BACKPLATES---History

[Eric Sedletzky]

I saw a contraption once that wasn't really a backplate but it did have places to thread webbing and it was made of rod, about the thickness of rebar.
Anybody remember these things?

Funny about backplates.
Actually, years ago the backpack (or I guess could or was sometimes called a plate) was quite advanced and ergonomic.
Everything from the plastic blow moulded packs to the Voit Snug Pack. Aqualung had a plastic moulded pack - the Kam "EZ" Pak.
These designs were actually much more well thought out and form fitting than the rectangular flat thing everybody makes now days.
These people crack me up, a metal plate comes out of the caves and they think it's all new and the greatest thing since sliced bread

 

[duckbill]

The evolution of the back plate ended when ZKY stopped making the Freedom plate.

 

[Sam Miller III]

It would be interesting to put together a Scubaboard article on the evolution of different pieces of gear including harnesses/back packs/plates, floatation systems, and maybe even regulators. People are always getting stuff like this wrong.
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I could do that but I won't. I started to with the divers flag...

Why? too many modern late model tube sucking expert bubble blowers, who would dispute any and all hard facts with I suspose, I think, I heard, some one said, all totally devoid of historical facts.

I have been involved in recreational diving for along,long time, way back when recreational diving for lack of a better descriptor was identified as simply "Gogglers."

FYI

The following listing is my personal reference collection which is recognized by the world's serious diving bibliophiles as the most complete private collection in the world.

PERSONAL LIBRARY
I have a complete bound set of "Skin Diver" magazine (1951 to it's demise) including every diving equipment catalog published and all Underwater Film Festival programs. This is the only set of its kind in existence any where in the world.
I also have complete bound sets of “Dive”, “NDA News”, American Scuba Diver”, Aquarius”, "Water World", "Underwater", "Fathom", "Sport Diving”, "Underwater Photographer",” California Diver,” “ Pacific Diver”, “SCUBA PRO Diving and Snorkeling”, “Diving and Snorkeling Quarterly” “Ocean Realm”, all of which are no longer published. Maintain and bind current sets of “Dive Training”, “Sport Diver”, Historical Diver” (USA), “Historical Diving Times” (UK), and “HDS Notizie” (Italy).
Have the only known complete set of “Pacific and Atlantic Underwater News”, published from 1966 to 1971. It was the first newspaper devoted entirely to the underwater world.
I also have what is considerd the largest and most complete set of civilian dive training manuals begining with the Spaco manual of 1949 to about 1980.
I also have all the USN diving manuals beginning with the original 1905 "Manual for Divers" to the USN's conversion to electronic format
I have collected and maintain an extensive 1500 plus volume diving library, the majority of which are rare out of print books. Many have been personally inscribed by the authors who were also friends and diving companions,in addition to being noted diving authorities

I also maintain a number of extensive historic files.
*The dive flag; it's history, development, subsequent litigations and finally world wide acceptance
* Guy Gilpatric, his books and his life and death.
* American retailer and Recreational diving

I have a bound edition of James Dugan's 1948 "First of the menfish" which introduced J.Y. Cousteau and self contained diving to the US
In May 1996 I organized and hosted the very first US diving bibliophile meeting. It was attended by diving bibliophiles from the western US and via telephone from throughout the US.
<<< Upon my demise the entire collection with be inherited by my son Dr. Sam IV, who is a NAUI (life) PADI instructor, Pro 5000 and an ER & Hyperbaric doctor. >>>'
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Why should I spend my time, effort, creating undue wear and tear and possibly damage to my collection to research items for you or any other member of this board? I fail to descern any valid reason

So why don't you create "a Scubaboard article on the evolution of different pieces of gear including harnesses/back packs/plates, floatation systems, and maybe even regulators. "


SDM

 

[DaleC]

Thanks for the write up Dr Sam.
I enjoy reading historical texts about diving and find it a great way to balance what is said as truth and what is factual.

Btw I am working on a vintage mask and fin timeline that so far has sucked about 12 hr's research time out of me. I suspect only about 5 more to go

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The evolution of the back plate ended when ZKY stopped making the Freedom plate.

Yeah, well if the dive shops were more open minded and didn't have to deal with the death grip that companies like AL and SP have on them with tier pricing and bully tactics it might have stood a better chance.

When it really comes down to it the LDS is really the place that people can see, touch, and try new stuff. But with the way the big guys have them wrapped up it's really an impenetrable wall to try and get through.
I've heard every excuse why they do not want to carry it from "We don't want to get into tech gear" to "nobody will buy that" to "There's not enough markup in it for us" to "We don't want to dilute sales on the stuff we really make money on, and we don't want to ruin our tier pricing benefits". The last being the most accurate.

