Who invented the first backplate and wing?

[amascuba]

Thanks for the clarification. I always seem to get that one wrong. I just assumed....

You know what what assume means right?

Make an *** out of U and ME
:shakehead

 

[FredT]

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The "BIU" or "Wings" origin and inventor can a probably will be always be disputed. Scuba Pro and Sea tec inflatable systems both introduced units in 1975.

The Scuba pro unit was idenified as follows;
Bouyancy control pack #570 $165.00.
Scuba Pro had a number of very inovative engineers and may have designed the unit, how ever I suspect that they copied the unit forn Inflatable Systems.
It was produced in Ensenada Baja California Mexico (Yes it was Mexican Made!) by Ruben Pena for Scuba Pro in Compton California, USA

My wife was certified in 'the spring of 72. Her first BC, purchased before her certification, was a BCP, exactly the same as the one I'd been diving for 6 months. The AT Pac and BCP came out at almost exactly the same time. My buddy at the time dove an AT-Pac. We dove those wings quite hard for almost 20 years before SP stopped honoring the warranty on their bladders. I got into the backplate manufacturing game by building a custom plate for my wife after her last BCP bladder blew a seam.

FT

 

[Darryl Bowerman]

I want to say Bill Walters of Sea Pro had some early models. Was it Sea Pro? Memory fry on the exact name of the product. Hey Mike, was'nt Bill the one who developed the weight-integrated BP/wing system. Was it called the AD-Pack?

Darryl

 

[Sam Miller III]

"What Flanagan designed was new and THE major inprovement in the advancement of the backplate: the "flat bottomed "V"; that made his plate different than which came before and became the standard for cave diving - which is now standard for all tech diving."
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It was certainly not new...

It was a "modification" to exisiting hardware that had been around probably prior to his birth and certainly prior to his entrance into the world of Scuba diving.

Had he made a patent search he would had discovered the Sea Craft had a prior art work and a prior patent covering a Back Plate. Since he made a bend in the back plate and changed the configuration to the design his unit could and did leap frog over the Sea Craft patent. Therefore it was a "modification."

One only needs to examine the single hose regulator. There are a number currently on the market but all revert to the American single hose regulator patent of Sam Lecocq. These were the frist US regulators designed specificly for underwater usage and were marketed by Heathways and Sportsways. However, there have been many
many regulators since their introduction fifty plus years ago all being a little different to avoid infringement of the patent.

SDM

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I'm currently diving a 'new, old stock' BC that consists of a plastic backpack and 40# wing made by Ocean Dynamics International, Gardena CA. I know it's 70's era, but was wondering if anyone could narrow down the date for me?

 

[mdb]

I want to say Bill Walters of Sea Pro had some early models. Was it Sea Pro? Memory fry on the exact name of the product. Hey Mike, was'nt Bill the one who developed the weight-integrated BP/wing system. Was it called the AD-Pack? Darryl

Darryl: Yep, Bill Walters and his crew used lead shot as ballast in the Atpacs. They were featured in a lot of the NASDS shops. I was living in Redondo Beach, CA @ the time and diving out of Dive'N Surf and Sea 'D Sea, both NASDS shops. Many a boat trip had divers with their Atpacs aboard. This was circa'72.

 

[daniel f aleman]

The point is, as the OP wanted to know, is who invented the backpack that we use now, it was Flanagan.

 

[mdb]

"What Flanagan designed was new and THE major inprovement in the advancement of the backplate: the "flat bottomed "V"; that made his plate different than which came before and became the standard for cave diving - which is now standard for all tech diving."
------------------------------------------------------
It was certainly not new...

It was a "modification" to exisiting hardware that had been around probably prior to his birth and certainly prior to his entrance into the world of Scuba diving.

Had he made a patent search he would had discovered the Sea Craft had a prior art work and a prior patent covering a Back Plate. Since he made a bend in the back plate and changed the configuration to the design his unit could and did leap frog over the Sea Craft patent. Therefore it was a "modification."

One only needs to examine the single hose regulator. There are a number currently on the market but all revert to the American single hose regulator patent of Sam Lecocq. These were the frist US regulators designed specificly for underwater usage and were marketed by Heathways and Sportsways. However, there have been many
many regulators since their introduction fifty plus years ago all being a little different to avoid infringement of the patent. SDM

Of course it was not new. The original BP/W designs have been in use for quite a long time. The first commerical designs date from the late 60's and early '70's. There been some slight changes in materials, shape, etc. but nothing really new.

 

[jeckyll]

I thought Al Gore invented the BP/W. You know, shortly before he invented the internet

 

[Nemrod]

Numerous backplates, metal and plastic and frame type and back inflate "wing" style BCs were briefly on the market during the 70s. They did not catch on because the "training" agenices, chiefly PadI, threw a fit over them because they were not Life Jackets and would not float the unconcious diver face up. I was there and remember being refused to dive on boats because my "lifejacket" was not acceptable. I always thought unconcious divers should not dive until conciousness had returned, silly me. N