Fenzy question

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Something that puzzles me a bit...

Thas, do you know when/why the inflator hose got moved from the right side of the BC to the left (as today)... just a curious little detail...

But I appreciate what you're saying about the material... the date stamp on the cylinder indicates a 76 manuf. date... assuming its original to the BC... the rubberized fabric this thing is made of is in amazing condition... actually... to more I look the more "interesting" it its..
 
Europeans used to have their regulator over their left shoulder.
 
I don't have a Fenzy now to check dimensions but Luxfer makes a 4cu/ft 3.2" X 9", 3/4"x 16 thread 2216 psi aluminum oxygen cylinder. Possible the Fenzy could be adapted to it.
 
... the rubberized fabric this thing is made of is in amazing condition... actually... to more I look the more "interesting" it its..

I just "found" my old Fenzy in my diving wasteland. The thing weighs more than my Zodiac I think.

I'm going to take the bottle to my LDS to have a look inside the bottle just for fun. It appears to be in ok shape. I wasn't aware that they didn't need to be hydro'd but I suppose that considering the way these get filled, it's in my best interest to make sure it's ok! :bomb:
 
Europeans used to have their regulator over their left shoulder.

Stuff often comes out wrong on forums so let me assure everyone these comments are not intended to argue or impugn, I am just interested:

I would enjoy knowing more about them. All the French and Italian single hose regs I've seen were fixed right shoulder, dictated by the second stage configuration. I can't remember the Spanish. Several of the Scandinavian regulators were/are ambidextrous but all the Norsks I dove with configured them for right. I can't remember seeing any German.

I always wondered how the right shoulder convention came about. The right to left flow on double hose regulators (as you wear it) always seemed backward to me — probably from Euro-centric reading flow. I "assume" that is why single hoses are that way. The only reply I ever got to the question was a sarcastic (but humorous) "Because they are French". I was thinking maybe from heavy gear but European copper hats aren't consistent. Any thoughts?
 
Something that puzzles me a bit...

Thas, do you know when/why the inflator hose got moved from the right side of the BC to the left (as today)... just a curious little detail...

I had forgotten until you mentioned it, but I preferred it on the right. I am right handed and tended to hold the down-line with my left. I never felt there was in interference issue on either side, but maybe that's just me.
 
Stuff often comes out wrong on forums so let me assure everyone these comments are not intended to argue or impugn, I am just interested:

I would enjoy knowing more about them. All the French and Italian single hose regs I've seen were fixed right shoulder, dictated by the second stage configuration. I can’t remember the Spanish. Several of the Scandinavian regulators were/are ambidextrous but all the Norsks I dove with configured them for right. I can't remember seeing any German.

I always wondered how the right shoulder convention came about. The right to left flow on double hose regulators (as you wear it) always seemed backward to me — probably from Euro-centric reading flow. I "assume" that is why single hoses are that way. The only reply I ever got to the question was a sarcastic (but humerous) "Because they are French". I was thinking maybe from heavy gear but European copper hats aren’t consistent. Any thoughts?
I think the transition in Europe from left to right side was in the early 1970s.
 
Again sorry for being late in reply to this post.

The Bouée Fenzy is an Adjustable Buoyancy Life Jacket ABLJ designed by the Underwater Research Group of the French Navy. Again available only to military customers for the reasons I gave above on the Conshelf XIV post. Originally there were a number of manufactures well before the Aqualung group existed. The X4 mentioned is simply an “Aqualung” version, not the original.

For sports divers the French La Spirotechnique and British A. Tillbrook & Co (Spartan) companies both supplied the sports versions.

The versions in the photo are called the Bouée Fenzy Mark 6. Not to be confused with the Aqualung Fenzy. But to be strictly honest the “mark” was designated by the type of inflator mouthpiece and the type and size of cylinder and these are always added separately. So a Mark 4 or 5 or 6 would in effect be the same. The material is the same and is also used on inflatable RIBS and is quite a complex 3D construct.

The term used now to describe what was the “ABLJ” is now called a “Self Rescue Devise” SRD as EU law forbids us from using the term “Life Jacket” unless we are jumping off ships LOL

The basic Mark 6 is just a cheap rugged utility divers vest used with back mounted diving sets and useful for surface support on RIBs etc

Automatic SRD versions are used today with covert military rebreathers in the latest generation of UBA which are used for there unique ability that in the event of high C02 reading in the breathing bag or an inactive 02 consumption rate or if the diver is incapacitated the SRD will activate and you have two options, one to reset the devise or if not you are on your way up to the surface.

On shallow oxygen systems it’s a straight “lift” up to the top but on the deeper 80 msw 300 fsw SRD’s versions are fitted with automatic solenoid valve control that reduce the final accent to surface time as the diver rises through the final few meters of the water column.
When on the surface they also activate a Strobe (in training mode) or EPIRB for diver EVAC dependent on application it is usually easier to locate the diver on the surface than the alternative of a body search.

Due to the active threats we are now faced with Military diver training is now much more “aggressive” and in some not so friendly areas LEBA or Long Endurance Breathing Apparatus is required. Getting you “investment” “up and out” on time is in some circumstances critical.

I don’t know that this is the correct forum to discuss these aspects but the lowly ABLJ still does it part. Iain Middlebrook

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