History of the BCD???

[deepblueme]

Where did they get their start, when did we start using them?

In another thread there is mention of them evolving from plastic milk jugs/ clorox bottles.
I never saw any of my uncles friends diving like that back in 68.
I was under the impression that it came from surplus "Mae West" life jackects the WW2 Pilots wore.

I found this but I am wondering about pre 1961.

""The ABLJ was developed by Maurice Fenzy in 1961. Early versions were inflated by mouth underwater. Later versions had their own air inflation cylinder. Some had carbon dioxide inflation cylinders, a development which was abandoned when valves that allowed divers to breathe from the BC's inflation bag were introduced. Since 1969 most modern BCs have used inflation gas from one of the diver's main gas cylinders, in addition to an oral inflation tube which is used at the surface to save gas. In 1971, Scubapro developed the Stabilizer Jacket, the first jacket-style BC, and in 1972 Watergill developed the Atpac wing.""



Lets hear from someone that was there!!!!!!

 

[Diver0001]

The clorox bottles might have come from Tom Mount's story about how they got started with the bp/wing formation. The story goes that a buddy of his stole a metal traffic board and formed it into a crude backplate and they attached clorox bottles to it for stability.

R..

 

[drbill]

Didn't use them in 1961, and I didn't remember any of my students using them in the late 60's and early 70's, but after looking at pictures from that era I discovered some had horseshoe collars on. Of course they largely came from economically advantaged backgrounds and could afford such luxuries.

I didn't use my first one until it was required while diving with a Cousteau dive team in 1989. Funny thing is the darned BCD kept autoinflating. When I finally got the dive master to recognize that was the problem. She asked what we could do since we were already in the water and away from the boat. I told her we could simply disconnect it. She said "You mean you can dive without one?" "Been doing it for 27 years" I replied.

 

[Nemrod]

I have mentioned chlorax bottles and actually used them, it was an experimentation, I am not the only one that played around with such things, other occupations like finishing a Masters and getting a job took me away from that involvement.

I do not recall seeing or hearing of a BC until around 1970 or so when there were adaptations of the Mae West style USD/Voit etc CO2 inflated surface floatation vests. Shortly thereafter power inflators were added to the previously oral inflation only.

Here is my 1966 USD Mae West. It is CO2 inflated and small oral inflator, used for suface floatation only--not a BC.

Here is a Nemrod BC, an early rubber/fabric BC of the horsecollar variety. It is oral inflation only but it is a BC and was used and still is for bouyancy control while scuba diving.

Here is a middle to late 70s twin bladder BC from Dacor, possibly the most advanced horsecollar style ever made. It has an upper bladder using oralinflation and CO2 and a lower BC bladder (black) that uses power inflation or oral. Note the large dump valves on both sections. This BC had built in redundancy and the upper section could be used for bouyancy control in an emergency. Total lift about 30 lbs and the BC portion is about 15 lbs lift alone. I did a lot of cave diving with this after the chlorax bottles proved problematic--lol.

This is not my first wing, that would have been a blue SeaPro I think it was in about 78 but this 1984 Seatec wing was what we used in the 80s and 90s if you did not want a p---jacket or vest.

In the late 60s there were the Fenzy and Nemrod horsecollars with their own built in bottle for bouyancy and inflation.

Prior to about 1966 and really well into the 70s we did not routinely use a BC or even a Mae West--we used this rig here. Reproduction SeaHunt/USD harness with steel LP 72 and the real deal Mistral, a Pico address for about 1958. We did not use a stink'n BC and often I still don't.

David Hass photo showing Nemrod without a BC in perfect balance.

Nemrod boarding the Whaler after a dive with no BC.

Things appear to change but they don't really, here shown a modern BP/wing. As a wing/BP user for about 28 years it is funny that the wing is making a come back. The Aqua Master has come full circle and then some.

Amazing, the Aqua Master regulator there is around 34 years old. When it first tasted battle, there realy were no BCs.

I have never used the jacket style BC, don't like them then and don't like them now, imagine 700 dollars for a black sack of air--wow. Therefore I have no pics of any old or new.

N

 

[m3830431]

Nice pics

 

[Thalassamania]

Get Dave's Powerpoint presentation on the history of the BC here

 

[TheTrickster]

I told her we could simply disconnect it. She said "You mean you can dive without one?" "Been doing it for 27 years" I replied.

THAT IS MY QUOTE OF THE YEAR!

I would of lived to see the look on her face!

 

[jamiep3]

When i learned in the late 70's I only had a "Mae West" type life jacket, no BC. When I started diving again 6 years ago that was the single biggest change (along with an octopus and SPG, but that's another story).

Recently I have purchased one of the Modern Mistral two hose regulators. For those of you not familiar with two hose regs, your orientation in the water affects the breathing characteristics. I find that using my Seatec horse collar is better with this regulator than my back inflate.

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

Get Dave's Powerpoint presentation on the history of the BC here

Thalassamania, thanks for this and Nemrod, thank you for your pics, very nice.

The earliest US Navy report I have in our collection is 1957 (or listed in DTIC):
Buoyancy Control of Open Circuit Scuba.
Jensen and Searle, 1957
RRR ID: 3812 or NEDU: AD0781227

We also have this one but it refers to NEDU-1959-04 that we don't have:
Walter Kiddie and Co. - Buoyancy Compensating Tank.
Janney and Hanger, 1960
RRR ID: 3842 or NEDU: AD0771333