Idstorical Diver
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Historical Diver, Number 1, 1993 Item Type monograph Publisher Historical Diving Society U.S.A. Download date 23/09/2021 23:48:10 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/30842 IDSTORICAL DIVER Number 1 Summer 1993 The Journal of the Historical Diving Society Dear Member, Welcome to the first issue of Historical Diver. It has been only 9 months since the Society was launched in October 1992, and membership has risen rapidly during this period. So rapidly, in fact, that it soon became obvious to the Steering Committee and myself that we would outgrow our position as the North American Chapter of the British Society and would have to restructure our organization. Firmly focusing on the Society's founding objectives of preservation and education, we have recently filed State and Federal papers to structure the Historical Diving Society as a non-profit educational corporation. The details of the Board of Directors and Corporate Officers can be found in the news section. LESLIE LEANEY - President A scuba diver since 1969, Leslie This organizational change will not effect our working relationship with the has led various expeditions in the British Historical Diving Society, who are hosting our first visit to England in South China Sea and Indian Ocean. October. Details of the visit are in the news section. He has "been under" in Australia, the Red Sea, Mediterranean, Per These last 9 months have also seen steady progress in the Society's visibility. sian Gulf and various other loca Negotiations with A.D.C.. Executive Director, Ross Saxon, have just been tions. An avid helmet collector and finalized and the Society is now the historical affiliate for the Association of historian, he specializes in English Diving Contractors. Both DESCO and Diving Systems International display the and American helmets. HDS logo in their 1993 catalogs. International membership continues to grow and several members have been meeting informally to form working equipment groups. In compiling this first journal, the editorial staff have attempted to set a format of regular columns and feature articles. Contributions in the form of photos, letters, corrections, ideas and articles are strongly encouraged. As in any organization, we will only be as good as our members, so please lets hear from you. On behalf of the old Steering Committee I thank you for your support in bringing the Society so far, so fast. On behalf of the new Corporate Officers, I assure you of our very best efforts to make our Society the best it can be. Skip Dunham - Vice-President President of Diving Systems Inter national. An ardent amateur ma rine archaeologist, he also has great interest in masks and helmets from 1950 to the present and is currently working on a book on this period. Historical Diving Society - U.K. Chairman: Dr. John Bevan Vice Chairman: Reg Vallintine Secretary: ~ick Baker Treasurer: Lindsay Baker Enquiries The Secretary, Historical Diving Society Steve Chaparro - Secretary Scrap Lundy - Treasurer 23 Brompton Drive, Brierly Hill, Art Director of Sea Sprite Design. Former U.S. Navy diver. currently West Midlands DY5 3NZ, UK An impassioned amateur marine researching the California Abalone archeologist. he is currently com Telephone 011 44 384 896079 diving industry for an upcoming pleting a M.S. degree in marine archaeology photography. book. 2 HISTORICAL DIVER No.I Summer 1993 HISTORICAL DIVER OFFICAL JOURNAL OF THE HISTORICAL DIVING SOCIETY Number 1 Summer 1993 HISTORICAL DIVER is CONTENTS published three times a year by the Historical Diving Society, 4 NEWS BRIEFS a CaliforniaN on-Profit Corpo ration, C/0 1223 Wilshire Bou levard #119, Santa Monica California 90403 USA. Copy 5 WORKING EQUIPMENT GROUPS right© 1993 all rights reserved Historical Diving Society Tel. 310 451-9355 7 PURISIMA, By Hugh "Dan" Wilson. Officers are President, Leslie Leaney; Vice President, Skip "Danny Wilson was the guy that turned everything around. " This inaugural Dunham; Treasurer, Scrap Lundy; Secretary, Steve Chap meeting quote by Bob Kirby only hints at Dan's contribution to diving. His introduction arro. of the first commercial mixed gas diving system with a 400 foot dive in 1962 was Board Members are: Skip followed by successful operations for Phillips Petroleum, Shell Oil and others. Dunham, Steve Chaparro, Leslie Leaney, Lisa Glen Ryan, Torrance Parker, Ron Karlsson. 9 SCUBA NOW AND THEN, By Dr. Samuel Miller. Membership is invited. Cor With nearly 45 years in skin and scuba diving related fields Dr. Miller porate $1 00.00; Institutional recalls the terms of a technology and sport in its infancy. $50.00; Family $40.00; Indi vidual $30.00; Student $20.00, OVERSEAS $40.00 All funds 9 BIRTH OF A SPORT- THE EARLY DAYS, By Nick Icom. U.S. dollars. Checks made pay able to The Historical Diving Curator of probably the worlds largest collection of scuba equipment Nick Society. HISTORICAL Icom recalls the entry of the original Aqua Lung regulator into America. DIVER is sent to all members. 