Period correctness.

[Ron]

Hi all,

I'd like to continue my research into making my setup at period correct for 1970-71 as I can. I have the US Diver's catalogs en route on CD from the store, but I have a few questions in the mean time if I may.

- I have a generic black plastic tank pack with the carrying handle on top. I'd like to put a steel tank band on it. I'll post a picture when I get a chance of my pack. Any thoughts on what would look right?

- How common were snorkels with diving equipment during 70-71? Did a lot of people use them?

- I plan on diving my setup with my first and second stage only. I don't plan on using a SPG or octo. Does this sound typical as far as a regulator setup?

- I was going to weave my backpack with a single piece of 2" webbing, like how many modern BP/W setups are done except woven through the plastic tank pack I have. Will this look right, provided I use a steel buckle?

Bear in mind that I'm not trying to nit-pick you guys, I'm trying to have you guy nit-pick me. I am trying to get this setup so there isn't some glaring flaw that is twenty-thirty years asynchronous. I understand that it won't be perfect, but with some help I'd like to get it close.

thanks in advance for your help.

S

[capn_tucker]

You might want to find yourself a USD Kam-EZ pack. Those are still good for circa 1970. They show up on the Bay all the time, and some forum members might have one for sale as well. They will accept 7.25" tanks as well as 6.9", so are very convenient if renting modern tanks is needed.
I wasn't diving yet in the '70s, but I will say that diving a double hose with a snorkel attached to the mask is very aggravating. The snorkel is always getting in the way. I've taken to sticking the snorkel in my weight belt, like you see in a lot of old vintage photos.
I seldom ever use my snorkel, but it's handy if you pop up several hundred yards from the boat and out of air..

[luis]

The back pack you are referring to sounds like it is more from the 80’s, but a picture will help. Many of the early 70’s back packs had the SS band screwed on the sides of the pack.


At least were I grew up the use of snorkel was part of the basic three…mask, fins, and snorkel. We often planned our dive with an intentional swim to the dive site or a swim back. The snorkel was basically considered our alternate air source. We wore it on the right hand side, since it was air supply.


By 70 and 71 an SPG was very common. That was all anyone would use with a single hose regulator.


The 2” webbing is very appropriate for that time period, but most of them also had a buckle or snaps on the left shoulder. The back pack was intended to be able to be ditched in a hurry if needed.

[Ron]

You might want to find yourself a USD Kam-EZ pack. Those are still good for circa 1970. They show up on the Bay all the time, and some forum members might have one for sale as well. They will accept 7.25" tanks as well as 6.9", so are very convenient if renting modern tanks is needed.
I wasn't diving yet in the '70s, but I will say that diving a double hose with a snorkel attached to the mask is very aggravating. The snorkel is always getting in the way. I've taken to sticking the snorkel in my weight belt, like you see in a lot of old vintage photos.
I seldom ever use my snorkel, but it's handy if you pop up several hundred yards from the boat and out of air..

I'm not diving a double hose capn tucker, I'm diving an Aqualung conshelf VI. Will a steel clamp not hold 7.25" tanks and 6.9" tanks?

[Ron]

The back pack you are referring to sounds like it is more from the 80’s, but a picture will help. Many of the early 70’s back packs had the SS band screwed on the sides of the pack.


At least were I grew up the use of snorkel was part of the basic three…mask, fins, and snorkel. We often planned our dive with an intentional swim to the dive site or a swim back. The snorkel was basically considered our alternate air source. We wore it on the right hand side, since it was air supply.


By 70 and 71 an SPG was very common. That was all anyone would use with a single hose regulator.


The 2” webbing is very appropriate for that time period, but most of them also had a buckle or snaps on the left shoulder. The back pack was intended to be able to be ditched in a hurry if needed.

I didn't know that people used SPGs so early on. I should probably find one, there's some for a decent price on the web. I wanted to use a snorkel, so I'm glad it was common. Was the shoulder buckle the same as the kind you wear on the waist or no?

[Nemrod]

Everyone will have a slight variation on what is what depending upon where they dove and the people they dove with early on.

Plastic plates from the early 70s mostly had a screw on metal band--I have one to give you but how you will get it on a 80s plastic plate---beats me.

