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Discussion of diving methods and equipment available prior to the development of BCDs beyond the horse collar. This forum is dedicated to the pre-1970 diving.
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DaleC
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USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:09 am

I went crazy the last week or so and compiled a list of the masks offered in the USD catalogs 1953-73 so I could more quickly reference various dates and models. Any errors or omissions are accidental and probably the result of staring at the same thing for too long. It was a good exercise though and I feel I have a far better understanding of what to look for in the future. Fins to follow.

U.S. Divers CO. Mask models of the 50's, 60's and early 70's according to Catalog

* designates first year the model appearances in print

1953

Masks
*Squale Navy type
*Squale Goggles
*Champion Standard
*Champion Deluxe (double strength glass)


1954

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
*Aquar (Squale with Dr. Ivanoff optics)
Champion Standard, Deluxe.
*Mask-Hood (Mask / hood combo)
*Grand Champ (white rubber / amber lens)
*Marino (built in snorkel)


1955

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
Aquar
*Natascope (FFM for use with early model DA Aquamasters)
Champion Standard, Deluxe, Jr
Grand Champ
Mask-Hood
Marino
*Riviera (built in snorkel)
*Cyrano (protruding nose pocket)


1956

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
Champion Standard, Deluxe, Jr
Marino
Cyrano
Natascope
Aquar
*Scubascope (FFM for "Kleer E-Z" mouthpiece)
*Malibu Snorkel mask (FFM with built in snorkel)
*Diving Hood (hood / mask combo)
*Corsair (Squale style with lucite lens)
*Buccaneer (lucite lens)
*Aqua-Vu nose goggles (lucite lens)
*Frogman (amber lucite lens)


1957

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
Natascope
Champion Standard, Deluxe, Jr
*Deep-Vu (glass or styrene lens)
Malibu
Diving Hood (accessory kit)
*Cyclops Aqualens (convex oval lens to correct near sightedness)
Buccaneer
Cyrano
Corsair
Marino
Aquar


1958

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
*Squale Vista-Vision (corrective convex lens)
Champion Deluxe, Standard, Jr
*Champion Deluxe Vista-Vision
Deep-Vu (glass or lucite lens)
Corsair
Buccaneer
*Look Out (FFM with built in mouthpiece)
Malibu
Marino
Cyrano
Cyclops
Natascope


1959

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
Squale Vista-Vision
Champion Deluxe, Standard, Jr
Champion Deluxe Vista-Vision
Deep-Vu
Corsair
Look Out
Cyclops
Marino
*Champ Aqua Pressure (with nose pockets)
Diving Hood (accessory kit)
*Aquatic (plastic)
*Aquatic Jr


1960

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
Squale Vista-Vision
Champion Deluxe, Standard, Jr
Champion Deluxe Vista-Vision
*Champion Equi-Pressure (with nose pockets)
Cyclops
*Aqua-Lung Professional (wrap-around glass lens)
*Vista-Rama Standard, Deluxe
*Equi-Rama Deluxe (Vista-Rama with nose pockets)
Deep-Vu
Full Face Mask (Same as Look Out)
Aquatic
Aquatic Jr


1961

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
Squale Jr
Squale Vista-Vision
Champion Standard, Jr
Champion Deluxe Vista-Vision
Champion Equi-Pressure
Cyclops
Aquatic
Aquatic Jr
Deep-Vu
Look Out
Vista-Rama Deluxe, Standard
Equi-Rama Deluxe
Aqua-lung Professional


1962

Masks
Squale
Squale Goggles
Squale Jr
Squale Vista-Vision
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Champion Equi-Pressure
Aqua-lung Professional
Equi-Rama Deluxe
*Equi-Purge (Equi-Rama Deluxe with purge valve)
Aquatic
Aquatic Jr
Cyclops


1963

Masks
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Champion Equi-Pressure
Equi-Rama Deluxe
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr
Equi-Purge
*Pacifica (nose purge valve)
*Atlantis (Pacifica without the purge valve)


1964

Masks
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Champion Equi-Pressure
Equi-Rama Deluxe
Cyclops
Equi-Purge
Pacifica
Atlantis
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr


1965

Masks
Pacifica
Atlantis
*Naso (with or without purge)
Equi-Purge
Champion Equi-Pressure
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr


1966

Masks
Equi-Purge
Champion Equi-Pressure
*Equi-Rama
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr
Goggles
Pacifica
Atlantis
Naso
*Aqua-Naut
*Equi-Naso
*Aqua-Rama


