Interesting post
In the beginning there was one company marketing diving equipment in US- Rene Sports, located in the back of a men's clothing store in Los Angels, California. In 1952 the company expanded and the name was changed US Divers, now Aqua lung.
Original advertisements and "word of mouth" indicated the Aqua lung was good for over 1000 dives with out adjustment or major maintenance, which was the first example of diving's false news.
Some of the components of the Aqua Lung were French war surplus - either WW1 or WW11, it was never really determined exactly what War. The components that gave most grief was the hoses and the diaphragm,
The hoses were prone to leak so were replaced with longer US WW11 gas mask hoses. The diaphragm,? A different story. It might have been a component from the Gas-O-gen, war surplus or just poor 1940s manufacturing
Never the less It seemed we always were breathing wet air (Oh! the Horror - wet air) either from leaking hoses or a microscopic hole or holes in the diaphragm. On occasion the diaphragm. would rupture, generally at the most inopportune time with little or no warning which gave the diver two options either remain on the bottom and attempt to breathe water or head for the California sunshine and fresh air- most all were successful in the later activity.
It was called "Swallowing the diaphragm."
It happened to me twice, The last time was the most memorable. I was a body length back in a cave breathing hard and deep after California Lobsters, Suddenly a more than normal amount of water with inhalation. The next breath as pure SoCal Salt water, I got on my on my horse, backed out and did a blow and go to the surface to the then smog free California Air..
Around that same time a number of things occurred
US Divers, under Rene & crew discovered some holes in the original US patent for the Aqua Lung which allowed US Divers to improve the breed with the DA model an produce it in the US by B&B,
My neighbor and friend Rory Page invented and marketed the Hope-Page non return valve
LA Co UW instruction Certification course was created
And US Divers hired a repairman, possibly the world's first Aqua Lung (aka SCUBA) full time repairman the late Bill Millman- Lung diving was beginning to emerge as a company
Only a few repair courses were offered by the manufactures for a number of years, then only to handful of local LA Co UW instructors as a sponsored recertification seminar.
Over 40 years ago Lt Cmdr. Leslie "Tommy" Thompson USN Ret (LA Co UW Instructor ) was hired as the PR of US Divers. Tommy was a diver's diver he had many first - most notable was his lock out under the ice cap in 1947.
Tommy recognized the need for a repair course for US divers dealers, military personnel and industry leaders so he created and established a free week long 40 hour equipment repair course presented at US Divers in Santa Ana California.
I was one of the first to enroll and repeated the course for a number years in a row. It was a very complete course, beginning with monkey see -monkey do and repetition, repetition until the break down and reassemble could have probably been performed blindfolded like some of us did with our side arms in the service of our county.
About 40 years ago my son was 12 years old. Sam IV had been raised in a pioneer diving family surrounded by divers and dining all his life. He had attended summer BSA camp at Catalina Island, had some time on his hands and needed a challenge. I called the then instructor Bryan Miller and asked if it was possible to enroll 12 years old Sam IV in the repair course? The response was positive so Sam IV packed a lunch jumped on his bike and peddled through the then mild Orange county traffic to US divers and the equipment repair course.
He returned home the first day excited has I had hoped he would. Over dinner he chatted about his new found companions in the course by first name ( a family no no - adult were to be addressed as Mr. or Miss, but these were his adult classmates and he was a young adult) He was amazed that he had more dives and had been diving longer than any others in the class- but this was 40 years ago and diving was just beginning to migrate past the SoCal borders.
Every day he returned home with a memento from US Divers, a tee shirt, a sweat shirt, fins, mask and snorkel and finally a youth size wet suit. Apparently the word had got out among the company officials that he was the youngest ever to take the US Divers repair course and they wanted to reward him.
Several weeks after the completion of the course he received a telephone call from US Divers There was a fellow who would like to meet him - could he drop by tomorrow ?
As 12 year old adventuresome boys did and I assume still do he took off with out a word to his mother and I to US Divers.
Waiting at US Divers was Jacques Cousteau who met him, congratulated him on being the youngest ever to complete the company sponsored repair course him and gave him an autographed copy of his latest book. Sam IV was some what impressed .with his new friend Zeek ( JY Cousteau)
And that was the way it was -- a long time ago from US recreational diving's birth place which has now spread to the hinterlands of the US and the world.
Sam IV ? He competed his Eagle scout a few years later, became a NAUI (Life) and PADI instructor, ER & Hyperbaric doctor and is now a director of the local regional hospital.
Sam Miller, III
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