usd pony tanks

[iain/hsm]

Does anyone know anything about a double pony set made by us divers. the tanks are about 14 inches tall and 3 and some change diameter. MFG date 1963 pressure 2320. I recently purchased a set off of here from a guy and went diving any my buddy loved them and was wondering if anyone might still have a set of these laying around that needs to be put to good use. The tanks in question are the blue ones on the left in the photo.View attachment 191233

Not seen a set like this in over 30 years but not so sure about your blue painted cylinders being a surface use only fire fighting Survivair set. There were some engineering differences you need to consider.

If you look carefully I think you have a genuine diving version of a small bailout set used in the Com hat 1 days for use with the KMB-9 and KMB-10 Bandmask (Kirby Morgan bandmask) when US Divers Santa Ana held the manufacturing rights for the KMB-8-10.

This set appeared in a number of US Divers commercial diving catalogues we had albeit painted white with an offset pillar post and standard K valve internals with a stainless handwheel spring. They were however originally white not blue and were pitched for diving or surface use as they weren't very good sellers in either.

The white cylinders on your E-bay advert are also genuine but surface use only Survivair fire fighting cylinders again the valve configuration is centred and the surface contents gauge port on the side are the give away. The internals are same as the USD divers K valve but the spring will corrode in salt water.

Either way you have an interesting if not now rare piece of kit. Iain Middlebrook

 

[Sam Miller III]

Iain,

Extremely interesting observations and comments which are certainly appreciated.

The twin white tanks you reference are shown on the last page of the 1973 USD catalog but not described or priced. It could be they were possibly being closed out as a product.

In the same year's commercial US Diver's catalog they are not shown. The steel 72 is shown and recommended as a bail out bottle.

For a number of years I lived in Orange County (OC) was a consultant and the contracted US Divers Company SCUBA training officer, therefore I had a number of these small twin tank units which I used in the pool, on the boat as a emergency recovery unit to chop the kelp away from speared fish and as an anchor recovery tank, but the primary used was by my youthful children as SCUBA.

I also have two KM 8 Bandmasks...at least I thought they were KM 8s. Since KM has finally settled in Santa Maria which is only 20 miles south I often visit and renew friendships, or accompany my son Dr. Sam IV who is a Scripps trained board certified hyperbaric doctor and is the diving medical officer for KM training center. One visit I brought in my KM 8s...The technician checked them over and said they are KB 8-1/2. They had minor differences which was not in the KB 8 and not all that was incorporated into the KB 9. I assume I have a rare 8-1/2 KM ? (some day they will go to E bay!)

In my same file I had a Phil Widoff catalog. Phil's mask was the choice of California abalone divers was possibly the inspiration for Bev to develop the oral nasal breathing of the bandmask. Phil was also from OC and was up in age when Bev who was also from OC began tinkering. That is a mask I have not seen in years, probably only a few remain and is now a collectors item...

I feel I have rambled....But hopefully educational for some

SDM 111

 

[iain/hsm]

Iain,

In my same file I had a Phil Widoff catalog. Phil's mask was the choice of California abalone divers was possibly the inspiration for Bev to develop the oral nasal breathing of the bandmask. Phil was also from OC and was up in age when Bev who was also from OC began tinkering. That is a mask I have not seen in years, probably only a few remain and is now a collectors item...

I feel I have rambled....But hopefully educational for some

SDM 111

Sam

Sorry for late reply took me a while to dig this kit out of stores.

I last spoke with Phil just before he was selling Widolf we used them back then at Sub Sea International. Not much knowledge about this stuff around anymore but the original Widolf's were a joy compared to the Aquadynes LOL
Could make an interesting post I still have them at our Dive locker, we did modify the breathing valve and the oral nasal was just an oral mask
An interesting flooding spring button was fitted through the glass to clear the face port and the reflex face seal was to all intents and purpose "Stiched" into the frame
Photo below show the SDDE version with the oral only mask Forget the model but we will still have the manuals just hard to find in this place. Iain