The rest of the story ..
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Trapezus,
You never fail to amaze me ...What a thrill to wake up in the early morning pre light of day in California to another one of your submissions, whether it be videos or photographs
Today it was two great photographs of moments frozen in time from the very early and very historical JYC movie "Par 30 Metres de Fond"
It is interesting to note, as in so may of your wonderful submissions of divers from all over the world from the very inception of self contained dive to the introduction of the single hose regulator . The configuration of the equipment worn by the divers. the unique fins all apparently non are adjustable in different shapes and colors (if not in B & W} the mask (aka face plate) from the equalization bulbs to homemade and of course the tanks and regulators (aka Blocks) all shapes sizes and forms
The picture of the amphorae salvage, which rested for 2000 years under the sea is classic, It is being exhumed for all to marvel at hopefully in a museum for now an eternity
In California we also had out amphorae , but they were not amphora they were anchors, antique anchors the " yacht mans kedges" also known by the public as "Popeye Anchors" for it was his cartoons that made them famous.
On occasion we would unexpectedly discover them while diving, some times setting in the open other times buried under years of sediment, some were small and could be swam to the surface and others were huge requiring lift devices.
As a participant of recreational diving since the 1940s I was fortunate to have discovered and salvaged number of the anchors, some were small, and I swam the to the surface the larger ones up to and over 100 pounds I used the lift bags of the 1940s & 1950s the WW11 US surplus water bag aka the "Lister" bag which as I recall at this junction in my life was about equal to a 55 gallon metal drum, but it folded into a some what manageable size. ( I had some very interesting hair raising experiences with Lister bags and salvaging anchors - stories for a later date)
I now only have two anchors from that era are presentable in size about 5 foot tall and weigh about 50 to 75 pounds the others I salvaged have slowly slipped away .. as a gifts or I traded way
The current anchors along with five SCUBA bells are what is know in California and I assume the rest of the US as Yard Art and are all displayed in the yard.
The largest anchor that the tribe salvaged was 7000 pounds yachtsman's kedge located in 110 to 160 feet of water off Catalina Island on June 4 1960. This time we used reinforcement aka Rebar stock as toggles and 55 gallon drums as the lifting devices
Like the record 1000 foot Keller dive at Catalina short time later, which I was also a witness The anchor salvage was a success but also a tragedy involving 3 deaths- one on the dive, my room mate and the first and only LA Co UW instructor to drown Joe Bob Mc Cabe ( he was a Texan) who was poisoned by CO2 and recovered at 210 feet -- Later like Peter Small's wife Joes girlfriend took her life followed by Joes brother lost his life to an heart ailment ..three lives lost all is short order
The salvage was documented by the discoverer Bob Rutherford. The film shot by Bob won the professional photography category at the 1961 International Underwater Film Festival ( google: Legends of diving - Sea Sabers Signaling System--Bob also invented UW signaling ) and in several articles in Skin Diver Magazine and one "mans Magazine" of the era (which I have packed away)
The anchor was sold to Pierpont landing for $500.00. Up on the closing of Pierpont landing the anchor was donated to the Maritime Museum in San Pedro and now rest in front of the entrance - a silent tribute to the success and tragedy of "The Anchor that had to be raised.."
All this occurred before 1960 - only 56 years ago- in the era of exploration and experimentation of very crude equipment, often homemade, used by courageous divers to explore the unexplored - to dive places that had never been dove before
SDM
NB
In December the same year Farnsworth Bank was dove the first time by recreational divers
All theses dives were accomplished under what would today be called primitive diving conditions : double hose regulators, very crude if any instrumentation, wet suits were generally home made (they had just recently been introduced --anything costing over $1.00 we made) fins (Duck Feet or Churchill) (mask Homemade , Wide view or imported) no flotation equipment... ,
Just a tank. wet suit , weight belt, fins, masks ,and a snorkel and no flotation equipment
