Gallery 3 Classic Equip Diving

There are many individuals and several clubs which collect, restore, and dive antique & classic equipment. Often clubs hold events which bring hobbyists from near and far. The activity has become prevalent enough that in Australia NAUI offers a standard dress training course. As with any potentially hazardous activity proper training, preparation, and safety consciousness is a necessity.

Diving is a potentially hazardous activity, that if practiced incorrectly or with incomplete training, planning and procedures can expose a person to considerable risks including serious injury or DEATH. Never dive a antique or collectible piece of equipment without first assuring its authenticity, and/or functionality. It is recommended that any diving equipment undergo inspection and testing by qualified personnel to insure safe use.

Saturday in Lake Michigan

Local diver & Wisconsin Marine Historical Society member Peter Scotland tries out an old home built shallow water helmet.

Christian Koellner dives Scott Kuesel's Commercial helmet.

Leon Lyons takes the plunge in one of his old helmets.

John McCadden & Son diving his modified Chinese helmet.

Click on a picture to enlarge. Use your browser back button to return.

John and his dive buddy Bob put the helmet through its paces.

Vince Scarponi's Custom Helmet

In late 2009 Vince Scarponi ordered a modified Mark V helmet. It has Browne Commercial windows, a Browne Commercial secondary exhaust valve, and mounting blocks on the bonnet.

On a sunny June Sunday Vince give six year old Jack and fifteen year old Jonah a chance to try out his DESCO Pot in the backyard pool.

Vince says:

The DESCO Air Hat So Simple a Six Year Old Can Dive It.

Might be time to ship them off to OZ for the NAUI SDD course.

Latest photo from Vince taken at the 2011 September Labor Day Weekend Rally at Dutch Springs in PA.

Both helmets are DESCO Mark Vs.

NAUI Standard Dress Diving course held "Down Under"

Professional Diving Services of Portland, Victoria Australia held a course for NAUI certification for standard dress diving and standard dress diving supervisor. The course which consisted of classroom and in water training was offered to HDS SEAP members. Helmets by TOA, Siebe Gorman, and DESCO were used. This was the second year the course was offered. Our thanks to Stephen Taylor for supplying us the photos.

Click the thumbnail to enlarge photo.

Putting in the time in the classroom.

Now to the fun part.

Historical Diving Society Southeast Asia Pacific: http://www.classicdiver.org/

Professional Diving Services Portland, Victoria Australia http://www.profdivers.com/

Some photos from Stephen Taylor

Photos of a dive at the Melbourne Aquarium by Stephen Taylor

Photos courtesy of Stephen Taylor

***************

Today (November 11, 2011) we received an e-mail from Steve and as usual it came with some interesting photos. Also we got a wonderful story. This being Veteran's Day we are placing the text of Steve's e-mail here. On this day as we remember the service and sacrifice of people like Steve's father maybe we should also take a moment to remember the wood, steel, and fabric veteran's who were just as much living things to those who's lives depended on them. Well done Saratoga. To all our Veterans - Thank You.

*Ric,

Thanks for the information on my latest order.

I have attached some pictures for you. They are of a US Navy Mark V found on the deck of the USS Saratoga (CV3), at the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb test site. They were taken by Allan Easter of Australia while diving on the Saratoga. If you would like to put them on your site, please credit Allan.

My father was at Bikini when when the USS Saratoga was sunk in 1946. Two atomic bombs were exploded as a part of Operation Cross Roads. The first one was exploded at the wrong altitude so, the test was repeated. The Saratoga survived the first blast and was sunk by the second one. This 'hat' must have been lost after the test, as radioactivity made salvage diving too dangerous. In any case, it shows how well the Mark V can survive the elements.

My father had been transferred to the USS Saratoga when his own ship, the USS Honolulu, was damaged at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on Dec 7th 1941. The Saratoga was torpedoed on Jan 11th, 1942 and he was transferred again and he went to Australia. The Saratoga was part of the Operation Magic Carpet that returned troops to the USA after the war. It carried a total of 30,000 personnel on multiple trips. There was a great feeling of sadness when dad saw the Saratoga go down.