1967

Masks
Pacifica
Atlantis
Naso
Aqua-Naut
Equi-Naso
Aqua-Rama
Equi-Purge
Champion Equi-Pressure
Equi-Rama
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr
Goggles
*Tahiti
*Wrap-Around (three paned lens)


1968

Masks
Pacifica
Atlantis
Naso
Aqua-Rama
Aqua-Naut
Equi-Naso
Wrap-Around Professional
Tahiti
*Tahiti Deluxe
Equi-Purge
Equi-Rama
Champion Equi-Pressure
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Goggles
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr


1969

Masks
Pacifica
Atlantis
Naso
Wrap-Around Professional
Aqua-Naut
Equi-Naso
Tahiti
Tahiti Deluxe
Aqua-Rama
Equi-Purge
Equi-Rama
Champion Equi-Pressure
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Goggles
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr
*Calypso


1970

Masks
Wrap-Around Professional
Pacifica
Atlantis
*Mini Pacifica
*Mini Atlantis
Aqua-Naut
Tahiti Deluxe
Naso
Equi-Purge
Equi-Rama
Champion Equi-Pressure
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Goggles
Aquatic Sr
Aquatic Jr
Calypso


1971

Masks
*Equi-Rama (first silicone mask)
*Falco
Wrap-Around
Pacifica
Atlantis
Mini Pacifica
Mini Atlantis
Aqua-Naut
Tahiti Deluxe
Naso
Equi-Purge
Equi-Rama
Champion Equi-Pressure
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Goggles


1972

Masks
Equi-Rama silicone
Equi-Rama
Wrap-Around Professional
Pacifica
Atlantis
Naso
Falco
Aqua-Naut
Tahiti Deluxe
Champion Equi-Pressure
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Mini Pacifica
Mini Atlantis
Goggles
Equi-Purge


1973

Masks
Pacifica
Atlantis
Naso
Falco
Goggles
Equi-Rama
Equi-Rama Silicone
Equi-Purge
Equi-Purge Silicone
Tahiti Deluxe
*Fisheye Mask
Mini Pacifica
Mini Atlantis
Champion Equi-Pressure
Champion Deluxe, Jr
Wrap-Around Professional
Aqua-Naut
*Equi-Rama, Americana (tri colored)
*Equi-Purge, Americana (tri colored)

(I'm working on a larger image for the table but the program I used doesn't translate well)

Image
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crimediver
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:33 pm

Thanks. Nice job. I was curious about one mask I have and now I know when it made its debut !
sthtxdiver
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Thu Sep 15, 2011 5:02 am

Wow Thanx a whole bunch .best :) best
Charlie
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Bryan
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:16 am

That is a hell of a lot of work right there! If you have it in PDF form and would like to put it in the download section for future history reference I would like to have it :?:
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB
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DaleC
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:38 am

Yes, but I still have some work to do on it and its fin companion.
When its done I'll send it.
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Vintagediver
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:24 am

WOW - Great job Dale! And you managed to sleep when this past week? :lol: This will be a great resource for many of us to refer to - Thank You! Terry
The friendship of many has been inspired and created while together we've explored beneath the waves the wonders of God's creation.

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BigSwell
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Mon Aug 05, 2024 1:28 pm

I have a "new to me" USD oval mask that came in a box labeled "5037 EQUI-RAMA Black" with a few markings I can't seem to understand. The first is the stamp in the nose area of what looks like a year, '68 with the 6 being backwards, the second being that this is clearly an EQUI-RAMA mask (sans any "purge") by looking at the catalogs for that year HOWEVER, the stamp on the outside of the skirt states "EQUI-PURGE." This is the model with the multiple folds in the rubber around the nose, not the version with one fold on each side. So the question I have is this: Did USD make these masks with one mold for the rubber skirts and use them on both the EQUI-RAMA and EQUI-PURGE as a cost saving idea, or do I have a mask that was either a mistake or had the glass replaced at some time? Either way the rubber is still soft and pliable so I'm diving this one for sure. Any insight from those who've come before me (I was born in 1970 so it appears this one is older than me) would be great.
-Kevin
IMG_5946.JPG
IMG_5948.JPG
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BigSwell
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Mon Aug 05, 2024 1:29 pm

One more image of the skirt stamp
IMG_5947.JPG
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Britmarine
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Re: USD Masks of the 50's, 60's and early 70's

Wed Aug 07, 2024 7:19 am

Not sure it's relevant, but US Divers' sister company in Europe, La Spirotechnique, offered the Equi Spiro mask and the Equi Spiro with Valve mask in 1968. They both have the multi-corrugated compensator bosses, but seem to be the counterparts of the US Divers Equi Rama and Equi Purge masks.
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