Single piece webbing was not common, most back packs had either in the left shoulder:

1) a metal buckle
2) two or three snaps
3) two twist locks

D rings were not common, in fact very rare, many did have a clevis or snap on the right waist for attaching ditty bags etc, crotch straps were not uncommon but many did not use them.

I did not start using an SPG commonly for open water until about 76 except in the caves where I began using them immediately, lol, circa 71-72.

Snorkels were common especially the kind with the drop away corrugated lower section. They were used because pre-BC use it was correct to surface swim using the snorkel especially with the double hose regulators which would free flow if you swam on your back as I like to nowadays. A simple J tube snorkel would be vintage correct and it would go on the RIGHT side of the mask BTW.

IMO and I cannot find good sources either way I think the waist strap of the harness should have the buckle on the left strap and open to the right, the weight belt should open opposite. Anyone with a reference saying otherwise please step up.

Horsecollar BCs in the early 70s were common as were the CO2 Mae West type surface flotation vests, various CO2 inflated emergency floats (Dacor and Aqua Craft and Voit).

IMO, just my opinion, no vest, no wing, no other type of BC other than a horsecollar is really vintage and as well maybe some of the hard pack units. Many horsecollar BCs and especially the first ones did not have power inflater's, they were manual only and some like the Fenzy and Nemrod carried their own bottles.

These are my opinions, others vary and are just as valid.

BTW, me and JES standing on the edge of Ginnie Spring at SDV made a vote and it was seconded that all Jet Fins are vintage acceptable---ha ha.

Nem

[captain]

Generally early SPG's only went to 3500 psi as the early steel tanks were 2500 psi. The 3000 psi aluminum tanks didn't come into use until the late 70's along with the 5000 psi SPG.

Here is a vintage pack

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Dacor-Backp ... .m20.l1116

[JES]

.... BTW, me and JES standing on the edge of Ginnie Spring at SDV made a vote and it was seconded that all Jet Fins are vintage acceptable---ha ha.

Nem

You made the motion, I seconded it. We then voted publically and it passed with flying colors. It was all legal and above board, and gave us the Vintage Jet Fin Acceptance Law.

[capn_tucker]

Generally early SPG's only went to 3500 psi as the early steel tanks were 2500 psi. The 3000 psi aluminum tanks didn't come into use until the late 70's along with the 5000 psi SPG.

I can't say for anyone else, but according to the catalogs Voit-Swimaster used only 3000 psi gauges through 1975. Their '76 catalog shows only a 4000 psi gauge, so that must have been when Voit switched over.
I've got some 3500 psi Sportsways and USD gauges, so they obviously left 3000 psi behind somewhat earlier..

[Nemrod]

Yes, he Jet Fin Vintage Law passed unopposed .


Another thing about old single hose stuff, many, especially in the late 60s had a neck strap with snaps and the SPGs had a rubber or plastic strap with one or two snaps for looping around the harness. Nobody used bolt snaps and cave line as we do now. We either used the rubber straps as intended or we stuck the pressure guage under our horsecollar or under our harness webbing. And, while on the subject, NOBODY used an octopus. Yeah, yeah, here and there a very few did and most especially on independent doubles for cave but open water diving, no---aside from that you simply never saw an octopus and if you did it was not called an octopus.

Ebay:

140276264791

Nem

[Ron]

Everyone will have a slight variation on what is what depending upon where they dove and the people they dove with early on.

Plastic plates from the early 70s mostly had a screw on metal band--I have one to give you but how you will get it on a 80s plastic plate---beats me.

Single piece webbing was not common, most back packs had either in the left shoulder:

1) a metal buckle
2) two or three snaps
3) two twist locks

D rings were not common, in fact very rare, many did have a clevis or snap on the right waist for attaching ditty bags etc, crotch straps were not uncommon but many did not use them.

I did not start using an SPG commonly for open water until about 76 except in the caves where I began using them immediately, lol, circa 71-72.

Snorkels were common especially the kind with the drop away corrugated lower section. They were used because pre-BC use it was correct to surface swim using the snorkel especially with the double hose regulators which would free flow if you swam on your back as I like to nowadays. A simple J tube snorkel would be vintage correct and it would go on the RIGHT side of the mask BTW.