To really get a product going it requires the full support of the shops and instructional staff to start students in the gear from the get go.
Right now all they push are poodle jackets because the industry is stuck in poodle jacket hell. The local shops in my area have a lot of contempt for me because they will sell a new student an expensive poodle jacket. Then that same student will join our club and see that everybody is using something different including one of my plates. They will go back to the dive shop wondering why they sold them the poodle jacket and didn't tell them about a plate and wing. The student then has a sense of distrust towards the dive shop and the dive shop takes it out on me.

The internet is really limiting in many ways. It's so easy for people to look at something on a screen and dismiss something new just based on other peoples opinions or favoritism towards another product.
Only a very small percentage of divers are on the internet and then only a very small percentage of those actually could visualize what the Freedom Plate was about and decided to step up and go for one.

With high production costs and a very limited market place it's not a very smart business decision to try and keep it up seeing that I get deeper and deeper in poo poo financially trying to hold up the project.

Maybe years ago dive shops were hungry for the newest products and were willing to try anything new to have an edge against their competition but that's sure not how it is now. Now days it seems they are slaves to the intrenched industry and are afraid to try anything new.

Maybe along with a review of the evolution of diving plates it would be good thing to have a review of the evolution and the demise of the LDS.

 

[Akimbo]

It would be interesting to put together a Scubaboard article on the evolution of different pieces of gear including harnesses/back packs/plates, floatation systems, and maybe even regulators. People are always getting stuff like this wrong…..

….
Why should I spend my time, effort, creating undue wear and tear and possibly damage to my collection to research items for you or any other member of this board? I fail to descern any valid reason

So why don't you create "a Scubaboard article on the evolution of different pieces of gear including harnesses/back packs/plates, floatation systems, and maybe even regulators. "


SDM

I don’t believe that you or anyone else was asked to put anything together… more thinking aloud to evolve a half-baked concept. After considering it a bit, I believe an open collaborative effort complete with the Internet’s wild-west and raucous version of peer review would produce the most interesting and ultimately educational results.

I am especially intrigued by discussing product failures, successes, and how they influenced subsequent products. There are a few hard facts, like when and who introduced a product. There are also a lot of useful and conflicting opinions regarding the relationship and efficacy of features. The challenge is how to make the format productive and devise a method of distilling it.

It might also be useful if product improvement suggestions could be incorporated — possibly becoming a conduit to the diving industry. The history is interesting to a few of us, but learning from it to improve the future of diving will produce the greatest rewards. Frequently the dumbest and most poorly executed ideas have sparked the greatest solutions in my narrow experience. Done well, perhaps some innovation will be inspired rather than the plodding evolution that dominates every mature industry.

 

[Mike Lev]

Ok,my turn now.So who came up with the first diving back pack?I saw only one guess.I was looking through my catalogs and brochures and came across and early 50's brochure.I know Sam and some of the older guys have heard of this company.An early giant in the industry DESCO.One page shows a set up with the very rare Desco Airmaster double hose regulator.It was made in 1955 only.It has on it along with the Dolphin regs, not a back pack but it's called a Backboard.This is my final answer for the first back pack/back board.Until a fifth grader proves otherwise.Later Mike.:cool2:http://s721.photobucket.com/albums/ww213/VINTAGESCUBA/

 

[DaleC]

I like the line "Completely safe Nothing to go wrong"
Famous last words...

Mike, two questions: What was the first year USD put out a catalog that you know of and do you have a 1971 USD catalog. I'm looking for all the mask and fin models listed for that year.

Dale

 

[Gilldiver]

I know that the Viking/Norseman is not the first, but it is getting real close to the modern design and dates from the early 1960’s

Here is one on a set of triples

What I remember of the modern back plate development was in the late 80’s, DIVE Rite had a plastic back plate that they sold with the original wings, now called the classic wings. The plastic was too flexible for doubles and I used mine twice, gave up and modified my wings to use a DACOR plastic back pack from the 70’s.

But back to the back plate, some divers on the old RV WAHOO out of long Island were complaining about the DIVE Rite plastic plate and one diver said he could make up some at his shop, the next weekend he gave out about 10 of them to his buddies with their names etch into them. I know Joel Silverstine still has his and still dives it. Well, John, the owner of OMS, was on the boat the day that these plates were given out and within a few weeks OMS had a patent application in. All other plates that you see are designed just enough to get around this OMS patent – which is why you see some with almost no holes and some will so many they look like Swiss Cheese,

 

[Mike Lev]

Hello Dale,U.S.Divers first catalog was 1953.They had three come out that year.I have the first style with the script writing in some pages instead of print.The cover is in Brown ink.Signed in back my early Pioneer Harry Veter.Others cover were marked april,or june.Blue or green ink.I do have a 71 U.S.Divers catalog also.Let me know what you need.I thought of Viking also.I have some brochures from them.I believed they came out in 1958.I have a Viking reg and back pack but no tanks.Nice set up there.:cool2: