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SurfLung
Master Diver
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 2:03 pm
First Name: Eben
Location: Alexandria, MN
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Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Wed Aug 25, 2021 11:37 am

Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond
- We've scheduled our annual "Fall Colors" Trip to dive Fortune Pond Michigan one last time for the Summer. Rich and I are bringing our lovely wives... Plus all of our vintage dive gear. Ron will be bringing his James Bond Thunderball outfits, Cousteau style UDS-1 and Cousteau wetsuits. We'll have 3 DPVs (scooters). I will have all four sets of my Bless-ed 38s as well as a selection of my favorite vintage double hose regs to dive.
- If you like clear water and craggy cliffs and mountainous underwater structure... If you like diving vintage scuba gear... If you like hanging out with fellow vintage equipment divers... And enjoying the Fall Colors... WELL, THIS IS THE DIVE TRIP FOR YOU!
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

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SurfLung
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 2:03 pm
First Name: Eben
Location: Alexandria, MN
Contact: Website

Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Fri Sep 17, 2021 4:17 pm

Update - Fall Colors Trip

So far we have 5 of us confirmed to be going. Rich and Marie, Me and Jill, and Ron. We have our reservations made at the Lakeshore Motel in Iron River. Ron's got a new front zip, one piece Cousteau replica wetsuit custom made from France... He'll be showing that off. I've discovered a new source for wetsuit glue at Ace Hardware of all places. So for the past several evenings I've been re-gluing the seams on my wetsuit gloves. No cold fingers this time. I also got around to re-configuring my Voit VR-1 regulator. I still had the straight green mouthpiece and hoses from the last SeaHunt Forever show. The new configuration has gray hoses and a green curved mouthpiece... Finished off with smooth stainless zip ties! Oh Baby.
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We're gonna be riding underwater scooters (DPVs). Rich and I dive our two piece beavertail vintage style suits... Smooth black rubber! Ron has several vintage suits... Themed from Thunderball movie to Cousteau divers and beyond. I'll be diving my bless-ed Twin 38s mostly. Rich sounds like he'll be diving single 38s since he hardly uses any air riding on his scooter. And, Ron... He brings lots of cool options from Sea Hunt Triples to UDS-1 to ABS to Sea Hunt Twin 38s. Vintage IS (after all) the coolest way to dive!
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

SheriffDiver
Master Diver
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First Name: John

Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:43 am

Since it is a fall COLORS theme dive I will bring all my colorful wetsuits. Red, silver, yellow, blue, black, yellow striped and the new Cousteau one piece retro wetsuit from 1973. Red/white/blue fins and dive knife. Colorful regs and reg hoses. Colorful tanks and the yellow UDS-1 triple tank system. Gonna be a fun dive weekend.

SheriffDiver
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Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Mon Sep 27, 2021 9:04 pm



Video of Surflung and Rich diving at Fortune Pond

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SurfLung
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First Name: Eben
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Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:13 am

Huge Turnout Thanks to Sheriffdiver Ron!
- Holy cow... The parking lot was full. There were little kids running around screaming and hollering in the background. And I think we had 12 or more divers visiting, comparing equipment and diving. I apologize that I don't remember everyone's names. There was a young couple newly certified that came up with their kids. They brought Chili for everyone because they saw on one of Ron's facebook pages that Swimjim brought Chili in years past. Ron set the guy up to dive a Phoenix and we believe he is now hooked on Vintage. That couple brought along some of their diving friends.
- Ron had pre-advertized that he would be diving his complete 1980s Cousteau outfit... So he gets all decked out in the UDS-1, Yellow Helmet, and custom reproduction Cousteau suit... And all the kids wanted their picture taken with him. I think our community kind of takes this stuff for granted... I was just planning to go diving with him and suddenly realized I really need to get behind a camera and shoot photos and video of the dive. That stuff is coming as soon as Ron gets it all edited together.
- Our usual group was diminished somewhat. Our fearless leader SwimJim is recovering from hip surgery and couldn't come. Rich is struggling with a back problem and will face surgery in a month or so. He still made the trip and he managed to make a dive with our lightweight "Single 38" scuba tanks (video above). He dives an original "DogBone" backpack that's been upgraded to a back BC. Rich bar-b-qued a bunch of bacon wrapped shrimp for us Friday night... Mmm... GOOD! Our resident tech/rebreather diver Eric came up and dove despite having a pinched nerve. I dove my bless-ed Twin 38s and usual 3mm vintage wetsuit. Ron and I drove the heck out of the scooters. Oh and there's a new kid named Riley that's joined us the last couple of trips. He's probably learning some bad habits from us vintage divers but he's been great company and a valuable addition to our community. This time Ron and I took him on a scooter ride along the "Cliffs of Dover"... He held on to my ankles and the UV-26 "Little Boy" scooter dragged us both on a great ride with Ron flying at wingman position. Oh and of course Ron dove some of his other movie theme outfits (Thunderball, etc.)
- Ron added some more fun with Door Prizes... And he had enough of them for all the divers. Apparently the new people have been seeing our vintage diving trips on two of Ron's Facebook pages. One is about Vintage diving. The other is about diving in Fortune Pond. I am getting a vibe that's similar to the public reaction to our Sea Hunt Forever events. Ron posts photos and videos of all of our interesting equipment and they want to see it up close. I don't know if that's it but I DO know they found us on Ron's Facebook pages and not through our vintage forums.
- I kind of got a kick out of a little incident... I was going in the water to dive with Rich and Ron and my regulator mouthpiece was giving me problems. So I had to ask a couple of the divers on shore to help me change regulators. They never got to handle a double hose before and almost put it on upside down! But I think it removed a little of the mystery (and maybe fear) for them to see how it just goes on the tank like any other reg.
- I think we got in 6 dives altogether... The water was crystal clear as usual. And, we all had a fabulous good time!
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