IMO and I cannot find good sources either way I think the waist strap of the harness should have the buckle on the left strap and open to the right, the weight belt should open opposite. Anyone with a reference saying otherwise please step up.

Horsecollar BCs in the early 70s were common as were the CO2 Mae West type surface flotation vests, various CO2 inflated emergency floats (Dacor and Aqua Craft and Voit).

IMO, just my opinion, no vest, no wing, no other type of BC other than a horsecollar is really vintage and as well maybe some of the hard pack units. Many horsecollar BCs and especially the first ones did not have power inflater's, they were manual only and some like the Fenzy and Nemrod carried their own bottles.

These are my opinions, others vary and are just as valid.

BTW, me and JES standing on the edge of Ginnie Spring at SDV made a vote and it was seconded that all Jet Fins are vintage acceptable---ha ha.

Nem

Nem,

I will post the pic of the plate when I get a chance, if it won't work, I'll surf for one.

For the snorkel, I really like the simple J one without the purge. I think it's just simplicity in action, and it's the kind of snorkel I learned how to snorkel on. Broke kids get old snorkeling gear

I think if the setups varied then like they do now, and I can use a K valve with a SPG, then I'd like to. That's how I'm personally used to diving, so I think that will work best for me. If the K valve was not used, then I'll use a J. I know my local shops though, and it will be less painful with a K valve. If I use a SPG, how will I secure it to my harness? You said people didn't really use D-rings, can you maybe show me an example of what to use?

As far as the harness, I'd like to use just one steel buckle on the waist, and snaps on the shoulder. It sounds like if I use two in a row on the left shoulder I'll be legit. I may add a crotch strap as well, you said they were not uncommonn. I have grown fond of the croth strap on my BP/W, so maybe I'll add one.

I'll be honest and say that my main respect for vintage gear besides that it is the way SCUBA started is from its simplicity. I'd like to keep my rig as simple as I can, and I'd like to learn to dive with no inflation other than my lungs. I would like to think that getting good at diving that way will make me a better diver later.

So that's what I think I'd like to try Nem, what do you think?

S

[Ron]

Yes, he Jet Fin Vintage Law passed unopposed .


Another thing about old single hose stuff, many, especially in the late 60s had a neck strap with snaps and the SPGs had a rubber or plastic strap with one or two snaps for looping around the harness. Nobody used bolt snaps and cave line as we do now. We either used the rubber straps as intended or we stuck the pressure guage under our horsecollar or under our harness webbing. And, while on the subject, NOBODY used an octopus. Yeah, yeah, here and there a very few did and most especially on independent doubles for cave but open water diving, no---aside from that you simply never saw an octopus and if you did it was not called an octopus.

Ebay:

140276264791

Nem

I actually have the rubber necklace that snaps to my conshelf, it's super handy for leaving the reg around your neck when you aren't using it. It's kind of a cool idea.

I think I'm going to stick the SPG under my webbing, that's about as simple as it gets.

[1969ivan1]

FYI....There is a single hose section on this forum.

[capn_tucker]

Yes, he Jet Fin Vintage Law passed unopposed .


Another thing about old single hose stuff, many, especially in the late 60s had a neck strap with snaps and the SPGs had a rubber or plastic strap with one or two snaps for looping around the harness. Nobody used bolt snaps and cave line as we do now. We either used the rubber straps as intended or we stuck the pressure guage under our horsecollar or under our harness webbing. And, while on the subject, NOBODY used an octopus. Yeah, yeah, here and there a very few did and most especially on independent doubles for cave but open water diving, no---aside from that you simply never saw an octopus and if you did it was not called an octopus.

Ebay:

140276264791

Nem

I actually have the rubber necklace that snaps to my conshelf, it's super handy for leaving the reg around your neck when you aren't using it. It's kind of a cool idea.

I think I'm going to stick the SPG under my webbing, that's about as simple as it gets.

There are metal buckles for the waist belt on your backpack. I have one like that with a rubber strap attached for the SPG. It came from an old USD SPG that has since gone to the Big Reef in the Sky. I'll give it to you if you want it..

[Bryan]

FYI....There is a single hose section on this forum.