Hardhat diving; Mark V kit in Key Largo

[Akimbo]

As lifeguard back in the 1960s, I used to wear a Mark V helmet with a hookah hose to vacuum the deep diving well of our public swimming pool. No suit required.

Was it a Mark V?

or a Miller Dunn hat?

The Miller Dunns were designed to use in warm water without a suit. The US Navy Mark V would be pretty challenging to make sink without a weightbelt, let alone keep from flipping over. The nice thing about the Miller Dunns is you didn't have to worry about the check valve since getting squeezed into the hat when hoses failed on deck was impossible. Drowning and embolism is another matter, along with bending over.

​

@Akimbo drbill should have joined the US navy and taught them diving

I heard stories that more than one sailor came back from liberty with too much alcohol onboard and tried it. Training and military discipline has its limitations.

 

[drbill]

Sam... Keep in mind that the helmet was balanced on our shoulders and we actually put it on underwater. It is possible my memory is wrong on it being a Mark V. It might have been an earlier helmet in the series. It was heavy and on occasion I'd fall forward and lose the helmet due to it's weight.

It wasn't a Miller-Dunn

 

[Akimbo]

It is possible my memory is wrong on it being a Mark V. It might have been an earlier helmet in the series. It was heavy and on occasion I'd fall forward and lose the helmet due to it's weight.

It wasn't a Miller-Dunn

One of these maybe?

Seriously, this is Kirby Morgan KHX-13 Bucket Hat that was made as a joke. It appears that they dove the thing and actually learned a few things. All things considered, I probably would like it better than the Mark V. I'm not so sure about the cow bell but I have to get one of those horns.

 

[ofg-1]

I actually saw a Mk V being used as a shallow water helmet with weights bolted to the breastplate. At the same demonstration, a fully dressed diver bent over, opened the faceport, and drank a coke through a straw. Then, pulled his chin button until he floated the entire dress, and swam, more or less. Did an intentional blow up, feet first, and recovered. This was at the old diving locker at Little Creek.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Was the diver a 12 year old kid from Chicago who also cleaned swimming pools using a Mark V ?


You are a "Course director" what the heck that means, but I assume longevity in diving. You possibly recall the late great American dive humorist Dick Anderson ?

He placed his son the late Dickie Anderson, who was still in diapers in side a Mark V in very shallow water and pumped air to him. As I recall all Dickie did was just laugh at the event

Dick made both movie of the event as well as a B&W photograph that appeared in Skin Diver Magazine (SDM)

SDM

 

[ofg-1]

Was the diver a 12 year old kid from Chicago who also cleaned swimming pools using a Mark V ?

You are a "Course director" what the heck that means, but I assume longevity in diving. You possibly recall the late great American dive humorist Dick Anderson ?

He placed his son the late Dickie Anderson, who was still in diapers in side a Mark V in very shallow water and pumped air to him. As I recall all Dickie did was just laugh at the event

Dick made both movie of the event as well as a B&W photograph that appeared in Skin Diver Magazine (SDM)

SDM

Sam, we are a generation apart, and you are west coast, I am east coast, so we probably know different folks.

No, no 12 year old kids, just Navy Divers. And Sam, the Master Chief's pool would not dare to become dirty and require cleaning, as that might cause the Master Chief discomfort.

I know who Dick Anderson was, never had the pleasure, although I used a lot of Scubapro and Heathways gear. I think I still have a Healthways regulator in the pile.

And course director really has no meaning anymore, at least to me, since Dennis Graver left PADI, and the whole Don Dibble fiasco.

And ever since the diving cat, stuffing something in a helmet and sticking it underwater no longer has any mystique.

https://s.hswstatic.com/gif/scuba-cat-6.jpg

 

[drbill]

Was the diver a 12 year old kid from Chicago who also cleaned swimming pools using a Mark V ?
SDM

If that is in reference to me, I was in my late teens and early 20s back when I did this and also a competitive swimmer for several years.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I was a captain in USAF - we sleep with our heads on a pillow and refused to invade unless there as a O club.

