How many people love Vintage Equipment Diving ?

[DaleC]

Nice to see divers posting from different countries.

As Dr Sam said, North America is a big place and while many of us appear to know each other it is probably mainly via the net. I am the only diver I know who dives Vintage locally (probably others but I haven't seen them). Fortunately the net allows us to connect and share ideas info and such. I've been lucky to have had great conversations with Dr Sam, David, Tom (Captain), Luis, Bill T. and many others as a result.

I also like what David said in regards to each of us having different avenues we like to pursue. While I enjoy the SeaHunt era (and JYC) I am equally interested in the very early pioneering era of scuba and am as intrigued by shallow water helmets and Le Prieur devices as I am by doublehose regulators. One of my bucket list items is to do a Standard dress hard hat dive and my bucket bucket list item is to either spend time in a mini sub or UW habitat.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I guess you could count me as vintage too. I enjoy the vintage gear, and learning about the engineering surrounding it. I also enjoy looking at the compromises, the small things that affect performance like mouthpiece area, etc.

SeaRat

 

[adairrj]

Hi all from Brazil!
In Brazil we have just two collectors. And we dive with them and vintage gears some times.
I really like double hose regulators and I intend to make a book about them very soon!
Cheers!!

 

[trapezus]

I've been lucky to conversation on some sites with Dr Sam Miller, Adair Riberio , Luis, John C.Ratliff , scubasteve59 and others..
Adair , I wait with great curiosity this book ( signed for me please ). Some Turkish divers want it too.If it is possible to buy the book by pay pal would be very easy for us. You offfer a a very large treasure trove of vintage diving community , future generations will not forget you ..
Not only the old divers , remember these great collectors as you ..
I want to thank everyone who helped to me....

 

[Rich Keller]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
I have a KM ZB 8 & an 8.5.
I am surprised that you can contact the company in Santa Maria, California and they have records of the years the KM was produced.
I plan on selling mine some day...

SDM

I am not the original owner, I got it used in 1979 so all I have is the serial #000696. Do you think their records could give me the manufacture date?

 

[Sam Miller III]

I am not the original owner, I got it used in 1979 so all I have is the serial #000696. Do you think their records could give me the manufacture date?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early KMs were manufactured by Bob Kirby (K) and Bevlee Morgan (M) for US Divers who marketed the units in their Commercial Division . I would suspect US Divers required a certain amount of record keeping for liability protection and the record keeping continued to present day.

Both Bob and Bev are alive an well. Bob lives in los Olivos and Bev resides in Santa Barbara. Bob is no longer associated with the company which is now under the very capable direction of Bev's daughter Connie Lyn.

If you are so interested I would suggest that you invest some of that New York money and call KM in Santa Maria, California. They have clerk who has maintained very good records and can possibly provide you will all the information you want in a very few moments.

Now lets return to the original question: How many people love Vintage Equipment Diving ?

SDM

 

[Rich Keller]

The KMB-8 was made from 1967 to 1969 and US Divers bought them in 1969 so I have no way of knowing who made this one. I did take your suggestion and emailed them the serial number to see if they could tell me anything more about it.

 

[trapezus]

I'm sorry I forgot Ivan Rob Studnicka the list of respected friend ..

 

[trapezus]

Vintage equipment divers and collectors in Europe and the other countries (Australia,Africa, Middle East,Russia,Ukraina..) let's meet on scubaboard and facebook..
VDH isnn't a suitable place if you arnn't an American ! VDH's boss Bryan and his crew do not want us ! they say bad idea for our messages !
Whereas , very good quality collectors and vintage equipment divers lives in the Europen. But scattered and unaware of each other.
If we can be organize , meeting and diving. Instead of 2-3 m lakes we dive more deeper and into beautiful places. There are many beautiful islands in the Mediterranean. wanting to dive 10 meters for pleasure or dive 40 meters. Our equipment is sufficient for deep water ,I am 41 years experienced diver falling I've never seen a doublehose fault.. Europeans are good divers , Why can not we be organized ? I've started this meeting in my country last jully. Next one will be 2014 summer.
I appeal to French Italian Spanish Portuguese, Greeks divers ,you are best divers of the world.Even Brasil ,Peru,Russia and Ukrainians..
Vintage equipment divers and collectors in Europe and the other countries (Australia,Africa, Middle East,Russia,Ukraina..) let's meet on scubaboard and facebook..
VDH isnn't a suitable place if you arnn't an American ! VDH's boss Bryan and his crew do not want us ! they say bad idea for our messages !
Whereas , very good quality collectors and vintage equipment divers lives in the Europen. But scattered and unaware of each other.
If we can be organize , meeting and diving. Instead of 2-3 m lakes we dive more deeper and into beautiful places. There are many beautiful islands in the Mediterranean. wanting to dive 10 meters for pleasure or dive 40 meters. Our equipment is sufficient for deep water ,I am 41 years experienced diver falling I've never seen a doublehose fault.. Europeans are good divers , Why can not we be organized ? I've started this meeting in my country last jully. Next one will be 2014 summer.
I appeal to French Italian Spanish Portuguese, Greeks divers ,you are best divers of the world.Even Brasil ,Peru,Russia and Ukrainians..
We are not pretty often writes articles for sites vintage equipments but dive 3-5 metres , We are deep divers , We do not wet vintage equipments for shallow waters .
Osman Yasar Kulac (Turkey)

 

[trapezus]

Historical Diving Society Spain https://www.facebook.com/groups/hdses/

Plonge Vintage https://www.facebook.com/groups/plongee.vintage/

SDHR ttps://www.facebook.com/groups/198633956841502/

Historical Diving Society https://www.facebook.com/groups/354221231299130/

Vintage Diving Türkiye https://www.facebook.com/groups/354221231299130/

Scuba Vintage Italy https://www.facebook.com/ScubavintageSardinia?fref=ts

La Calypso https://www.facebook.com/groups/198633956841502/

Plonge Vintage https://www.facebook.com/groups/plongee.vintage/

---------- Post added January 24th, 2014 at 05:23 PM ----------

Carlos Dias https://www.facebook.com/carlos.dias.338863 a vintage diving enthusiast