The Journal of Diving History, Volume 23, Issue 4 (Number 85), 2015 Item Type monograph Publisher Historical Diving Society U.S.A. Download date 03/10/2021 15:56:02 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/35934 Fourth Quarter 2015 • Volume 23 • Number 85 SORIMA An Historic Maritime Salvage Company ® 40TH ANNIVERSARY EXPOSITION EXPO 40 COURTESYPHOTO OF SCOTT PORTELLI THE SEA ATTEND The Greatest International Oceans MEADOWLANDS EXPOSITION CENTER | SECAUCUS | NEW JERSEY | MECEXPO.COM BENEATHExposition In The USA , , , REGISTER TODAY APRIL 1 2 3 2016 REGISTER TODAY ONLY 10 MINUTES FROM NYC • FREE PARKING EVERYWHERE! REGISTER ONLINE NOW AT WWW.BENEATHTHESEA.ORG BENEATH THE SEA™ 2016 DIVE & TRAVEL EXPOSITION 495 NEW ROCHELLE RD., STE. 2A, BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK 10708 914 - 664 - 4310 E-MAIL: [email protected] WWW.BENEATHTHESEA.ORG WWW.MECEXPO.COM HISTORICAL DIVING SOCIETY USA A PUBLIC BENEFIT NONPROFIT CORPORATION PO BOX 2837, SANTA MARIA, CA 93457 USA TEL. 805-934-1660 FAX 805-934-3855 e-mail: [email protected] or on the web at www.hds.org PATRONS OF THE SOCIETY HDS USA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ernie Brooks II Carl Roessler Dan Orr, Chairman James Forte, Director Leslie Leaney Lee Selisky Sid Macken, President Janice Raber, Director Bev Morgan Greg Platt, Treasurer Ryan Spence, Director Steve Struble, Secretary Ed Uditis, Director ADVISORY BOARD Dan Vasey, Director Bob Barth Jack Lavanchy Dr. George Bass Clement Lee WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTINUED Tim Beaver Dick Long SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING: Dr. Peter B. Bennett Krov Menuhin Dick Bonin Daniel Mercier FOUNDING CORPORATIONS Ernest H. Brooks II Joseph MacInnis, M.D. Texas, Inc. Jim Caldwell J. Thomas Millington, M.D. Best Publishing Mid Atlantic Dive & Swim Svcs James Cameron Bev Morgan DESCO Midwest Scuba Jean-Michel Cousteau Phil Newsum Kirby Morgan Diving Systems NJScuba.net David Doubilet Phil Nuytten Dr. Sylvia Earle Torrance Parker Marine Surplus Supply, UK North Coast Divers, Inc. Rodney Fox Zale Parry Oceaneering Int’l, West Coast Pacific Comm. Diving Supply Lad Handelman Carl Roessler Santa Barbara City College R & D Technology Services Bob Hollis Dr. Ross Saxon Searchwise Ltd. Mike Hughes Lee Selisky Hannes Keller Robert Sténuit T N J Marine, Inc. Ian Koblick Valerie Taylor Webb Diving Services Stan Waterman SPONSORS Aquala REMEMBERED FOR THEIR SERVICE Aqueos DIVE STORES Scott Carpenter (1925-2013) Dr. Christian J. Lambertsen (1917-2011) Assn. of Diving Contractors Int’l Aquatic Sports & Scuba Schools E.R. Cross (1913-2000) Billy Meistrell (1928-2006) Borneo Subsea Services Aquatics Wetsuit Henri Delauze (1929-2012) Bob Meistrell (1928-2013) Epic Divers & Marine David Deboer Bernard Eaton (1926-2012) Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir John Rawlins, Andre Galerne (1926-2008) KBE, FRCP, FFCM, FRAES (1922-2011) DAN Great Lakes Scuba, Inc. Lotte Hass (1928 - 2015) Andreas B. Rechnitzer Ph. D. (1924-2005) DEMA Michael Vandiver Professor Hans Hass (1919-2013) Ron Taylor (1934-2012) DESCO Princeton Watches Dive Commercial International Wateree Dive Center, Inc. FOUNDING BENEFACTORS Global Diving and Salvage International Scuba Diving Arthur Bachrach, Ph.D. Andy Lentz Hall of Fame Antonio Badias-Alonso Paul Linaweaver, M.D. IUC INSTITUTIONS Roger Bankston Scrap Lundy Jack W. Lavanchy Alpha Training Group