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scubasteve59
Master Diver
Posts: 208
Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:34 am
First Name: Steve
Location: Florida

Early Air

Sun Jun 23, 2013 11:26 am

I've always been curious where the very first divers were able to get air fills? I'm talking 49-51, 52 time frame. Scuba gear was just being marketed, relatively few in use compared to today and even less dive shops. Getting high pressure air is not so easy as hooking up to a craftsman compressor (I've owned three scuba compressors). So I'm sure divers had a dilema with new tanks but where to fill them?

Any ideas?.....

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antique diver
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Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:50 pm
First Name: Bill
Location: North-Central Texas

Re: Early Air

Sun Jun 23, 2013 11:45 am

There were a lot of military surplus hp compressors available cheap at that time. Ingersoll Rand 3321's with Wisconsin 4 cylinder engines were a popular item, and must have been readily available. I used to see a fair number around here into the 70's still in use. Coupled with just a 5 hp electric engine you could get a good 5 or 6 cfm at 2250 psi in a fairly quiet running package. I still have one of these that I acquired in 1970, and used in the dive shop until 1976, when I acquired a larger compressor. Clubs often had them on trailers. Luckily for me in the late 50's and early 60's there was a guy with one in my small town, so air fills were readily available for me.

http://s23.postimg.org/jh1t0rlfr/IR3321.jpg[/img][/url]

The miniature surplus Cornelius and Kidde compressors were very popular with individuals, and lots of them were in use due to very low price and large supply.

I hear stories of people getting their tanks filled at fire departments in the early days. That must have been fairly common in the 50's and 60's.
The older I get the better I was.

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scubasteve59
Master Diver
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Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:34 am
First Name: Steve
Location: Florida

Re: Early Air

Sun Jun 23, 2013 12:29 pm

Thanks Bill! Makes sense that anyone in those early days venturing into such a sport would be resourceful and determined enough to get a surplus military compressor. No air; no dive.

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captain
Plank Owner
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:32 am
Location: LaPlace, LA

Re: Early Air

Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:53 pm

The end of World War II flooded the country with lots of surplus compressors and small CO2 and O2 tanks that were converted to diving use. I have a friend whose father made a fortune by buying surplus generators and large anti-aircraft search lights and renting them out.
Captain

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SurfLung
Master Diver
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First Name: Eben
Location: Alexandria, MN
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Re: Early Air

Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:24 pm

When my Dad first started diving in northern MN, he would ship his tanks by Greyhound bus to be refilled at Jack the Frogman in Minneapolis.
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

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