tide mark, that we could remove our mask and spit out our mouthpiece. This was meant to keep us from getting into trouble with loosing a mask, or getting hit by a rogue wave without our mouthpiece in place. Of course, this was Florida and not Oregon, so there really was not much potential, but if we didn't we had to carry the dreaded "buddy line" for a day. There was no "Mike Nelson" antics allowed!

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

To give you an idea about the Flipper Slippers, or booties, I have a bit of my book to share with you. I started writing it over ten years ago, and have yet to complete it. Here is a little bit about scuba school:

We learned how to disassemble, clean, repair, reassemble, and test the scuba gear. We knew it backwards, and forwards, inside out. Interestingly, some of the regulators had black housings, and the interior parts were made of gold rather than chrome-plated steel. The reason was so that they were anti-magnetic. The Navy used them for mine-clearing activities, and I believe more than a few were ultimately stolen.

The instructors also took us to the pool for training, where we learned how to clear the breathing tubes, how to take off and put on the equipment underwater, and how to swim underwater an compass course.

During the pool work, we would be harrassed. The instructors would swim up to us and pull a face mask off, or turn off our air. We would have to work with out buddy to solve our problems. If we surfaced, we'd be told to get out of the water and do twenty-five pushups. But we couldn't take off our gear. So we did the pushups with twin-tank aqua-lungs on our backs, weighing about 80 lbs.

At times, if this wasn't good enough for us, the whole class would be made to put their mask on underwater, so that it was full of water. We then had to get out of the water, lay down on our backs, and sings songs while doing a flutter kick.

I would have like to have had a recording of those songs. We sang, but all that came out was the sound of drowning men as the water from our masks trickled down the back of our nose and into our throats. We sounded like a group-gargling experiment.

Robert Means became my diving buddy, and was in this position, as the instructor stood close to his feet and barked orders for more flutter kicks and singing. We wore diving booties, made of compressed rubber to keep the fins from chafing our feet and the coral from cutting our soles. These booties had a loose top, which collected water. Means' feet were next to the instructor's leg, and the instructor was wearing leather boots which were loosely tied around his ankles, and cotton stockings. I watched from beside Means as he lifted his leg, as ordered, and deftly poured the cup full of water from his right bootie into the instructor's right boot as he began his flutter kicks. The instructor jumped back, barked "Means, attention!" and Means got up for his ass-chewing, then dropped for twenty-five pushups. We then began our flutter kicks again, with the instructor having sloshed to a safe distance.
From: Between Air and Water, the Memoir of an USAF Pararescueman, by John C. Ratliff
Copyright 2009 John C. Ratliff

Enjoy,

John

 

[DaleC]

Not to get off topic but I thought I'd add a couple of more "finds" I've just procured (as you guys seem to know what you're talking about).

At first I thought someone had mounted a tank to an old military backpack frame but it appears the frame is for the tank??? The canvas webbing is a little wore in spots but still strong and complete. I picked it up at a garage sale and the guy says "see, there's still air in it" and turns the valve and sure enough air comes out. The weird part is that there seems to be no hydro stamps anywhere on it.


Tank dimensions: 6 3/4" dia. 25 1/2" tall 3/4" valve thread
Does anyone know what type of tank it is and or approx. age?

The tank says:

HEALTHWAYS
LA CALIF
COMPRESSED AIR ONLY

ICC(3or5)AA2250 <-----does this indicate the rated fill pressure?
Q11475
PST
(4?)058(4?)

The valve says:
HEALTHWAYS
SCUBA
L.A.CALIF.

and

Superior
5571

Here's another shot that shows the valve (funny top mounted butterfly knob):

and here's a weight belt with a buckle I think I heard Captain mention one time:

 

[Luis H]

The tank is a typical steel 72 with a 1/2" NPT threaded valve neck. The threads may measure about 3/4" but the designation is for a 1/2" pipe with tapered threads.

The stamped pressure is indeed 2250 psi, but the original working pressure probably included the 10% overfill. That would have been indicated by a + stamped next to the original hydro date.

The original hydro date seems to be 58. The 4 next to the 58 was probably the + I was referring above.

The tank was made by PST: Pressed Steel Tanks.

The top most stamp is ICC 3AA 2250
The ICC stands for Interstate Commerce Commission, the predecessor to the DOT (Department of Transportation).
The 3AA designates it as a Chrome- Molybdenum steel seamless tank. Most new low pressure tanks are made under the exact same code.

That tank can be easily brought back to service with a new hydro and VIP. If it was kept filled all this years, it is probably clean inside.


The knob on the top was the typical gas valve used in Scuba. The introduction of the valve with the knob on the side came later and I believe it was Sam Leckoc (sp?) at Sportsways that designed the first valve with the knob on the side.

 

[captain]

The weight belt has the wire bale type buckle. It is the the most secure type in that it is difficult to have it accidentally open but can be easily ditched if need be.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

The design for that harness is written up in Dive, the complete book of skin diving They also have a photo of this harness being used in a 1950s movie. I'll get more information from home later.

SeaRat

 

[james croft]

John,
Let us know when you finish your book. I will buy one !

 

[Luis H]

To give you an idea about the Flipper Slippers, or booties, I have a bit of my book to share with you. I started writing it over ten years ago, and have yet to complete it. Here is a little bit about scuba school:

We learned how to disassemble, clean, repair, reassemble, and test the scuba gear. We knew it backwards, and forwards, inside out. Interestingly, some of the regulators had black housings, and the interior parts were made of gold rather than chrome-plated steel. The reason was so that they were anti-magnetic. The Navy used them for mine-clearing activities, and I believe more than a few were ultimately stolen.


From: Between Air and Water, the Memoir of an USAF Pararescueman, by John C. Ratliff
Copyright 2009 John C. Ratliff

Enjoy,

John

That is interesting write up, but If I may make a couple of observations.

The parts were not "made of gold"; they were just gold plated (brass parts) instead of chrome plated, etc.

Also, none of the parts (that I am aware of) are chrome plated steel, some are chrome plated brass and a few are stainless steel (with no plating, such as the springs, horse shoe lever, horse shoe support, etc.), but not chrome plated steel.

This may be considered minor details, but I am sure you wouldn't want to publish something with this kind of mistakes.


Another comment and this is kind of a mistake, but commonly accepted is the term anti-magnetic. Technically the correct term would be non-magnetic, meaning that it doesn't have a magnetic signature (or an insignificant one). The term anti-magnetic is very commonly used, but I personally think that it implies a physical phenomenon that is not correct. It is not counter acting a magnetic field. I realize that the term has become acceptable, but IMHO non-magnetic would be the correct term.

 

[Nemrod]

The wire bail buckles are still available, one is made by Trident. I use a wire bail sometimes and they work, some people like them. I don't especially. They open easily. At least three times at SDVI my weight belt tried to eject itself. What with my camera in one hand and my wife in the other due to her equipment malfunctions I was somewhat challenged to recover it. I would rather use a metal buckle. Voit made a belt with a solid metal clasp that had a similar cam action to the wire bail buckle that works much better and is equally if not more vintage. N

 

[captain]

The wire bale buckles need a bit of tension on them to keep them secure but they can't be easily snugged up during a dive. If worn over a wet suit the wet suit compresses and the belt gets loose. Best solution is the rubber weight belt common in the free diver spearfishermen community.

Sea Quest made a plastic version of the overcenter cam buckle (bale) that I have used since the 70's. It is easier to ajust on the fly.