Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG)

[Stoo]

First certified in 1974. Regs, or tanks, or both had a J valve.

Same here... I was also certified in '74. I bought a reg almost right away (USD Calypso) and the shop owner (Who I saw a few weeks ago... He's almost 90, in a walker, and still runs the shop) talked me into a new-fangled "combo" gauge.

What's really cool, is that the SPG from that combo, also USD, is still in use on my 02 regulator... It's has been in continuous use for 5000 dives, and 40 years. Impressive!

(I didn't add a "life vest" for another year or two...)

 

[videofly]

I used a j-valve and horse collar with oral inflation when I was certified in 1974. A watch served to let me know when I should be low on air.

 

[scubadada]

I was certified by LA Co Underwater Unit in 1970. We used steel 72s with a J-valve and no SPG. I do not remember seeing any SPGs at this time. We used a manually inflated vest and had no octopus. Buddy breathing was taught, practiced, and tested during the course.

I bought my first equipment in 1972, state of the art Scubapro. My steel 72 still had a J-valve but I also had a SPG that indicated up to 3500 psi. I still had a vest and separate tank harness but the vest had auto-inflate. I still had no octopus. I don't remember seeing many SPGs at this time but saw them increasingly in the mid to late 70s and early 80s. I wonder when they became universal?

 

[danvolker]

I have to say..given the choice for one of our summertime dives off Palm Beach on a pretty 60 foot reef like the Breakers or Pauls Reef....I would much rather use just a steel 72 and a harness, and I would even be just fine with a single 2nd stage, which is very easy to donate if a buddy needs it.....but maybe I would retain the longer length hose from my DIR ideologies The simplicity and ease of everything was so much better with the 72 and no BC set up...and to be honest, I would be just as happy with the J valve for the 60 foot dives--the boat gives us an hour per dive.....I don't really need the stinking pressure gauge for this You have very little to carry to the boat from the car, when the boat is in position, you don your gear easily in an instant, and later when the dive is over, there is less to clean, and much less to carry and store.....I would have a depth gauge /timer on my wrist, as well as a compass.
This is getting me motivated to actually do some dives like this again...I might have to see if I can scare up an old 72

 

[drbill]

Not sure when they were introduced but I never saw one in the 60s to the best of my feeble recollection and never used one myself until the 80s. Certainly a vast improvement over the J-valve (which occasionally got pulled down by kelp, leaving no reserve when I actually needed it)

 

[victor]

J valves were part of my training (BSAC) in the 1970's and BC's were not. Some had the toilet seat (Mae West) as a buoyancy device and the wealthy had a small cylinder which you could crack to inflate and as a last resort allow you to breathe off your toilet seat. Probably an excelent way to get a lung infection.
I stopped diving for some years and re-certified with PADI in 1992. I was given a tank with a J Valve, single second stage and a preasure guage in 1993(?) in the canary islands. Convinced me to get my own kit even though it is a pain to take on vacation.

 

[Akimbo]

Sam

Your post got me curious which prompted me to look up some old Sportsways catalogs. My recollection was wrong, there was a double hose that accepted a SPG. The price of the SPG on this page from the 1961 catalog is also interesting. $25 for the gauge when their single hose regulator prices ranged from $50-$100.

The 1962 US Divers catalog shows their newly introduced gauge at $25 while their single hoses ranged from $35 to $75. The Aqua-Master double hose was $90.

That probably explains more about the slow acceptance of SPGs than any other factor.

 

[Sam Miller III]

When I posted this thread I was under the assumption that vintage divers of this board had a better concept of diving history.

Akimbo, I, and I am certain others appreciate your many efforts to determine the advent of the SPG.

1960 was a good year but the US Diver SPG had been in their inventory for at least two years

US diver SPG first appeared in the 1958 US Diver's Catalog on page 5 as part number 7002 "See Sea Underwater Pressure Gauge" price $19.95.

US Divers also introduced part number 7011 "Push button Stationary gauge, price $8.95
and as well as part number 0516 "Stem gauge for k valve" , price $2.95

The same year, 1958 Dick Klein owner and founder of Heathways, which was universally known for low quality mass market products established Sportsways with Dick as the President and Sam ( the Crook) Le cocq as the "engineer."

Sportsways first, and for a short while, only product was the single hose tilt valve regulator called the "Water Lung" as noted in your post. The company was almost immediately sued by the God of Underwater, Cousteau over the play on names. Aqua Lung - Water Lung - Greek vs English. Litigation followeed and the California judge rulled in favor of Sportsway WATER LUNG. Now you know a little more history

Continue searching for the first use of the SCUBA SPG ... The name and the date will surprise you...

SDM

 

[Nemrod]

I began diving in 1966 and did not routinely use a spg until 1973 when I purchased a USD model. I used a J valve or for shallow water, nothing. I made hundreds of dives with J valve either on my tank or regulator and made many dives in and around 30 feet or less depth with no spg and no J reserve valve. It was common practice and part of dive training to learn to estimate bottom time.

Likewise, neither did I have a BC as they were not in common use either until the early 70s and I still often do not use a BC even for what many would consider fairly advanced level dives. I do not consider a depth gauge a requirement for diving in known depth. Many areas have known bottom depth. All that is required to make such dives is a deco table.

I was 12 years old in 1966, I have been diving continuously since. I began diving solo almost from the beginning as my parents set in the boat drifting above me in 15 to 20 feet of water. I quickly progressed to long shore dives and swims offshore to sites or diving from a little Whaler at my disposal entirely on my own.

Just as most technical so called divers, I do not and did not routinely use a computer until very recently and still only for vacation fun diving. I am fully capable of using a V planner type planning and preplanning a multi level dive and adjusting the profile on the fly.

I have completed many dives in absolute zero viz and dark water on salvage hunts and similar pursuits, known bottom depth, preplanned time. No spg, no depth gauge as I would not have been able to see them anyway. Banging on the boat or some other object alerted me to the passing of time per a preplanned signal routine.

Why did I not purchase a spg until 1973? That year coincides with my move to Valdosta, Ga (spring country) and beginning college and my gaining part time employment in a dive store (and a small employee discount). I met with some older divers who befriended me and taught me cave diving over the next few years. As well, the cost of a spg, was beyond my means until then. And, being as by then, I had more dives than most on this board total, I considered my self sufficiently expert to know what I needed or did not need for a successful dive and still do.

N

 

[scubadada]

So when did the use of a SPG become common practice? I would imagine this was not until the late 70s early 80s, is that correct?