Vintage Diving Photos

[John C. Ratliff]

And a watch and what, a wrist mounted depth gauge? Tables in the head, just a time limit planned?

Actually, it was pretty well known that diving a single steel 72, it was very difficult to get into a decompression problem at sport diving depths. If my memory is correct, 60 feet for 60 minutes was a no-decompression limit we all memorized. A single steel 72 (which without the "+" rating, would only give about forty minutes at 60 feet to most divers. (I just got out my NAUI Dive Tables, and confirmed this statement; the NAUI Dive Tables 1990 say the NDL is 55 minutes, with a 5 minute stop when at 60 feet for 60 minutes, but this 60 feet for 60 minutes NDL was the rule of thumb for diving, taken from the 1958 and 1970 U.S. Navy Diving Tables.)

Most of us in the Oregon dove shallower, say 40-50 feet, which allowed more no-decompression time and further reduced the potential that a single steel 72 could get a diver in decompression trouble on a single dive.

SeaRat

 

[Sam Miller III]

[QUOTE="rhwestfall, post: 7935691, member: 180653"
]I met Paul Tsmoulis on San Salvador Island in 1989 while on my first dives after completing my OW. Cool to see that name brought up...
.[/QUOTE]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I first met Paul in the early 1960s at a meeting shortly after he moved west and became honcho of SDM.

Surprisingly SDM, which had been acquired by Bob Peterson from Chuck & Jim hoisted a reception to meet aul and be acquainted with him and the new direction of the magazine would be taking --travel and photography .

At that time Paul was married to Delores ( I recall that was her name) While on a dive trip chance meeting with aspiring UW photographer Gerry Murphy from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania caused sparks to fly.. but many miles separated SoCal and Penn.

Paul as SDM editor had something to do with the movie "The Deep." Not surprisingly Gerry who had been trained in short hand and was an accomplished diver was hired as "The worlds first underwater scrip girl"

Soon she was in LA contracting to SDM and traveling to distant locations with Paul to photograph covers and write an occasional story. for SDM All equals $$$$

Paul devoiced and married Gerry.

I was known at that time the SoCal diving doctor - many of the patients were divers Gerry was one. Some paid some didn't, some I took insurance, none with chickens eggs or a pig. Paul and Gerry were at the top of the list with their generosity --they gave me a all expense paid trip to the Riding rock Inn for Jerry's RX !

That trip was in the very early 1980s

Paul retired a Group VP and they moved to LV where Paul passed away

( the facts are not exactly chronological but adequate for the camp fire)

Now you know the rest of the story...but there is a post scrip to Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now where in the frozen north is Le grand isle ?
SDM

 

[rhwestfall]

@sam miller : you always challenge us to do our own research.....

The name is the nomenclature when we were "owned" by the French. The current name is quite similar, just Americanized..... Close to a honeymoon destination from years gone by, yet still a destination for world travelers...

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Is in okay to put a short video into this thread?

This is work I did over the winter, rebuilding a Healthways Scubair regulator (original design), and using it in the pool, along with the original Swimaster Duck Feet fins and an oval mask with a Dacor snorkel. I'm also showing off a new underwater swimming technique I have developed, which I call the Sea Turtle/Dolphin underwater swimming technique. Realize that you're looking at an ol' geezer, so take that into consideration when evaluating the swimming technique, which I've been working on since the 1980s.

SeaRat

 

[aquacat8]

Is in okay to put a short video into this thread?

This is work I did over the winter, rebuilding a Healthways Scubair regulator (original design), and using it in the pool, along with the original Swimaster Duck Feet fins and an oval mask with a Dacor snorkel. I'm also showing off a new underwater swimming technique I have developed, which I call the Sea Turtle/Dolphin underwater swimming technique. Realize that you're looking at an ol' geezer, so take that into consideration when evaluating the swimming technique, which I've been working on since the 1980s.

SeaRat

That is awesome, I love it!

 

[Sam Miller III]

John, There are several people on this board that I would like to have as a neighbor, you are certainly one of them. Of course if you were we would not have time for trivial things like working for a living

Your use of a wood hydro plane reminds me of the Aqualon (S) a swimming device designed and marketed by the late Caltech professor Cal Ginger in the early 1960s.

It attached to the leg mussels for propulsion. Perhaps you or others can locate it some where on the internet.

