Vintage Dive Tables?

[captain]

Pete, my understanding is the Navy 130 depth limit was established as the depth that a diver on scuba had a sufficient air supply (twin 90 cu/ft tanks) to accomplish some work and complete any needed decompression. If you read the part in the Navy manual dealing with which type of equipment is suitable for a particular job you will see the reasoning behind the 130 foot limit.
The speed of the surface supply stage was more about the rate of accent rather than decent. Table accent rate had been based on speed of the stage. Scuba divers wanted it to be 100 fpm, a compromised was made at 60 fpm for scuba.

 

[Gilldiver]

Pete, my understanding is the Navy 130 depth limit was established as the depth that a diver on scuba had a sufficient air supply (twin 90 cu/ft tanks) to accomplish some work and complete any needed decompression. If you read the part in the Navy manual dealing with which type of equipment is suitable for a particular job you will see the reasoning behind the 130 foot limit.
The speed of the surface supply stage was more about the rate of accent rather than decent. Table accent rate had been based on speed of the stage. Scuba divers wanted it to be 100 fpm, a compromised was made at 60 fpm for scuba.

It could be. I was told by Walt Hendrik back in the 80's that it came from the speed to get down and get some work done. But you could be right, its been a long time. I know it had to do with the ability to get work done at 130, so it is most likely a combination of what a diver could carry and the NDL/DECO times. Walt was also the one who explaned the bend me depths and how to keep from getting bent in that range.

One thing we should look at is when the 130 rule in the navy came about and what tanks the Navy had at that date. When did double 90s get introduced vs. when the 130 rule was made?

 

[Gilldiver]

Pete,

You list yourself as a

'Diver
Marine Historian & Researcher'

Do you have a copy of or know someone who has a copy the 1923 edition of the USN manual?
SDM

Not off hand, but I know Yale has the 1916 and 1943 manuals in their stacks. One of these days I'll copy it and make it a pdf.

Keep looking on the used book web sites, but it may take a while.

 

[captain]

It could be. I was told by Walt Hendrik back in the 80's that it came from the speed to get down and get some work done. But you could be right, its been a long time. I know it had to do with the ability to get work done at 130, so it is most likely a combination of what a diver could carry and the NDL/DECO times. Walt was also the one who explaned the bend me depths and how to keep from getting bent in that range.

One thing we should look at is when the 130 rule in the navy came about and what tanks the Navy had at that date. When did double 90s get introduced vs. when the 130 rule was made?

I know double 90's were in use in 1957 because I had the Navy Aqua Lung instruction manual Nav-Ships 394-0057 at that time and they were in it, don't know how much earlier they were in use.
My 1958 Navy manual classifies scuba as suitable for for very short duration (0 to 15 min)from 130 to 190 feet and suitable for short duration (15 to 30 min) from 60 to 130 feet

A 130 foot 20 minute dive with a 10 foot 4 minute stop with a run time of 26 minutes should not be a problem with 190 cu/ft of gas.

 

[aviator1243]

If you can get a hold of vintage copies of the US Navy's Diving Manuals, or a copy of the New Science of Skin and SCUBA Diving, you will have the tables that anybody who learned to dive, probably before 1980, worked with. PADI's Recreational Dive Tables are basically conservative versions of those tables. Be warned, the old Navy Tables are for young men, in good physical shape, with a recompression chamber generally immediately available. That being said, most of my diving has been done either from those tables, or using a computer based on them, and I've never had a problem.

I started diving way back when and bought my first reg from Sears and Roebuck if that tell you anything. Your right about the Navy Tables being for young men.

 

[Sam Miller III]

What brand of regulator did you purchase from Sears?

What year was it?

Was it mail order or purchsed from the store?

Cheers, SDM