Thomas Barnes Jim Mabry K.B. Associates Brooks Institute of Photography Ron Benson Mitchell A. Melnick, Jr. Murray Black Krov Menuhin Kirby Morgan Diving Systems Divers Academy International Ernest H. Brooks II Nyle Monday Nautilus Explorer Divers Institute Of Tech. Inc. Kenneth Paul Brown Andrew R. Mrozinski Oceaneering International Giant Panda Management Wayne Brusate Ronald E. Owen Oceanic NYCD of Carpenters Labor William Castle Torrance Parker Mr. P.K. Chandran Alese & Morton Pechter PADI Technical College Steve Chaparro Greg Platt Subsalve USA Scripps Institution Of John Churchill Bob Ratcliffe Wyland Oceanography Raymond Dawson, Jr. Bob Rusnak Ships Of Exploration & Jesse & Brenda Dean Vincent Scarponi Skip & Jane Dunham Lee Selisky Discovery Research Hugh Frame Robert D. Shepard Woods Hole Oceanographic Howard & Michele Hall Don Slack Institution Randy Hanks Edward Lee Spence CORPORATE MEMBERS Philip Hawes Rodney Stanley Fred Johnson Hironao Tanaka American UW Contractors Buck Kamphausen John W. Thielst Amron International LIBRARIES Ron & Christl Karlsson Charles S. Thornton Bamboo Reef Enterprises Long Beach Public Library Woody Kenney James Vorosmarti, M.D. Bowman Diving Corp. Mendocino County Library, Robert & Claudia Kirby Gene & Elizabeth Webb Leslie Leaney Robert P. Weed DECA Diving Ft. Bragg Robert & Caroline Leaney Captain Ed White DRS Rancho Palos Verdes Center Dryden Diving Co., Inc. Library LIFETIME MEMBERS Hypertec, Inc. Redondo Beach Public Idelson Gnocchi Publisher Library Dr. Sally Bauer Jim Mermis Rich Riley JS Marine Comm. Diving San Pedro Public Library W.J.Castle Jon Mark Meshejian Kent Rockwell Marine Surplus Supply Torrance Civic Library Robert Dion Scott Naughton Chip Scarlett Marion Hill Associates, Inc. Earl Gerrard Phil Newsum John Skelton Martha Watkins Gilkes Mary Patricia O’Malley Steve Struble McGriff Seibels & Williams of Bret Gilliam Charlie Orr Ed Uditis Capt. Jon Hazelbaker Ace Parnell Bill Wissel THE SOCIETY IS OFFICIAL Dr. Felix Huang Nestor Palmero Robert P. Weed Kevin Lengyel Mike Pelissier HISTORICAL AFFILIATE OF: Fourth Quarter 2015, Volume 23, Number 85 The Journal of Diving History 1 COLUMNS THE JOURNAL 3 EDITORIAL Farewell 2015, by Leslie Leaney 22 THE SUBMARINE LENS OF DIVING HISTORY Homemade Housings: Ingenuity on the Kitchen Table, Part II Fourth Quarter 2015 • Volume 23 • Number 85 by Sid Macken ISSN 1094-4516 26 HELMETS OF THE DEEP DESCO US Navy Mark V Helium Helmet, 1959, by Don Creekmore 29 VINTAGE SCUBA FEATURES Before the Electrolung, - Electrically Controlled Rebreathers from the SORIMA. An Historic 1950’s, by Richard Walsby 6 Maritime Salvage Company 40 THE HISTORY OF MANNED By Jan de Groot SUBMERSIBLES by Kevin Hardy and Ian Koblick The commercial business of diving for Living Under The Sea marine salvage traces its roots back over by Dr. Joseph B. MacInnis several centuries of bells, barrels and Scientific American, March 1966. breath-hold diving. With the advent in the mid 1800’s of the individual diver working 52 BOOKS IN DEPTH in a surface supplied helmet, the trade of The Abalone King of Monterey salvage diver rapidly expanded. Although by Tim Thomas much was written about the exploits of Reviewed by Nyle C. Monday these divers during the late 1800’s and 53 IMAGES IN HISTORY early 1900’s, not all their work could be U.S. Navy Diver Underwater Photograph carried out by using the traditional diving by Gary Pilecki helmet and surface air