Latest News 07/25/08
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Miscellaneous News Stolen Helmets Thomas Fifield Donald Baral
07/25/08: A price increase on some DESCO products will take effect on August 1, 2008. Due to risings costs for Brass and Copper we will be making a price increase on August 1st. The cost of our castings plus the transportation costs from the foundry force us to make the increase. The prices for Brass bar stock and Copper sheet have also risen sharply. The new pricelists are now available on the download page.
Only 3 Limited Edition Diver's Knives are left.
07/15/08: Effective immediately the handling charge will increase from $6.00 to $7.00. The cost of packing materials has gone up much the same as other items.
05/20/08: We have added the Hunter Drysuits Sizing Charts as a download onto the drysuits page. Also available is the Hunter Drysuit size information form.
04/06/08: DESCO is now making an adapter to go from male JIC 6 to 1 1/16"-17 female. Part No. 23057. Only five of the two hundred Limited Edition Diver's knives are left. The knife is all Brass and the belt is Brown with a cast Brass buckle. Each knife is stamped with #/200 on the sheath and handle.
03/24/08: A list of remaining DESCO Litho tee shirts has been added to the "In Stock" page. The litho tees were discontinued last November due to increasing production costs.
12/18/07: DESCO will no longer be offering the reproduction Mark V Diving Helmet. Our supplier has stopped importing them due to spiraling costs.
12/06/07: DESCO will issue a new pricelist on Jan. 1st. Due to the increased cost for energy, insurance, and materials there will be price increases.
12/03/07: DESCO e-commerce website is back. See www.divedesco.com
11/21/07: Composite Beat Engel has announced a price increase on the DSL B-2 Helmet.
11/02/07:DESCO e-commerce website is down for maintenance.
11/01/07: Price increase for shop labor. Due to rising costs we are forced to raise our shop labor rate from $50.00 per hour to $65.00 per hour. This increase is effective immediately.
07/26/07: Hunter Drysuits is issuing a new pricelist effective August 1, 2007. DESCO will be providing the new Dealer pricelists to Hunter dealers we supply. The Hunter retail pricelist will be available from DESCO or for download from this website Aug. 1st.
06/26/07: Missing page on divedesco.com The drysuit page on www.divedesco.com is offline. We are aware of the problem and will be addressing it shortly.
01/01/07: New Price List As of January 1st DESCO has issued it's 2007 price lists. There has been increases on some products. If you are using a 2006 price list please confirm the current price with DESCO. The 2007 retail price lists are available for download on the Download Page of this website. Due to large price increases in raw materials DESCO has been forced to increase prices on some products. Our casting supplier, copper spinning supplier, and plating supplier have all notified us they will be passing along increases and surcharges to us. We have attempted to absorb the costs of material price increases and surcharges as much as possible. DESCO is committed to hold retail prices as long as possible but any large increases will be passed on.
November 8, 2006: Lithograph Tee Shirts DESCO will be discontinuing the Lithograph Tee Shirts. We still have some Litho shirts in stock but not all styles or sizes will be available. All other Tees and sweatshirts will still be available. 4/6/08 Note; Check the In Stock page for availability of remaining shirts.
Sept. 2006
A polished DESCO Mark V Helmet #366, Date of Mfg. 08/25/06 was stolen in mid-September from a residence in California.
October 9, 1915 – February 9, 2007
In the early morning of February 9, 2007 Thomas Fifield, former owner of DESCO Corporation, and designer of the DESCO Air Hat, passed away at age 91.
Mr. Fifield was born in Janesville, Wisconsin October 9, 1915. He received his BA at Princeton University in 1937. He continued his studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and Princeton. In 1941 he entered the University of Wisconsin Law School but left to join the US Army in 1942.
He served 4 years in World War II mostly with the Third Armored Division Artillery in Europe. After the war he served as an advocate in the War Crimes Commission. He returned to reserve status as a Captain in 1946 and continued to serve in the National Guard.
In 1947 he received his LLB from the University of Wisconsin. He practiced law in Milwaukee from 1947-50 with the firm of Miller, Mack and Fairchild, now Foley and Lardner.
On February 26, 1949 he married Marilyn Jean Kieckhefer of Milwaukee.
In 1950 he was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Army and served in Korea. He returned to his law practice in 1952. From 1952 until 1966 he continued his law practice with increasing interest in sport and archaeological diving.
In 1964, Mr. Fifield left Foley and Lardner and after a short law practice on his own, he joined Gibbs, Roper and Fifield, now von Briesen and Roper, as a partner.
In 1966 Mr. Fifield purchased Diving Equipment & Supply Co. (DESCO), in partnership with his wife Marilyn, and had combined practice of law with design and production of commercial diving equipment. In 1972 they also purchased Chaney Instrument Company in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Chaney Instruments manufactures thermometers and clocks.
The development of the Air Hat began in 1967 when Ronald Temento of Temento’s Inc. invited Mr. Fifield to Louisiana to see divers using modified motorcycle helmets for diving. Mr. Fifield designed the Air Hat and made all of the wood patterns for the prototype helmet castings. The prototype was tested by commercial divers Andy Webb and Jerry Neff. Production helmets #1 and #2 were presented to Mr. Webb and Mr. Neff.
In 1968-69 he was chairman of NSIA AD HOC Committee to review and evaluate design of conventional Navy diving gear. The final report of Committee was submitted to Assistant Secretary of Navy for Research and Development on November 25, 1969.
In 1969 DESCO worked with Jon Lindbergh of Lindbergh Hammar Associates to develop a gas recirculator helmet based on merging the Air Hat with the LHA PURA system. Mr. Fifield had worked with Mr. Lindbergh on the Ad Hoc Committee. In 1970 Mr. Fifield commissioned Battelle Memorial Institute to investigate adapting the Air Hat to available backpack recirculators.
Mr. Fifield owned and piloted an Aerostar aircraft and served as the president of the Aerostar Owners Association. Their interests in flying took them around North and Central America.
Mr. and Mrs. Fifield were involved in a number of businesses in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. They also spent time exploring the history, culture, and ecology of the Central American region, and helped with the work of numerous pre-Columbian archeologists. While in Mexico Mr. Fifield did some diving in the cenotes in the area. These sink holes have been treasure troves for archaeologists studying Mayan culture and history. Mr. Fifield was a founding member of Club Akumal and the Centro Ecologico Akumal in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
At home Mr. Fifield served on the board of the Milwaukee County Zoological Society, the Friends of the Milwaukee Public Museum, and was a member of the Wisconsin Mycological Society. He was a village trustee in River Hills, Wisconsin where Marilyn and he resided.
March 21, 2007
Don Baral passed away on March 21st at the age of 76. Don worked with Max Nohl and DESCO for many years. He designed and supplied the DESCO Divers Telephone. Don Baral was Mr. Nohl's chief engineer on his attempt to salvage the M/V Prins Willem V off Milwaukee Harbor in 1955. He was a diver, pilot, and enjoyed woodworking.
