LA county diving and training methods

[radinator]

But in 1969 along came PADI...The first director was Nic Icorn, LA County UW instructor

I believe Nick is still teach the "History of Diving" portion of ADP. He brings a lot of interesting old equipment. The high point of last years class was an early rebreather. (Many divers don't realize that rebreathers preceded open circuit SCUBA).

 

[robertarak]

Yup.

http://www.lascuba.com/3rs.html

Nearly free, and only one day, for those who don't have all summer to devote to ADP.

I'll be there August 11 @ Point Dume..or is it doom? I have heard some nasty stories about that place.

 

[CompuDude]

I'll be there August 11 @ Point Dume..or is it doom? I have heard some nasty stories about that place.

I'd be there too if I wasn't chartering the Sea Bass.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Sam,

Thanks for another great history lesson!

 

[MikeFerrara]

The reference to surfing helping out beach diving skills is absolutely correct. Before the big increase in certifications, many divers had a surfing or body surfing background and therefore had a feel for judging and timing waves. Now it seems like a lot of people that take up diving have not spent (or misspent) their youth hanging out at the beach and are not comfortable dealing with waves. If they spent some time at the beach body surfing, riding boogey boards or just playing in the surf when they are not diving, I think they would become much more comfortable getting in and out of the surf zone in scuba gear.

It's the same everywhere...sort of. We don't have much surfing around here but we used to swim in everything. My buddies and I used to go to downtown Chicago, dive in off the pier and swim out to the pilings. We'd climb up on one, hang out for a while and swim back. The pier was several feet above the water and Lake Michigan can get pretty rough. Talk about having to time things with the waves. LOL

Later when I had the chance to get my hands on some dive equipment, I just went diving. I figured that being able to breath would have to swimming it easier. I was right but that wouldn't work well for someone who isn't used to being in the water.

 

[Sam Miller III]

"MikeFerrara
Sam,

Thanks for another great history lesson!..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike,

Leave the cornfeilds of Indiana and travel to Bowlingreen Ohio for the second "Legends of diving" series which will be next week end.

I will be presenting two programs; The history of LA Co UIA and LA Co classes.

Alex Pierce will be presenting Sea Hunt

Sam Lecocq will be preseting his new book about the early Aqua lungs

Zale Parry will be presenting Hollywood Underwater.

Event begins on Friday and ends on Sunday.

Suggest You and those interested check out www.portagequarry.com Legends of diving for additional information. You also may want to read the articles by Sam & Sam. Theses articles possibly might expand your diving horizons a wee bit

SDM

 

[MikeFerrara]

Sam,

We're going to try to make it but I have to be on the road working all week so getting there will be a real test of endurance.

I read a bunch of those articles and I really enjoyed them! ...all except for the reference to silver soldering as the welding process of the era in "The Mask".

 

[Sam Miller III]

Mike,
With you last name I am certain you are not attending the Germania Mannerchoir celebrations--so come on UP!

Hope you can make it! Look forward to meeting and chatting ...I understand the motel is full but there is another one near PQ that a lot of the Vintage Divers are staying and only $45.00 a night..suggest that you make contact with them at www.vintagedoublehose.com.

Re: The Mask
It was made by Charlie Sturgil, one of the all time greats of American recreational diving, who by the way was an LA County Instructor graduating in 1955. Since it is so old only so few were made for close friends the Mask is very valuable. As I write arrangements are still in progress to display it--you know security and insurance..

I do not know what method he used to fasten the compression ring, it appears to be a soldering process. The mask was made ove 50 years ago--so don't know the process.

I do know for many years I shot a Bottom Scratcher spear gun made in the same era by Wally Potts. About 20 years ago the stainless steel handle seperated. I gave it to a master plumber friend, he could't repair it, I gave it to a College metallurgy instructor, he too was baffled, so I drove it down to San Diego to Wally Potts who soldered the Stainless steel handle back together with a simular process as Charlie did on the mask.

Several years ago I had Wally write the material and process in detail for me, which is resting in my file some where...

So-- darn cleaver these Californians!

sdm

 

[MikeFerrara]

Mike,
With you last name I am certain you are not attending the Germania Mannerchoir celebrations--so come on UP!

LOL, no Germania Mannerchoir celebrations just a really busy week of work and my last stop friday is in S. Baloit, Il...but we'll try.

Several years ago I had Wally write the material and process in detail for me, which is resting in my file some where...

So-- darn cleaver these Californians!

sdm

For joining small/thin or dissimilar metals that are not going to be used at high temperatures, a brazed joint was, and is, common. The difference between brazeing and welding is that the filler material used in brazing melts at a lower temp than the materials being joined and forms a molecular bond to each piece. The materials being joined aren't actually melted and "fused" as in welding. Various filler materials are used including brass/bronze and silver. It really is like a high temperature solder...hence the term "silver solder".

Most of the basic welding methods we use today were also around then including gas, arc, shielded arc, resistance welding and more.

Any decent welding shop should have been able to fix you right up with that spear gun repair.

 

[Sam Miller III]

... The high point of last years class was an early rebreather. (Many divers don't realize that rebreathers preceded open circuit SCUBA).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It might be well to review your notes or perhaps Nic should review his...

Most diving historians credit Benoit Rouquayrol & Auguste Denayrouse of designing the "Aerophore." It is considered the first SCUBA. The French used it from 1860-1865.

90 years later Emil Gagnon used the RD Aerophore as a basis for the "Gasogene" which was in turn converted into the Aqua Lung in 1943.

Thirteen years after the R&D unit appeared the fist rebreather was designed by H.A . Fluess in 1878. It was manufactured by the English firm of Seibe Gorman & Co.

In 1902 Sir Robert Davis, the company president, worked with Fluess to improve the unit with HP cylinders, better absorbents etc. It was used in WW1 by the British Navy as an escape unit,

In 1935 the Italian Flotilla Decima mas adapted the unit made numerous improvements had units made by the Italian rubber firm of Pirelli and used it in WW 11.
In the early 1950s these same units were marketed in the US by US divers.

German also used rebreathers manufactured and reportedly designed by the great Dr. Hans Hass in their Klien Kampf Verbande --aka K units in WW 11.

Dr Hass used the Drager units during his explorations after WW 11..

Drager Re breathers were sold by Sears (& Roebuck) from the late 1950s to early 1960s--(Yes Sears sold diving equipment! as did Mongomery Wards and JC Pennys)

Probably more than you ever wanted to know...

sdm