swimjim
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Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Tue Sep 28, 2021 1:41 pm

Nice report Eben! Looks like I missed a really awesome event. Great job Ron on getting people to come and participate! :D

SheriffDiver
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First Name: John

Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Tue Sep 28, 2021 4:10 pm



Here's the video of the 1970's Cousteau gear I dove. I know I had a slight leak in the safe 2nd reg and I got it to stop shortly after Surflung stopped filming. This is by far the best wetsuit I have ever dove. I was completely warm in 40 degree water and I didn't want to quit my dive when Surflung signaled he was cold.

Here is my close up review on the repro wetsuit made in France. I've posted pictures on the Fortune Pond Facebook page of the wetsuit underwater and I've had a lot of good comments.



I was able to find a Phoenix regulator for the guy and hopefully a deal can be made. I made 7 dives during my trip and I hope we got some more people interested in vintage diving and coming to Fortune Pond.

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SurfLung
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Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Tue Sep 28, 2021 4:51 pm

Image
Total Authenticity Above: Ron is diving a complete and functional UDS-1 Scuba with reproduction '80s Cousteau wetsuit and helmet.
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Above: Cousteau wetsuit is one piece with attached boots and helmet. Closes at the chest diagonally with velcro.
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Above: Not sure what SurfLung is doing here... Looks like he's dodging a rattle snake.
Twin 38 bushing tanks and the "Mystery Mess" hot DAAM regulator restoration that was written up on the VDH forum.
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Above: Totally authentic JAWS movie diver... Ronald (Sheriffdiver) Dreyfus diving the same gear as Hooper in the Jaws movie.
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

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SurfLung
Master Diver
Posts: 1763
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 2:03 pm
First Name: Eben
Location: Alexandria, MN
Contact: Website

Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Wed Sep 29, 2021 1:48 pm

Nice Pics of SurfLung... by Ron Cousteau
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Above: SurfLung is descending down to the "newstand" on a ledge at 133 ft deep. Vintage "Twin 38" bushing
tanks with single stage Voit Lung DH. Wearing a 3mm Elios Vintage style beavertail wetsuit.
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Above: Nice photo of SurfLung with the USD "Twin 38s" that started it all. Using the same single stage Voit Lung double hose reg.
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Above: Same dive, SurfLung is picking up a "safety rock" for extra ballest on his Safety stop.
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Above: SurfLung is under the floating pier about to drop some safety rocks on the photographer! :D
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

SheriffDiver
Master Diver
Posts: 194
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 9:07 pm
First Name: John

Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Thu Sep 30, 2021 1:40 pm

Chirp, chirp... crickets again....why.....

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SurfLung
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 2:03 pm
First Name: Eben
Location: Alexandria, MN
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Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Thu Sep 30, 2021 5:04 pm

650+ silent watchers ain't all bad! I am simply STUNNED at the quality of these photos. My original GoPro Hero I doesn't do this well. Ron, you've got some nice photo video lights that I think are helping, too. BUt holy cow I can't get over the clarity and focus in these shots. You camera is the latest GoPro version... Is that right?
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

SheriffDiver
Master Diver
Posts: 194
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 9:07 pm
First Name: John

Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Thu Sep 30, 2021 10:12 pm

Mine is a GoPro 7 Black. They just came out with the GoPro 10.

swimjim
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First Name: Jim
Location: Belgium WI

Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Fri Oct 01, 2021 8:04 am

Those are some nice stills! I'm shooting a Gopro 7 Black and I'm very happy with it.

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simonbeans
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Re: Fall Colors Sept 24-25 Fortune Pond

Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:24 am

Both Ron and Eben stated in their posts on this thread that a diver that participated at this event and tried Ron’s Phoenix and was interested. Ron contacted me and inquired as to an available Phoenix. I do have a second one that I told this guy about and he kicked a tire and backed off. So now that I have decided to let this go, I do have a second version Phoenix, all silicone available parts. Contact me if interested.
Check out my website: www.vintagescubastuff.com

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