Vintage Diving Instruction

[YankDownUnder]

I was scanning some old posts on Dan's site where PADI had approved a vintage equipment course. However, there was nothing on the implementation of the course.

NAUI was down on the subject of vintage gear, according to one VSS member. Last year NAUI approved something rather radical. Here in Australia we were able to obtain antique diving helmet certification. I now have a NAUI Standard Dress Diver certification card and certificate. In a few weeks we will be doing another similar course, plus Advanced Standard Dress Diver and Standard Dress Diving Supervisor. The courses are considered specialty courses and done over a long weekend.

I contacted some members of HDS USA and HDS UK and it seems we are the first to become sport certified in the classic diving helmets. With these courses behind us, we will be working on two new courses which have yet to be written. They are vintage open circuit scuba and closed circuit scuba (O2 rebreather).

The Historical Diving Society in Australia is a bit paranoid about diving. It is a carry over from the fear instilled in us by a litigious society in the USA that has spread here. However, the antique and vintage instruction is done by a commercial operator who simply invites HDS members to participate. That's where I come in. I get the students and some gear, and the company does the rest. We had 16 students last year and 22 are coming this year.

The Historical Diving Society here is known as HDS SEAP (South East Asia Pacific). About half of our 150 members are interested in helmets, the other half in scuba. We don't want to leave anyone out, so we try to cater to both in our magazine Classic Diver. (http://www.classicdiver.org) and (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=1 ... 540&ref=ts)

Our plan next year is to teach students how to dive with the early Australian invented single hose regulators, the French style double hose regulators, and the German Drager LAR V rebreathers. We have Australian Porpoise, Sea Bee, Dawson and Scubmatic regulators from the 1950's, and a variety of double hose regulators. We hope to have Lawson Lungs ready by then too. The Lawson was a chest mounted regulator made in 1952, before it was seen as a CG-45 patent infringement.

Most of our HDS divers are senior citizens, like I am. To us, vintage scuba is just the way we learned to dive. Our course will be a bit of a nostalgia trip, and give members a chance to dive the gear they read about and saw their buddies dive long ago.

The dive shop I dive with, lets me go on their shore dives with vintage gear on a routine basis. Sadly, they use a commercial dive boat operator and I have to have a small wing and an Air Source BCD filler to go on the boats. They don't care about the double hose regulator as long as I use a pressure gauge.

Anyway, I just thought would share this with you. Perhaps you might follow suit and get some similar certifications for VDH members. My original certifications came long after I learned to dive, but double hose was still around and BCDs were still rare. Obviously, there is nothing magic about diving without a BCD or using a watch instead of a pressure gauge, but we are enjoying it. Steve

[5thgrpben]

I know an old diver who has been diving with a single hose without a B.C. for years and one day at San Migal ,He had a serious problem come up.We were diving in real high swell and strong current ,He became exhausted and could not keep himself afloat.He was so paniced ,That he didn't think of releasing his weight belt.He was so out of shape and was physically and mentally exhausted.Diving in the ocean in harsh conditions with a lung is not the same as diving in a lake.You will ( If not conditioned.)overbreath the reg and make matters worse.If your air is depleted, Having never ending chop hitting you in the face while using a snorkle is something to get used to.Rule of thumb "know your limits"

[Douchebag]

I know an old diver who has been diving with a single hose without a B.C. for years and one day at San Migal ,He had a serious problem come up.We were diving in real high swell and strong current ,He became exhausted and could not keep himself afloat.He was so paniced ,That he didn't think of releasing his weight belt.He was so out of shape and was physically and mentally exhausted.Diving in the ocean in harsh conditions with a lung is not the same as diving in a lake.You will ( If not conditioned.)overbreath the reg and make matters worse.If your air is depleted, Having never ending chop hitting you in the face while using a snorkle is something to get used to.Rule of thumb "Know thy self"

Preach on!! Preach on!!

[crimediver]

I will leave it for scaryboard to have the snorkel or no snorkel debate. I am a believer in them because of the chop in the face scenario. A snorkel is a godsend under certain conditions and those that argue against them have not dove where I have.

I would love to get a chance to dive an old brass helmet. The closest I have gotten to it has been K. Morgan Superlites with SS air. Maybe one day....

[time2dive]

PADI approved my Vintage Diver Course a year or two ago, I have taught a couple of people, there does not appear to be as much interest from main stream divers as I thought that there might be.

Tim

[5thgrpben]

PADI approved my Vintage Diver Course a year or two ago, I have taught a couple of people, there does not appear to be as much interest from main stream divers as I thought that there might be.

Tim

Just having your coarse out there is a great thing.It will help a lot of divers who want to try vintage gear.I wasn't trying to be a buzz kill on my last reply.It just that I dive so many times on a dive boat,I've seen alot of bad thing happen on trips when diving in non-kiddy pool conditions.It's true ,Diving without a B.C. Isn't magic,anybody can do it,And I mean anybody,But conditioning mentally and physically needs to be there too.Your coarse will be a big help to all those that want to try it.