Professional Diving Services is hosting the event, which was offered to members of the Historical Diving Society here in Australia. We have 12 attendees, three of which are women. One member flew in from Sydney and another crossed the country from Perth on the west coast. The course is instructed by Frank Zeigler who offered the first standard dress sport diving course in 2009. Frank's business has 28 employees most of whom are commercial divers using Super-Lite surface supplied helmets. They also have a dive shop and teach sport diving as well as contract instruction for the Royal Australian Navy.
The first Day: (class room)
Frank began with the paper work required by NAUI and model releases so the pictures could be published. He then reviewed diving physiology and safety as required by NAUI standards.
Each attendee received a booklet on vintage scuba, a booklet on antique helmet diving and a booklet on Drager LAR V rebreathers.
I was the second speaker and presented a Power Point slide show on scuba diving history from 1930. It had an emphasis on Australian diving pioneers, as well as La Priere, Commeinhes, Cousteau-Gagnan, Rene Bussoz, Rene Cavalero, C.E. Heinke, Siebe Gorman et al. Australians began diving single hose scuba before double hose found it's way Down Under, so Porpoise, Scubamatic, Sea Bee and Dawson Lungs were included. We have working samples of them all, so the attendees can try them out.
The next speaker was Tony Gregory. Tony is a former commercial diver and our Porpoise guru. He recently restored the only complete Lawson Lung to working order. The Lawson Lung was an Australian chest mounted double hose scuba from the early 1950s. Tony showed the few Porpoise prototypes and early CA models that still exist, as well as the Lawson Lung and the remaining parts, tools and blanks.
We then had a Lucky Dip! There was a large wooden chest filled with 1960's equipment, such as masks, fins and knives. There were books and copies of 1960s Skin Diver magazines as well. Each attendee drew a number and in turn searched the box, taking home goodies to enhance their collections. They went back in turn, until the box was cleaned out.
We moved to the conference room and looked at the scuba regulators. We learned about the regulator models and some of the intrigue in the business. We also discussed the ways to adapt double hose to meet dive boat operator's requirements.
When the pizza arrived, chatting and the sale of some regulators began. There are 18 sets of vintage scuba for the diver's to use. Another ten regulators were offered for sale and seven were purchased. Two went to commercial divers who had always wanted a double hose regulator.
The first modern scubas were of course, closed circuit oxygen rebreathers. The course was designed to included familiarization training with operational military rebreathers. The class began with a historical look and the attendees saw a Siebe Gorman Salvus, a Cressi Sub ARO-57B, a Castoro C-96 and a Drager LAR VII. Then six Drager LAR V rebreathers were brought out. The divers worked in pairs and were taught about the rebreathers. The divers assembled them and did their pressure and leak checks. The rebreathers are now ready to dive and we will meet in the morning to convoy to the pool.
We have rented half of a nearby public pool, for all day. Professional Diving Services uses it for their sport diver instruction. The divers will have a wiener roast for lunch at the pool. Following their vintage diving, they will be given the chance to dive with a Kirby Morgan Super-Lite helmet.
I'll be back with the results of the dive. Steve
