Survey - SPG Usage

[LeadTurn_SD]

Sam,

I suspect Hawaii may have "lagged" behind the West Coast in the implementation of "new" scuba technology, with the outer islands probably a bit behind Oahu.

In 1976 when I began diving on the Big Island, SPG's were a 50/50 proposition, at least in Hilo. I had one, along with a J-valve 1st stage (Calypso J). Some of my friends had SPG's, some did not and used J-valves, some dove double hose. None of us used octo's. None of us used BC's. An AL80 was a "big" tank (since we all used steel 72's).

My best guess is that "awareness" of SPG's in our area was probably "early '70's", but widespread use probably not occur until mid-to-late 70's?

And my 1st use of an octo and BC did not occur until I returned to diving in 2007... .

Best wishes.

 

[egovenatus]

Not a SoCal guy, but began diving with a J valve and no SPG in the late 80's, SPGs existed, but didn't really think about it for the kind of diving I was doing at the time ( I was too young, figured everybody dove that way as it's what my dad was doing with me). Changed when I actually got certified to dive in the early 90s though. Primarily used an SPG, but still dove a J valve without till about 94 on occasion.

 

[scjoe]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Burrito,

Ohi yo Kazamouis ( I can speak some Japanese but can't spell it correctly)

"Burrito" Interesting name for a Japanese !

As one who was involved in the establishment of the Divers flag and the first expert with to defend the usage and establish the rights and privileges in a California court of law of a diver displaying a red and white flag, (Toso vs Burns) I would suggest that you might want to display your flag in your avatar correctly and not on it's side.



---------- Post added March 16th, 2015 at 09:31 AM ----------

You are assuming that because he is in Japan that he is Japanese. Might not be the case. His dive flag avatar display looks to be the same as yours.

 

[Akimbo]

I don't qualify. Aside from starting in Northern California, SPGs were introduced and available long before I stared diving in 1962. I switched from a double hose to a single hose with SPG in 1964.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

And do you choose to drive a car without a gas gauge?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

I'm guilty of this . I know what my fuel tank size is and what the vehicle gets for fuel mileage and also how much of a pain in the rear it is to drop the tank to replace the sensor. Simple math gets me close enough.

 

[Fish&beer]

Like Akimbo, I started diving in NorCal in 1969 and don't qualify Sam as you asked for comment from SoCal divers but what the heck! When I was certified the dive shop provided single hose regulators and some had SPG's, but they were only used with K valve tanks at the time. I soon thereafter bought a double hose reg and used it with only a j valve and no BC. In the mid 70's I used a single hose and later used a SPG. The last few years I have gone back to a vintage double hose and use a SPG with it.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

I apologize, I did not intend to hurt your survey. But it wasn't really a survey, it was three identical threads cross posted to three different forums, which is a violation of the TOS.

I'm in Japan but just learning Japanese since I moved here in August, 2014.

As a response to your question, I started diving in So Flo in the 70's and I never saw an SPG then. I cannot remember when I first used an SPG but it was in the 80's. I still have the J-valve twitch to check to make sure the valve was up. All my log entries from then were 30 minute dives because I didn't know how much gas I had left.

 

[oldschoolto]

Why are you asking... Then giving people a hardtime.. Tell them that they are wrong... You asked and we answered to the best we can remember.. They were diving the Dora without SPG's in the early 80's... How about that..

Jim...

 

[Scared Silly]

Sam, I think you first need to give a point of reference. Most people do know that the SPG came out in the mid 1950s:

This thread: Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG) [Archive] - ScubaBoard - Scuba … and my post:

"I know of SPGs from at least 1955/6. They were made by Mar-Mac Industries and called the "SeAir"

As said by others, though not a SoCal guy, but a cold Oregon beaver, I started diving with a J valve and no SPG in 1982.

 

[SillyQuestions]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SNIP

Especially SoCal which is where recreational diving began and should be the source of valid information

SNIP

You were certified by the first and best program in the world. There was never a civilian program before LA Co and certainly none better than LA Co.

SNIP

Hate to say it but you're wrong.

Cave Diving Group started training civilians to dive in 1947 using standard dress, 1948/49 using closed circuit scuba.

BSAC started teaching civilians to use SCUBA in 1953, a year before the LA program.

That's just the UK. I'm sure France probably did something before that.

Please don't confuse first in the USA with first in the world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk