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Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:37 pm
by Bryan
rhwestfall wrote:while there is a great group here, there is a "vocal minority" that do more "harm" than you think...

I guess it is like everywhere else, but in this small community, it has a bigger impact.

YMMV
I'm curious to know more about this....you can E-mail me if you prefer.

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:39 pm
by Bryan
Drado wrote:From my side of the ocean, the relevance of the Sea Hunt Forever event is to use it as a showcase event - a ready reference to show potential double hose divers that the equipment and techniques are alive and well. With events like that, I'd like to think that each member is acutely aware of their role as ambassadors of this little niche of ours, and take great pains to get all the gear working right.
:D

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:44 pm
by Bryan
captain wrote:
I think you are seeing a line that doesn't exist. I don't think any of us see our selves as 1% of anything. It is sort of like being invited to a party, is it formal or costume, which ever you dress accordingly. When not at a party you wear whatever you want.
I very seldom have dived totally vintage when on my own. I often make the point I am a double hose diver, not a vintage diver. Perhaps we should drop the "vintage" part and just become double hose divers. From that perspective you can chose whatever you feel like using or being on a particular day.
Tom is 100% right.....The Silver Springs event called for 100% authenticity or it would never have happened. If we were not shown as a "living history exhibit" the state wanted no part of it and it would have been a bust.

All the other events and gatherings we do are kind of a Run what ya brung kinda deal with most divers switching between period correct gear to mix and match years to Argonauts with modern gear.....Everyone is welcome and no one cares what you dive as long as you do it safely and have a good time.

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 4:43 pm
by georgeaustin
I don't think of my self as a "vintage" diver because, among other reasons, I'm far too young to be "vintage" anything (cough, cough, hak, hak) I will say though that my PRAM /HPR/DBE breathes better and looks cooler than mine or anyone else's single hose rig out here. The possible exception is - as far as great breathers and cool looks go, my Conshelf XIV's - MR12's and Mk5's + 108's out breathe any modern plastic fantastic shate. Example: a couple months ago I went out on a weird tangent and bought a brand new SP Mk25 + G260 and let me tell you - what a piece of crap. Nuff said. It's strictly a back up to my Voit Conqueror II. LOL.

I'll do dives in just harnesses and tanks, a weight belt, mask, fins, (snorkel) T shirt and trunks in the summer and its great but - I always use and SPG a watch and a depth meter. If we're live boating in currents I will bring a BC as well - in case I've got some swimming to do on the surface - getting old. <p>I'm letting my friends play with my DH regs in the pool but the thought of diving without a BC or computer really freaks them out kind of. They're not like us - they've only been diving for 10 or 15 years - newbs

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 10:26 am
by SurfLung
rhwestfall wrote: As Bryan contemplates "the future", we all must ask, "Are we doing this for fun, or something else"? If it is no longer fun, and the "other" reason isn't what we wanted, maybe it is time to change.....
- That's a very good point... Although my passion for vintage equipment and diving is as strong as it has ever been, putting together photos, videos, etc. for the entertainment pleasure of the forum has become harder and harder to find time for. Besides my raw Sea Hunt Forever video footage to edit, I have stuff with gauges showing how back pressure regulators work on my compressor, I've got project regulators I haven't finished because my bench is too messy to take proper photos and video before moving to the next step, etc. Man, I re-plumbed the compressor 3 times just to get that video and I've been too lazy to edit it to a finished product. Why am I procrastinating on it? To your point, I may be making too much work out of it. I should be editing together my Sea Hunt Forever video for the pure fun of it.

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:54 am
by Bronze06
Wow! I don't post squat for a few weeks other than recouping my fail from grace with my MK7 Honker faux pax and everyone is upset about the future of not only vintage diving, but the direction that this community should take! To easy Folks, if it isn't fun anymore, cease and desist. If it is still fun and you are willing to spend time, effort and treasure, drive-on with a hard on.

Regarding "Sea Hunt Forever", I am in agreement with the issue that it should and always shall be a "Vintage Only" exibition. Granted, it would be foolhardy to think that every item such as masks, fins, hoses, etc., are truly "Vintage" items, though many are. If possible, reasonable historically accurate modern facsimiles can be and are at times substitued, wth an eye on safety as well. The point IMO is to demonstrate the diving equipment and techniques used from 1943-1962 as faithfully as possible, with specific preference given to the late 1950s and early 1960s equipment used in the show. This is my understanding of the "Sea Hun Forever" phenomenom.

That said, ever since I started diving DH again, I've foumd myself morphing into more of a traditionalist with 7 out of 10 dives being so called "pure" vintage when I go down to the Red Sea.The only time I single hose is when testing regs in a pool. I haven't single hosed dived in almost 4 years. I started out with a rebuilt DAAM converted to a PRAM and as one obsessive thing led to another obsessive thing came on, I got more and more into the "traditionalist" mind-set of VDH. In my opinion, it is ALL WONDERFUL, whether "Purist" or Modernist or Mixed". I truly wish I actually had a job in the US that woud pay as much as this one does (hard to turn away good money), or I would show up there in March with my 1959/60 Fathom 50, my dry suit and my kit and have a blast as well as finally meet some of you nabobs, gurus and potentates of the VDH world, have a beer and watch Sea Hunt at night then go for some good vintage diving during the day. Man, life would be good.

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 10:06 am
by ScubaLawyer
Bronze06 wrote: Regarding "Sea Hunt Forever", ... The point IMO is to demonstrate the diving equipment and techniques used from 1943-1962 as faithfully as possible, with specific preference given to the late 1950s and early 1960s equipment used in the show. This is my understanding of the "Sea Hun Forever" phenomenom..


Always good to hear from you Russ! The diving cast of Sea Hunt Forever is under even stricter guidelines than you might imagine. To get permission from the State of Florida to dive Silver Springs where they filmed a majority of the episodes, we are considered historical reenactors. We could only use the specific brand/type of equipment that actually appeared in an episode of the TV series, down to a K-Bar or Vulcan knife. If it wasn't in a scene from the show, it was a no go. We all had our equipment vetted and the 25 member cast spent nearly a year pre-show discussing (fretting, worrying, ...) over each and every equipment detail. The emails and backchannel discussions went late into the night many times. It is a lot of work, time and expense but we'll worth it to see the looks of wonder on kids and parents faces alike seeing a bit of living history. Mark

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 11:52 am
by Bronze06
ScubaLawyer wrote:
Bronze06 wrote: Regarding "Sea Hunt Forever", ... The point IMO is to demonstrate the diving equipment and techniques used from 1943-1962 as faithfully as possible, with specific preference given to the late 1950s and early 1960s equipment used in the show. This is my understanding of the "Sea Hun Forever" phenomenom..


Always good to hear from you Russ! The diving cast of Sea Hunt Forever is under even stricter guidelines than you might imagine. To get permission from the State of Florida to dive Silver Springs where they filmed a majority of the episodes, we are considered historical reenactors. We could only use the specific brand/type of equipment that actually appeared in an episode of the TV series, down to a K-Bar or Vulcan knife. If it wasn't in a scene from the show, it was a no go. We all had our equipment vetted and the 25 member cast spent nearly a year pre-show discussing (fretting, worrying, ...) over each and every equipment detail. The emails and backchannel discussions went late into the night many times. It is a lot of work, time and expense but we'll worth it to see the looks of wonder on kids and parents faces alike seeing a bit of living history. Mark


Wow! I am learning Obi Wan!

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 12:21 pm
by Bryan
Just to clarify and add a little perspective to what Mark posted.

The Sea Hunt Forever event was unique in the fact that the gear had to be 100% Sea Hunt or it was a no go....Living History Exhibit is the only way Tallahassee bought it and allowed us to dive in Silver Springs.
In the future there may be other events like this one where the equipment selection is dictated by the agreement and must be strictly adhered to.

All other events that VDH sponsors or is involved in are 100% inclusive to all divers no matter what mix of years / modern/vintage you want to dive.

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 1:24 pm
by Chris
Came acrosed this post trying to figure out how to search for a specific member. I too have been dissapointed with the amount of feed back on home made videos I've posted. Having said that, VDH is a life saver. Literally. For regs anyway. With Bryan's store, and the priceless help from Herman, Greg, Luis and a phew others, my regulators live. I am using the daam my dad used in the 70's. I have rebuilt or repaired one other daam, voit 50 fathom, sports ways dual air, and salvaged from a garbage box at the dive shop my titan II mr12 and soon to be 109 with 108. Before I heard of this forum, all I knew was my dads reg was a shiny can on the shelf with rotten hoses that looked really cool.

Now, where do I watch this Sea Hunt Forever?

Ok, I watched the 10 minute clip from Jonathan's Blue World on youtube, is there more? And why isnt diving allowed at silver springs anymore?

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:35 pm
by Bryan
The State of Florida owns Silver Springs and has banned diving as in the opinion of the folks at the state capitol, divers are detrimental to the natural underwater environment that they are trying to preserve.

You can see two years worth of Sea Hunt Forever stuff on it's FB page.

CLICK HERE...SEA HUNT FOREVER

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:53 pm
by Chris
Ya, i could see in some of the video that some of the divers were disturbing the government owned algae. I will definitely share the page on mine.

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 3:49 am
by Bronze06
Folks,

Is there a "list" of authorized / vetted items that you all use? I see some neat wetsuits and I'm curious as to if they are original or exact reproductions in some cases. I have noted many original and in one or two instances rare masks being used as well. :?:

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:58 am
by simonbeans
Yes, there was a VERY specific list of gear that could be used at Sea Hunt. Basically the rule was that equipment had to be used on the show, not just period of that time. If you wanted to use some particular piece that was not on the "list", you had to have it verified. That usually meant to specify in which episode the gear was seen. As many know, Voit became a supplier in the last years of the TV shows' run, thus many Voit products became the norm. However not all Voit items were used, even if they were period. For example, the USD Jet Air was used, but the Voit plastic Blue Regulator was NOT. The USD Aquamaster was seen in an episode or two, but the Voit Navy was NOT. Wet suits were all smooth-skin, most are repros (silver in particular) but a few original suits were also worn by some cast members. Your gear was vented before it could be used. Probably the only "concession" was the oval mask. Voit B-4s are rare and VERY expensive however, at least two were used this year.

Re: A VERY BIG DEAL...

Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 10:31 am
by ScubaLawyer
Bronze06 wrote:Folks,

Is there a "list" of authorized / vetted items that you all use? I see some neat wetsuits and I'm curious as to if they are original or exact reproductions in some cases. I have noted many original and in one or two instances rare masks being used as well. :?:
Russ,

Most of the black smooth-skin wetsuits were custom made for the cast by JMJ Wetsuits on Abalone Avenue in Torrance, CA. http://www.jmjwetsuits.com

They do a lot of wetsuits for TV and film productions, Sea World cast members, etc... I have gotten four suits from them of different styles and thicknesses over the past 10 years or whenever it was that Mark Kettenhoffen retired from the custom wetsuit business. He recommended JMJ and they have a great product and customer service. Mark