Vintage Dive Gear in the Movies: Revenge of the Creature

[CAP2ND1961]

I was watching Revenge of the Creature the other night and had to capture some stills from the movie. They had this strange upside down scuba kit that hooked to a full face mask with comms. Has anyone ever seen anything like this? Who made it, and what was the purpose of putting the scuba tank valve down?? Hard to tell if those masks really have comms, due to hollywood trickery. But who knows, I know I surely dont.

Also, turns out that the lead human in the movie John Agar's character name was Prof. Clete Ferguson. Its not very often I see my name in print on things like a key chain, let alone in a lead role in a movie.













Im quite curious to know more about this unique scuba kit.

Cheers~ Clete

[simonbeans]

Those are Scott Hydro pacs. Diving heyday was mid to late 1950s.

[CAP2ND1961]

Those are Scott Hydro pacs. Diving heyday was mid to late 1950s.

Cool thank you! Is this the same thing fire fighters used?? Also what was the reasoning behind putting the tank valve down?

[luis]

They were made by the same company that makes Scott air packs for fire fighting and other applications were the atmosphere can be contaminated or not suitable for breathing (like mining).


The valve on the bottom is much easier to reach.

There were several other kits with valves in the bottom including some of Cousteau multi-tank kits.

There were other single hose kits like the Australian Porpoise that used the valve on the bottom, etc. I think the Rose Aviation (first US made single hose regulator) also used the valve on the bottom.

I tend to think that the primary reason we ended up with the valve on the top is because the Aqua Lung double hose regulator became more popular than the Scott Hydro Pack (or other similar kits) and the double hose regulator has to be mounted close to the divers lungs.

IMO, it was the position of the double hose demand valve that drove the preferred location for the tank valve. Several Cousteau dive kits mounted double hose regulators on the top or the chest and had valves on the bottom, but those kits were too complicated for the average divers.


Thanks for posting the pictures.


BTW, this kit was also used at the begging of one of the Sea Hunt episodes. Can anyone one care to guess on which episode?

[couv]

The commercial diving school I attended in the 70ies had a surface supplied Scott mask. IIRC the communication audio/microphone was a small speaker enclosed in a condom.

If you can take watching a Jerry Lewis movie, the Scott Mask meets a Kraken and a few mermaids in the 1959 movie, "Don't give up the ship." Sea Hunt Forever divers might recognize the underwater landscape.

[antique diver]

The tradition of valves down continues in the SCBA industry because of ease of reaching valve.
On the Hydropac first stage there is also a reserve knob that rotates, and would be more difficult to reach and operate with valve up. They were available as early as 54-55, but not sure how much longer they were sold. Very nicely made.

Diving with one takes a little additional care to prevent valve and first stage damage when putting on and off since we are used to having a solid tank bottom to rest our SCUBA rigs on. Best donned with someone holding it while you slip into the harness, or using the over-the-head method. This may be the first domestic SCUBA set to use a purge button on the demand stage, but not sure about that. Pushing it while in use actually helps me clear my ears.

[USdiver]

Occasionally you can find Scott Hydro-pacs for sale or at auction. The two I've personally seen were not in any condition to dive, lots of dry rot with the mask and spider strap.

I was under the impression that Scott marketed their products to the yachting class, you know something to occupy their time while anchored in that perfect cove - diving without getting your face wet, rather than as a military/scientific/recreational kit for everyman like the AquaLung.

I'll have to check out "Don't Give Up the Ship", maybe invite some Frenchies over to the house, they appreciate the finer things in life, like AquaLungs, wine and Jerry Lewis.

[couv]

......I'll have to check out "Don't Give Up the Ship", maybe invite some Frenchies over to the house, they appreciate the finer things in life, like AquaLungs, wine and Jerry Lewis.

^^

If you are like most of us and can only take a little of the comic genius at a time, skip to 1:16::20 into the movie.
https://vimeo.com/203181997

[CAP2ND1961]

Thanks for all the info gang! Very informative to say the least. I love seeing all the old movies with diving sequences in them. Does anyone know what type of equipment they used in Disney's 20,000 leagues under the sea? Seems like a modified hard hat with scuba tank hidden in a back pack to me.

[SeaHuntJerry]

Thanks for all the info gang! Very informative to say the least. I love seeing all the old movies with diving sequences in them. Does anyone know what type of equipment they used in Disney's 20,000 leagues under the sea? Seems like a modified hard hat with scuba tank hidden in a back pack to me.

Jerry Lewis super cool been looking for that movie for along time

[couv]

I think Aquala made the diving dress. (Suit)

[georgeaustin]

The tradition of valves down continues in the SCBA industry because of ease of reaching valve.
On the Hydropac first stage there is also a reserve knob that rotates, and would be more difficult to reach and operate with valve up. They were available as early as 54-55, but not sure how much longer they were sold. Very nicely made.

Diving with one takes a little additional care to prevent valve and first stage damage when putting on and off since we are used to having a solid tank bottom to rest our SCUBA rigs on. Best donned with someone holding it while you slip into the harness, or using the over-the-head method. This may be the first domestic SCUBA set to use a purge button on the demand stage, but not sure about that. Pushing it while in use actually helps me clear my ears.

Also, gravity tends to help the air move down toward the tank valve.

[luis]

Also, gravity tends to help the air move down toward the tank valve.

[georgeaustin]

[luis]