My 1st BC

[Wayward Son]

Not quite Sea Hunt vintage, I bought it new in 1978. Got it because it was being cleared out at $100 while jacket BC's were $350. No telling how long it sat in the shop before I bought it.

I don't think they were very popular, as I never, ever saw anyone else with one. While it did work, I never really liked it much after the 1st dive, but being young & poor used it for the next 6 years.

 

[BabyDuck]

how did it do its thing? it looks like the curved in place would be for a tank, but that's also where the straps that look like harness are.

 

[H2Andy]

wow... it looks like...

a poorly designed baby bathtub?

 

[Wayward Son]

The tank fits in the center cavity. It's held in place by velcro straps.

By today's standards, I see it as a very unsafe design. At the time I didn't know any better

There is a large overpressure valve. It's inside the cavity, above the tank shoulder. There is no way to manually activate it, nor any other dump valves other than the pwoer inflator. If that ever stuck you could be in real trouble.

The small black side panels are compartments where you could put weights. Theoretically they are dumpable. I never trusted that & wore mine on a belt.

It's a Scubapro BC. I have no idea what year it was introduced or had production stopped. There is no model number or anything on it other than the Scubapro logo.

 

[Wayward Son]

Using it at depth it worked fine. When I really hated it was at the surface if I needed to swim any distance. It put me deep enough that snorkeling was effectively impossible, couldn't keep water out of the snorkel. Didn't have dry snorkels back then.

 

[BabyDuck]

in the second pic, it looks like SCUBAMAN's torso. he just needs tights and a cape...

 

[Turtleguy9]

Aloha Wayward Son
Do you plan on keeping this unit? I have been looking for one for my collection. If you are interested in selling, please let me know.
Aloha Turtleguy

 

[Wayward Son]

I could be talked out of it. It's in my garage right now & I won't be diving with it again. I still have the LP hose that goes with it as well. PM me with what you have in mind.

Have you ever seen one of these actually in use before? As I posted before, other than myself I have never seen another diver with one, though a couple of guys at my LDS are very familiar with it.

Dunno what'd it'd cost to mail it HI, but I can find a box it'd fit in & take it to the PO & find out.

 

[Queen]

That pic cracks me up! I keep remembering the gear I had in the late 70's and just shake my head at the thought of diving with it now.

My 1st BC was an old USD/Aqualung? with somewhere between 5 and 7 straps that all had to be threaded onto a center metal tang at midchest, I looked like I was having a seizure flopping around trying to find all the straps...thanks for the memory!!

 

[Wayward Son]

FWIW, I started scuba in 1973, 12 years old living on an air force base in Turkey. I dove a plastic backpack, no octo, no SPG, J valve. Used a CO2 powered safety vest. As I didn't have a wet suit it really wasn't much of a problem. I didn't even have booties, I wore cheap tennis shoes in my Mini-Rocket fins.

Never heard of a BC until back in the states in 78, when I got legally certified (back then you couldn't get a card until 16 or 17, but when I was 11 I convinced the dive club to let me take the class. They decided that if I could pass it, I could dive with them. I got 3 years of diving in ) and the class used Scubapro jacket style BC's. Woulda bought one if I'd had the cash, LOL, they were nice.