pump. Some of the more lucrative cargoes lay in water 54 COVER STORY beyond the practical diving depth of these More Sexton Blake, by Peter Jackson systems. One company that over came this depth restriction was SORIMA, of Italy, 55 VINTAGE PATENTS who during the 1930’s made international Cypra’s Diving Helmet by James Vorosmarti, MD news with some remarkable recoveries from great depths using German one 56 HELMET AUCTIONS, by Leslie Leaney atmosphere diving dresses. But mixed with their success was also great tragedy, 58 SCUBA AUCTIONS, by Ed LaRochelle and in this article Nautiek’s Jan de Groot records some of the highs and lows in the 60 CAMERA AUCTIONS, by Sid Macken history of this remarkable company. 66 HDS USA QUARTERLY REPORT by Sid Macken, President 300 Feet on Computerized Scuba. 32 An exclusive SDM test report on the revolutionary THIS ISSUE closed circuit scuba, By Paul J. Tzimoulis 17 Celebrating the Year of the Military Diver. Davy Jones’s College, Popular Science, March 1944 The modern day diver takes computerized equipment for granted, as 44 HDS GWS 2015 with Chuck Nicklin, by Dan Orr it now the norm. One of the milestones 48 Salvage Chief Reunion, by Sid Macken on the historic computerized path to 62 Dutch Working Equipment Group at Stoney Cove, modern diving was the introduction of England. By Kees de Jong Walter Starck’s Electrolung almost half a century ago. As this issue’s Vintage 70 In Memory: Robert “Bob” Maloubier Scuba column features Richard Walsby’s 76 Classifieds excellent article on electrically controlled ISBC Berry Cannon rebreathers before the Electrolung, we are republishing the original Fourth Quarter 2015 • Volume 23 • Number 85 Skin Diver magazine article that introduced the Electrolung to the Headstone wider American recreational diving community. As the Publisher/ ON THE COVER Editor of Skin Diver magazine Paul had the diving experience and One of SORIMA’s German writing ability to present what the future of self-contained diving Neufeldt & Kuhnke one- could look like. Here we are pleased to be able to present his full atmosphere diving suits used during the company’s article complete with all the original images and captions. salvage operations. Photo courtesy Jan de Groot SORIMA An Historic Maritime Salvage Company EDITORIAL The Journal of Diving History (Formerly Historical Diver Magazine, founded by Leslie Leaney in 1993) Farewell 2015 ISSN 1094-4516 The Official Publication of: e close out this 2015 fourth quarter issue shortly after The Historical Diving Society U.S.A. returning from the recreational diving industry trade The Historical Diving Society Canada show, DEMA, where the Society was involved in MAGAZINE STAFF Wnumerous activities, some of which are recorded in this issue by Leslie Leaney, Publisher & Executive Editor President Sid Macken in his HDS Quarterly Report. DEMA is a Nyle Monday, Senior Editor consistent highlight in the Society’s year as the HDS staff and Bonnie Toth, Managing Editor volunteers get to meet so many members who attend the show. COLUMNISTS Kevin Hardy’s extensive articles Peter Jackson, Ed LaRochelle, Leslie Leaney, on the Golden Anniversary of SEALAB Sid Macken, Nyle Monday, Gary Pilecki, Jim Vorosmarti in the prior issues proved popular with many Society members who had CONTRIBUTING WRITERS worked on that program as either Steve Barsky, David Dekker, Peter Dick, Brett Gilliam, Ben Hellwarth, Michael Jung, USN or civilian personnel.