Skin diving vest

[Ron]

I was reading my copy of The New Science of Skin and SCUBA Diving last night, and it mentions that many divers back in the day used to wear or carry a "skin diving vest" for emergency flotation at the surface. I've looked around, and I understand that virtually all of these type of vests from the 60's are trashed. I'd still like to find one, even if it is non-functional. I may just use the shell and insert a generic modern snorkeling vest so that I can have something to use for when I dive this gear in the ocean instead of the springs. Has anyone done this? I searched the forum and it seems that everyone either uses a horsecollar BC or nothing at all. I could just use a regular new school snorkeling vest, but I think it would look too obviously not vintage.

[simonbeans]

Not all are unusable. This one is fine, and a VOIT. (ooh, ahh) Circa 1967+. PM if interested.

[capn_tucker]

What Allan said. Not all are unuseable. I have 3 vintage Mae Wests, all of them work, and lately that's what I've been using offshore. I was using a horsecollar, but now that I've found the boat captain doesn't care, it's the Mae West for me.

[DiverTim]

I bought a Seatec BC from Capn_ Tucker and dove it a couple weeks ago and it was great( thanks Jim), but my second dive I dove just the tank, weight belt and wet suit and it was awesome! Talk about feeling free! Tim

[capn_tucker]

I bought a Seatec BC from Capn_ Tucker and dove it a couple weeks ago and it was great( thanks Jim), but my second dive I dove just the tank, weight belt and wet suit and it was awesome! Talk about feeling free! Tim

Yeah, I dove without any BC at the last Sand Dog and it was great. But for off-shore some kind of emergency flotation is good to have. The Mae West is great for that, yet is almost the same as diving without a BC..

[DiverTim]

Now that I think about it, my first "vest" was a real May West....straight from the airlines! It must've been in some sort of repressed memory thing....

[Ron]

I just wanted to thank Simonbeans for his awesome Voit swimaster "Mae West". It arrived better than advertised, and he threw in some cool extras. I dove it this weekend, and it held air. It had a TINY pin prick in the corner, but some aqua will right that. What an awesome piece of gear.

[1969ivan1]

He always has good stuff.

[simonbeans]

I just wanted to thank Simonbeans for his awesome Voit swimaster "Mae West". It arrived better than advertised, and he threw in some cool extras. I dove it this weekend, and it held air. It had a TINY pin prick in the corner, but some aqua will right that. What an awesome piece of gear.

Funny, I have been called that before. I am glad it served you well.
Allan

[Herman]

Hope this is not too much of a hijack.
I have a similar vest which is in great condition outside but it leaks pretty much everywhere, looks like an aquarium stone when inflated and held under water. It does not have a bladder but is some type of cloth material that was apparently coated on the inside and the coating has since failed. Any one got any suggestions on way that this vest could be restored.

[Ron]

Herman,

If you really wanted to, you could un-stitch it and re-coat the inside with something waterproof like a seam sealer or something and then sew it back together. I do this for camping stuff and it works well.

S

[pescador775]

I experiment with vests, even today. In the gallery there are pics of my recreational SCUBA adaptation for a military vest. Sometimes, I use my light and compact healthways horsecollar. It has standard air inject on the inflator hose. Freediving, I use the military issue UDT CO2 vest, in fact, all the above have at least one CO2 inflator. All my vests are single fabric, no internal bladders. I won't use those, too blousy and bubbly.