**Steve*

Photos by Allan Easter

Simon Lessels

from Hobart, Tasmania sent us some photos of his DESCO Mark V.

Hi Ric,

Here are some photos of the helmet in action, we are diving in the Derwent river in Hobart Tasmania. The water temp is approx 9 degrees as its in the middle of winter July when the photos were taken. Every one that has a go loves it and has a second go while there is still enough gas.

Photos courtesy of Simon Lessels

**********

12/05/11from Simon Lessels

Hi Ric,

Just some more photo's of the Mk V in use in Tasmania, I have written a short piece about what and why we were diving for. Please see attached letter which I hope explains it all.

The following list is the names of people and what is going on in each of the photos. I'm unsure how to get them attached to each of them but I quit / hope you will be able to get them to attach to the right ones please. The Mark V stole the show.

1. Some Clearance Diving Equipment used for Salvage diving and repair from AUSTCD1
2. Dressing ABCD Bowler in to the Helmet
3. ABCD Bowler recruiting more divers
4. Final checks before diving the helmet
5. Locking the front window in on the helmet
6. The 'New' and the 'Old', showing how it is done
7. Both the New and the Old working together
8. Mk V in all her glory
9. Down dressing ABCD Bowler from the Mk V Helmet
10. The 'New' and the 'Old', ABCD Fernadez in the KMMK17 and ABCD Bowler in the Mk V
11. Children looking on in ore of the old diving equipment/diver
12. LSCD Lessels taking a moment to look at the crowds
13. LSCD Lessels adjusting the air flow through the control valve
14. Royal Australian Navy display sight
15. Team members on the day from left to right: CPOCD Price, LCSD Lessels, CPOCD Van Denbroek (Mk V), PODV Taylor, LCDR Hichman,
LSCD Bumford (KMMK17 in water).
16. Desco Mk V the best there is...

Thanks again Ric everyone who has a go loves it

Simon

*/Regards/*

*Simon Lessels*

/Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit/
/RoyalHobartHospital/

Military Barracks Turns 200 Years

Anglesea Barracks in Hobart, Tasmania Australia is celebrating 200 years of Military service.

It was established by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in December 1811.

Anglesea Barracks is Australia’s oldest military establishment still in use. Its historic and cultural significance is recognised in its inclusion on the Commonwealth Heritage List.

The architecture dates from 1814, shortly after the settlement of Hobart Tasmania in 1803 and 16 years before Port Arthur (a convict colony) was established. It reflects changes resulting from sixty years of British Military government in the 1800s, with their departure in 1870 and the federation of the Australian States in 1901.

To show there support all three services came together to celebrate this occasion with RAAF aircraft displays, Army military hard wear and the Navy Diving equipment all standing out as the best for the crowds.

Members who took part in the diving display were members from Australian Clearance Diving Team 1, Sydney (ASTCDT1) and the local Reserve Diving Unit ‘Diving Team 10’, which is comprised of retired Clearance Divers and Reserve Divers. The Diving Tank was supplied by AUSCT1 which contains 15000 Litres of water.

The following photos were taken through out the day of the divers in Mark V helmet and the more modern day Kirby Morgan Mark 17 helmet.

1. Some Clearance Diving Equipment used for Salvage diving and repair from AUSTCD1 2. Dressing ABCD Bowler in to the Helmet 3. ABCD Bowler recruiting more divers 4. Final checks before diving the helmet 5. Locking the front window in on the helmet 6. The 'New' and the 'Old', showing how it is done 7. Both the New and the Old working together 8. Mk V in all her glory 9. Down dressing ABCD Bowler from the Mk V Helmet 10. The 'New' and the 'Old', ABCD Fernadez in the KMMK17 and ABCD Bowler in the Mk V 11. Children looking on in ore of the old diving equipment/diver 12. LSCD Lessels taking a moment to look at the crowds 13. LSCD Lessels adjusting the air flow through the control valve 14. Royal Australian Navy display sight 15. Team members on the day from left to right: CPOCD Price, LCSD Lessels, CPOCD Van Denbroek (Mk V), PODV Taylor, LCDR Hichman, LSCD Bumford (KMMK17 in water). 16. Desco Mk V the best there is...

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