Scuba Police @ Philadelphia Quarry, TN (Lambertsen rebreather trials)

[DrunkenParrot]

that was quick...

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I appreciate the Moderators doing their job. That was great! Thanks.

SeaRat

 

[elmer fudd]

As an antique lover myself, I can understand to the dedication to them. But when it comes to my gear, it is always checked BEFORE I go on a dive to ensure it functions properly. Also, As an antique collector, It is never used. The equipment sold on todays market has been modified to enhance safety of those who use them.
As an Instructor, he would have been held accountable for any mishap the may have occurred. I happen to know this instructor as he is the very one who certified me over 150 dives ago. He was very instramental in helping me overcome aquaphobia.Thankfully, He does stress safety,because it is is something that one should take seriously.
I guess that makes me his......Deputy..... wawawahahaha

I think this is a big misconception that a lot of modern divers have. With the exception of computers, there really haven't been any major breakthroughs in open circuit scuba gear in the past 40 years. The fundamental regulator designs are largely unchanged from the 60's. Sure, they've added ports, DIN fittings and improved flow a bit, but the MK5 was pretty much the model for every BP first stage and it came out in 1965. BC's and wings have been around since the 70's. I'll concede when it comes to split fins. Those do seem to be a recent phenomenon.

Safetywise, the real changes have been procedural, not technical with computers being the exception. Octopuses, nitrox, safety stops, slower ascent rates and many other things have been integrated into training and general use that weren't common in the past, but they did exist even in the early days and there's no reason why these can't be used with vintage gear too.

Of course the wilder you get, the more you push the limits of safety. The OP is reconstructing a WW2 era O2 rebreather, and that's not something for everybody, but there's really no safety difference whatsoever between a modern regulator and a good, well-maintained single hose reg from the 70's. Even doublehoses are perfectly safe providing you learn how to properly use them first.

 

[Gilldiver]

I wounder what would be some posters attitude to a licensed and factory trained auto mechanic walking up to them while they changed the break pads on their car and saying that they had no business doing so to any safety equipment on their car?

After all, the breaks on their car are responsible for their safety, the safety of their family, and the safety of many, many others on the roads that they might hit and kill if the breaks should fail.

 

[Airleron]

The instructor, who most likely knows zero about vintage gear, should have inquired about the equipment, asked the diver if he felt it was safe to dive a reg with problems, gotten the answer from said diver, and went on his merry way. I get it that he felt a need to intervene, that's not the issue to me. He needed to do a better job of communicating....Period. I don't need to be baby-sat at a dive site. If I tell you "I got it", then it's on me if things go south. Personal responsibility.

And as elmer so elequently puts it, our equipment is as good or better than modern simply because we take extraordinary care of our "antiques". I know divers who have NEVER had their modern reg serviced....My regs are treated like well-cared for children.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have a Scubapro MKV 126, Model 10/A.I.R. I combination which will still knock the socks off anything on the market today, and it dates to about 1979 (I got mine in 1984 or so). It has an exhaust diaphragm which is huge, and is actually about 7/8 of the area of the main diaphragm (which is the exhaust valve).

Many of our double hose regulators (Mistral, Aquamaster, Royal Aquamaster, Phoenix, Mossback Mk 3, etc.) will be hard to beat today with modern regulators. I've grown to appreciate the performance of the Mistral at depth recently. Take a look at this 1957 graph of the Mistral breathing performance from the U.S. Navy Experimental Diving Unit:

SeaRat

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

I had an opportunity to speak with this instructor in question today. based on what he told me about the situation I would have done the same thing he did. the instructor is a straight up guy. I didn't even know he was the instructor you were talking about until we were talking about the quarry at his shop. he is good people. I would say you have left out some facts. sorry if I have stirred up a hornets nest but I felt that someone needed to step up who knew a little about what happened.

specifically which agency certified you?
Did you tell anyone that you were over weighted with no bcd and nearly fell off the wall into the deeper part of the quarry?
And were it not for a lucky catch on the wall..... With an essentially non functional Reg?
That this was the first time mom had been diving in 30 years? he mentioned some other things but I can't remember everything. I have no dog in the hunt mind you. just saying there is always two sides..
Here we go....

sent via nookcolor N2A.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

I like the graph searat.


TNR where do you draw the line, who is the scuba police. If your in a group and do not no the other divers or group of divers you should only observe and see what happens, you can't save the world, economy, and yes the way a diver dives and what gear they use.

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

I like the graph searat.


TNR where do you draw the line, who is the scuba police. If your in a group and do not no the other divers or group of divers you should only observe and see what happens, you can't save the world, economy, and yes the way a diver dives and what gear they use.

that is a great point. I think one of the issues is that this is a private dive site that is used by these instructors and students. I'm reasonably confident the owner would have wanted this instructor to intervene. consider the ramifications if the OP had, God forbid, something had happened. since this is a private location I would expect a level of control not found in the ocean.

sent via nookcolor N2A.

 

[adurso]

Ok, this is killing me: of what conceivable importance could it be of which agency certified someone?