Looking for a good scuba history site.

[elmer fudd]

There are lots of sites out there that purport to tell scuba history, but all most of them seem to have is a brief time line about 20 lines long going from the diving bell to modern scuba. They're not really history so much as a list in chronological order.

What I'd like to find is a site that actually explains the development of scuba gear and techniques, like double hose regs from early Cousteau and Gagnan up through two stage regs, balanced regs, etc... Something that would cover the advances made in the 40's, 50's and 60's, and would talk about the development of all the early equipment, like going into the rational behind diving tiny triple tanks instead of one large single. Something that tells why people used certain gear and methods in the past and why things changed.

A website would be preferable, but even a good book recommendation or two would be nice. This forum and VDH are good resources, but they tend to give lots of information without putting much of it into perspective. An in depth article or essay detailing the early development of scuba is what I'm really looking for.

 

[Scuba.com]

The book written by Al Tillman and Zale Parry "Scuba America" would be an excellent resource. It has information about the development of whole industry including manufacturering. Specific to regulators the Historical Diving Society's Magazines have tons of detailed information. Scuba America can be hard to find but there are copies out there. HDS has some archived issues available. Check on their site.

 

[Luis H]

What I'd like to find is a site that actually explains the development of scuba gear and techniques, like double hose regs from early Cousteau and Gagnan up through two stage regs, balanced regs, etc...

A quick correction.

The early Cousteau Gagnan regulators were all two stage. The first Cousteau Gagnan regulator was the Gasone (sp), then followed by a rectangular Bakelite model that never went into production, and then came the CG45. The CG45 (Cousteau Gagnan 1945) was the first production regulator and it looks like most of the familiar double hose regulators. They were all two stages.

The single stage regulators actually came out several years later. The first one being the Overpressure and then followed by others that introduced the venturi assist that is in common use today.

As mentioned above, some of the old issues of the the Historical Diving Society magazine will have some of the most accurate early history of the "aqua lung".


Note: Many think that the single stage came out first (including some PADI books and other books), but that is not correct.

 

[elmer fudd]

That's exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking to learn. I'm guessing that the early CG regulators were 2 stage because they were adapted from industrial gas regulators? I know Cousteau was supposed to have been a fan of the single stage regs because the difference in breathing effort gave one an indication of how much air was remaining.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

www.seasabres.com

Click on the history link. Diving Timeline they call it. Cool stuff there.

 

[elmer fudd]

That's the best timeline I've seen yet. Sure makes Avast scream though. You would think they had the computer equivalent of Ebola on that site.

 

[David Wilson]

I know it's not what you're really looking for, but the
Skin Diving History
site has an early manufacturing and retailers section with original ads providing unique historical sources of information about diving in the 1950s.

 

[Walter]

Luis,

Are you sure they are all two stage regulators? I have what is labled as an Aqualung Overpressure Single Stage Regulator from 1955.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I also have an Aqualung Overpressure single stage regulator, but it did come after both the DA Aqualung (first generation) and at about the same time as the DA Aquamaster (second generation) from USD. These were about five years behind the French CG45.

SeaRat

 

[Luis H]

Luis,

Are you sure they are all two stage regulators? I have what is labled as an Aqualung Overpressure Single Stage Regulator from 1955.

A quick correction.

The early Cousteau Gagnan regulators were all two stage. The first Cousteau Gagnan regulator was the Gasone (sp), then followed by a rectangular Bakelite model that never went into production, and then came the CG45. The CG45 (Cousteau Gagnan 1945) was the first production regulator and it looks like most of the familiar double hose regulators. They were all two stages.

The single stage regulators actually came out several years later. The first one being the Overpressure and then followed by others that introduced the venturi assist that is in common use today.

As mentioned above, some of the old issues of the the Historical Diving Society magazine will have some of the most accurate early history of the "aqua lung".


Note: Many think that the single stage came out first (including some PADI books and other books), but that is not correct.

John also answered.

I don't belive that there were any single stage regulators in the 40's, but I am not possitive.

The first single stages are from the mid 50's (maybe early 50's). That is almost a decade after the CG45 (which came out in 1945 and therefore the name).