Some one recalls the Don Dibble case ? How about when John Cronin paid $1000,000 to have breakfast with Ronnie before he became president and Dibble case some how disappeared.

Dennis was a transfer from NAUI- Prior to Dennis there was Nic Icorn, LA Co UW instructor who created PADI based on established and tried and true LA Co requirements-- John didn't like his work fired Nic and sued him for 11 million.
Next was Paul Hill, LA Co UW instructor who worked at PADI for a while and self terminated.

Dennis came from NAUI - with him he brought the LA Co proposal made for divers and instructors' classification which was rejected by LA Co -- but I was presented with the award "Outstanding Contributions to UW instruction " in 1964. Art Ulrich presented the proposal to NAUI - once again rejected

Denis departed NAUI with the proposal. John a true blue marketer recognized the value the proposal or developing and applying step marketing to diving in the form of diver/instructor classifications

So now after $10,000 you are a PADI course directo

And that is the "rest of the story" (with apologies to the late Paul Harvey)

SDM
@boulderjohn fyi

 

[Glen Stone]

@drbill
As lifeguard back in the 1960s, I used to wear a Mark V helmet with a hookah hose to vacuum the deep diving well of our public swimming pool. No suit required.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are one heck of a great diver !

Mark V no suit ! …. Now that is a first !

FYI.... it generally takes ten men and the mess cook to dress a diver into a Mark V..

You are the only person in history who dove a Mark V with out a suit !

Congratulations !

@Akimbo drbill should have joined the US navy and taught them diving

SDM

How did you get it to sink? did you rig it with weights on the breastplate like a shallow helmet?

 

[Glen Stone]

An old post but applicable as a references to this thread

HELMETS OF THE DEEP,

Always advisable to periodically check e bay or one of the other used book sellers for the current listings and sales of a book. On occasion books will, for some unknown reason, escalate many times over their original sales price in just a few short years. A very good example "Helmets of the deep," the definitive world class book on diving helmets;

HELMETS OF THE DEEP,
by
Leon G.Lyons,
St Augustine, Florida
Published 1987
ISBN #962-7256-01-3
LCCC # 87-090931
Oversized, 307 pages
Illustrated with pictures
verbiage is English, French and German


There were only 1000 books printed. 900 Presentation editions, hard cover with a dust jacket, and 100 Special edition hard cover leather bound.

Original cost: 900 Presentation editions $300.00 plus S&H (about $15.00 to California)

Original cost: Special editions $500.00 plus S&H (about $15.00 to California)



Last sales of Helmets of the deep on E bay

April 30,2007
#99 of 900 Presentation edition
Inscription dated 11/3/89
$2052 (US dollar amount)
Listed and sold in Australia--one bid
$2052.00

Date sold unknown
#300 of 900 Presentation edition
Inscribed by Leon Lyons to BAX
Book and dust cover damaged --fair to poor condition
$1575 US-- one bid

May 27, 2007
#766 of 900 Presentation edition
Mint with dust cover
Bidding began at $849.00--11 bids
Final Price $1313.00

October 27, 2006,
#845 Presentation Edition -13 bids
$2,148.01

October 31,2006
#61 Leather bound edition- 10 bids
$3,127.01

November 2, 2006
#378 Presentation edition
Small tear in cover-10 bids
$2,955.39


Not a bad investment--original price for the presentation edition was $300.00.
At the time of this posting no leather bound editions have not been reported sold.
Yes I have a copy: #500 of 1000 and it is inscribed

Leon is the owner of the Leon Lyons "Museum of Diving" in St Augustine, Florida --If you live in that area or traveling to Florida to escape the cold make certain you visit the museum.
He is currently working on "Knives of the deep" and a revised edition of Helmets so the deep

DD
Sam Miller III, Nov 11, 2009 IP Report

( @Ducky diver )

I bought one of these books also and still have it. Leon wanted us to purchase and prepay for his updated book but it has been over ten years and I assume he isn't going to make it. Luckily I didn't prepay. I did reserve a leather bound of the new version but I doubt it will ever get printed.