I cannot recall the year but post 1960 sticks in my mind when a sixty year old plus Cal swam to Catalina island 26 miles of open ocean pulling 170 pound LA Co UW instructor Flip Fleidner resting on a paddle board. A few years later Flip was the "Out standing LA Co UW instructor of the year," several years later, 1969 I was the 'Out standing LA Co UW instructor of the year,'

<<<While on a dive trip Flip introduced me to my future red headed wife>>>

There was an SDM article documenting the Catalina crossing event but I cant recall issue or year
<<< Some years ago if I could not locate an article I would call my dear old friend Chuck Blakeslee the founder of SDM he would hesitate- think for few moments and the quote year, month and often page where the article could be located. Then we would chat for 3 hours about diving in items past our children and our faith >>>

I owned an Aqualon, used it several times in the ocean but became hopelessly entangled in kelp, so retired it for pool use only. Perhaps 30 years ago I needed some oak wood for a project and sacrificed the Aqualon to the God of saw dust.

Some more undocumented dive in history...The days of our dives

SAM

 

[John C. Ratliff]

John, There are several people on this board that I would like to have as a neighbor, you are certainly one of them. Of course if you were we would not have time for trivial things like working for a living

Your use of a wood hydro plane reminds me of the Aqualon (S) a swimming device designed and marketed by the late Caltech professor Cal Ginger in the early 1960s.

It attached to the leg mussels for propulsion. Perhaps you or others can locate it some where on the internet.

I cannot recall the year but post 1960 sticks in my mind when a sixty year old plus Cal swam to Catalina island 26 miles of open ocean pulling 170 pound LA Co UW instructor Flip Fleidner resting on a paddle board. A few years later Flip was the "Out standing LA Co UW instructor of the year," several years later, 1969 I was the 'Out standing LA Co UW instructor of the year,'

<<<While on a dive trip Flip introduced me to my future red headed wife>>>

There was an SDM article documenting the Catalina crossing event but I cant recall issue or year
<<< Some years ago if I could not locate an article I would call my dear old friend Chuck Blakeslee the founder of SDM he would hesitate- think for few moments and the quote year, month and often page where the article could be located. Then we would chat for 3 hours about diving in items past our children and our faith >>>

I owned an Aqualon, used it several times in the ocean but became hopelessly entangled in kelp, so retired it for pool use only. Perhaps 30 years ago I needed some oak wood for a project and sacrificed the Aqualon to the God of saw dust.

Some more undocumented dive in history...The days of our dives

SAM

SAM,

You have a very sharp mind! If you'll review that video above of my Sea Turtle/Dolphin underwater swimming technique, you will see that the blades on the Hammerhead unit are in fact from the Aqueon by Mr. C. A. Gongwer. I bought one in the early 1970s, and used it in Lake Chelan, Washington for a bunch of test dives. I still have it, but did not like it between my legs. I could not surface dive with it, as the blades would hit my chest. So I took the propulsion blades off the Aqueon, used a piece of copper tubing as a spacer between the two blades instead of the head of the Aqueon, put two handles made from aluminum bicycle drop handlebars, and built the Hammerhead unit in the 1980s. I have been testing it ever since.

Below you will see photos of me using the Aqueon (I'll add a couple more photos later this week to that collection). I also have the original brochure that Innerspace Corporation put together with to promote the Aqueon.

My understanding is that Mr. Gongwer's son is still building a few Aqueons, and that they are still available by special order, although very expensive. There is another thread here somewhere in ScubaBoard about the Aqueon, and I'll try to look it up.

SeaRat

 

[aquacat8]

That's great! What watch are you wearing?

 

[David Wilson]

John:

Here are a couple of Aqueon-related ads from Triton, the journal of the British Sub Aqua Club. The dates may help in determining the chronology of the device.

1. February 1967 issue: The device is called an "Aqua-naut" at this stage. It is distributed within the UK by Unitex Ltd of Knaresborough in Yorkshire. It is available in three different models: Sea Raider, Commando and Sea Sprite.

2. August 1968 issue: Unitex announces a change of name to "Aqueon". Interesting from a cultural perspective that the accompanying image now pitches the device at women as well as men and portrays its use in swimming and breathhold diving.

 

[Sam Miller III]

David Wilson, another ole Chap I would like as a neighbor.

John, the era of all this happening was a very exciting time in SoCal where recreational diving began in the US and was getting a toe hold. I am totally surprised that you still have an Aqueon. Mine was always getting in the way and frankly was relegated to the status of being useless junk, so as previously stated I used the wood for other projects.

Hold on to your Aqueon - it is possibly the last remaining complete unit. Now I wish I had mine- not certain what I would do with it or where I would store it

David, thank you so much for the advertisement from Triton. I was unaware that Cal had expanded his product into the international market. I don't recall it having much popularity in the US- or at least with in my tribe

TTFN ( ta ta for now)

SAM