10 WOMEN PIONEERS IN DIVING -By Bonnie Cardone. HISTORICAL DIVER is com Dr. Sylvia Earle piled by Steve Chaparro, Ron In this regular feature the HDS's first female member, Bonnie Cardone, Karlsson, Lisa Glen Ryan, reviews the career and achievements of the internationally famous Dr. Earle. Christl Karlsson and Leslie Leaney. Lay out and graphics by Sea 11 IN DEPTH- THE HISTORICAL DIVING SOCIETY INTERVIEW. Sprite Design Santa Barbara, CA (805) 965-7137. BERNICE McKENZIE with Leslie Leaney. Printed by West Side Print Exhibiting her well known modesty and grace, the most famous lady in Works Santa Monica, CA. commercial diving manufacturing reflects on some of her experiences with Jack Browne and "hundreds and hundreds" of diving helmets. The Historical Diving Society is affiliated with the The Histoncal Diving Society, United Kingdom 14 DIVING COLLECTIBLES and is the Historical Affiliate of the Association of Diving Con tractors (ADC) 15 THE MARK V COLUMN, By Leslie Leaney ~.-oc A column dedicated to the research and preservation of this classic helmet. r~ This first column traces the helmets origins. ~JI 18 THE HDS BOOK REVIEW HDS- U.K. "Blow all Ballast" by Nat Barrows, 1st published 1940. Reviewed by E.R. Cross. To anyone with an interest in hard hat diving, submarine rescue, salvage. helium helmet development, diving in the U.S. Navy On the Cover and underwater adventure, this book is an essential library item. Our guest The Diver's Preparations, 1879. reviewer for this regular feature is member E.R.Cross, who is himself in A wood print showing a tender prepar ing his diver for work on the Hells Gate the process of compiling a book on the Squalus story. Reefs in New York. The divers helmet has a 4 bolt neck ring and not the usual 20 PHOTO CONTEST ',?t.~rrupted thread joint. Also of inter- 23 CLASSIFIEDS est is the propeller like device attached --~;;__~;;;;.;;....;;.;;;.;;;=-=:;..;:;.------------------------- to the face plate which is possibly a The opinions and views expressed are those of the respective authors and protective cover. are not necessarily the opinions and views of the Historical Diving Society. © 1993 Historical Diving Society, All Rights Reserved. HISTORICAL DIVER No.1 Summer 1993 3 NEWS BRIEFS Second Annual HDS Meeting and Rally Displays Include 10 AM Sunday the 19th of September Hosted by Nick learn's Museum of Diving Mike Von Alvensleben at the Santa Barbara City Diving Systems International College Marine Technology Department Military Diving Insignia Presentations Dan Wilson's helium helmet and photo display by Dan Wilson, Nick Icom, Leslie Leaney and Widolf mask display others. Films, lectures and slides. HDS members equipment display SANTA BARBARA presided over the initial meeting which was held in Santa Barbara on June 29th. at Diving Systems offices. The TRASH AND TREASURE DIVE Society's temporary board of directors are Skip Dunham, Hosted by Ron Karlsson, Torrance Parker, Lisa Glen Ryan, Leslie American Oceans Campaign Leaney and Steve Chaparro. The Society Officers are: and Leslie Leaney,- President; Skip Dunham,- Vice Presi The Historical Diving Society dent; Scrap Lundy,- Treasurer; Steve Chaparro,- Secre American Oceans, a Santa Monica basednon-profitoceans tary. advocacy group and The Historical Diving Society are proud to host the First Annual Santa Barbara Trash and Lyons Maritime Museum Treasure Dive. This dive is to be held on Saturday the In an arrangement that will undoubtedly heighten public 18th of September (the day before the rally, see above) awareness and interest in historical diving items, the at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara. In addition to the Lyons Maritime Museum in St. Augustine, Florida, has underwater clean up dive, Mike Von Alvensleben and his entered into an agreement to lease over 50 diving helmets staff from Santa Barbara City College Marine Tech. and other various diving and nautical items to "Ripley's Department will be giving a demonstration of current and Believe It or Not" museum in Key West, Florida. Housed antique hard hat diving equipment, underwater remote in the ornate 1920's decor of the Strand Theater, Ripley's control vehicle flying, and The Historical Diving Society will have a display of antique diving equipment. The re will be prizes for the oddest, most valuable, and most environmentally damaging trash recovered, as well as a post-dive raffle. For information contact Steve Chaparro at (805) 965-7137. Over there. The English visit The first visit to Britains historical diving sites by North American Society members will take place on October 24th 1993. British Society Chairman Dr. John Bevan, and Secretary Nick Baker, will host the one week tour which includes visits to Siebe Gorman, the Mary Rose Museum, Whitstable Divers Museum, Weymouth's Deep Sea Adventure and the London Historical Diving Walk, museum joins many other famous museums along the among other venues.