Can Anyone Out There Bring Us Up To Date On Current Progress Of "Powerswim" (DARPA)

[John ("Popeye") Renshaw]

Will this state-of-the-art equipment and training soon become standard fare for basic or advanced scuba certifications for general students, or are they restricted for military use only? Are a lot of instructors by now being certified to teach with use of this advanced scuba gear? Well worth the time and investment to bring scuba diving further into our 21st century with these remarkable improvements. Hopefully being made available to more general scuba audiences and participants.

 

[JackD342]

Hmmm.... quick Google search results:
The video is from 2009.
Wikipedia says it was developed in 2007, and would cost under $500.
SB thread from 2011 suggests it is a shuttered project.
Anyone know anything about DARPA's PowerSwim?
Zero indication this an actual real world item available for purchase.

Not my idea of "state of the art."

 

[Sam Miller III]

@John ("Popeye") Renshaw

"Popeye"-- but in society and with propriety we will call you John

I suspect you had seen a similar one or two way back in your LA Co ADP days..

This unit it almost a carbon copy of the Aquaeon designed and developed by the late great SoCal Cal Tec Engineer Dr. Calvin (Cal) Gongwer in the early 1950s.
The major differences is possibly a bit of modern streamlining and modern materials - but the function and operation is almost identical.

Some time in way the distant past. Cal used the Aquaeon to tow the late great Flip Fleidner. ( LA Co UW instructor and the recipient of the worlds first honor as an "Out Standing LA Co Underwater instructor of the year in 1961" (NAUI was a Year old and PADI, Inc was 10 years in the future) from San Pedro to Avalon Catalina Island, a distance of 26 miles. (No dr bill was not there to meet them! he too was in the future )

I had one and it was a blast ! A blast to zoom around a swimming pool ! A blast to swim in blue water ! BUT
A supper entanglement machine when used in the then lush California Kelp beds.

A well designed, well made machine of oak wood and stainless steel parts. Some how 40 perhaps more years ago it was no longer being used as a novelty for the swimming pool and was always getting in the way and some how disappeared.

So what you are inquiring about is a up graded Aqueon made of modern materials and probably modified using computer technology to correct the original design flaws .

John that is about the best I can provide. I some how suspect you,. @Scuba Lawyer and I are the only two on this thread who have not only seen and possibly actually dove one.

Sam Miller, III

 

[John ("Popeye") Renshaw]

@John ("Popeye") Renshaw

"Popeye"-- but in society and with propriety we will call you John

I suspect you had seen a similar one or two way back in your LA Co ADP days..

This unit it almost a carbon copy of the Aquaeon designed and developed by the late great SoCal Cal Tec Engineer Dr. Calvin (Cal) Gongwer in the early 1950s.
The major differences is possibly a bit of modern streamlining and modern materials - but the function and operation is almost identical.

Some time in way the distant past. Cal used the Aquaeon to tow the late great Flip Fleidner. ( LA Co UW instructor and the recipient of the worlds first honor as an "Out Standing LA Co Underwater instructor of the year in 1961" (NAUI was a Year old and PADI, Inc was 10 years in the future) from San Pedro to Avalon Catalina Island, a distance of 26 miles. (No dr bill was not there to meet them! he too was in the future )

I had one and it was a blast ! A blast to zoom around a swimming pool ! A blast to swim in blue water ! BUT
A supper entanglement machine when used in the then lush California Kelp beds.

A well designed, well made machine of oak wood and stainless steel parts. Some how 40 perhaps more years ago it was no longer being used as a novelty for the swimming pool and was always getting in the way and some how disappeared.

Thanks for the info. The apparatus was a great idea while it lasted. Surely it still must have some specialized applications, especially in rescue work. Although probably made obsolete due to popularity of motorized underwater tow machines. With machines to do the pulling for you, you wouldn't need all the physically strenuous practice.

So what you are inquiring about is a up graded Aqueon made of modern materials and probably modified using computer technology to correct the original design flaws .

John that is about the best I can provide. I some how suspect you,. @Scuba Lawyer and I are the only two on this thread who have not only seen and possibly actually dove one.

Sam Miller, III

 

[John ("Popeye") Renshaw]

@John ("Popeye") Renshaw

"Popeye"-- but in society and with propriety we will call you John

I suspect you had seen a similar one or two way back in your LA Co ADP days..

This unit it almost a carbon copy of the Aquaeon designed and developed by the late great SoCal Cal Tec Engineer Dr. Calvin (Cal) Gongwer in the early 1950s.
The major differences is possibly a bit of modern streamlining and modern materials - but the function and operation is almost identical.

Some time in way the distant past. Cal used the Aquaeon to tow the late great Flip Fleidner. ( LA Co UW instructor and the recipient of the worlds first honor as an "Out Standing LA Co Underwater instructor of the year in 1961" (NAUI was a Year old and PADI, Inc was 10 years in the future) from San Pedro to Avalon Catalina Island, a distance of 26 miles. (No dr bill was not there to meet them! he too was in the future )

I had one and it was a blast ! A blast to zoom around a swimming pool ! A blast to swim in blue water ! BUT
A supper entanglement machine when used in the then lush California Kelp beds.

A well designed, well made machine of oak wood and stainless steel parts. Some how 40 perhaps more years ago it was no longer being used as a novelty for the swimming pool and was always getting in the way and some how disappeared.

So what you are inquiring about is a up graded Aqueon made of modern materials and probably modified using computer technology to correct the original design flaws .

John that is about the best I can provide. I some how suspect you,. @Scuba Lawyer and I are the only two on this thread who have not only seen and possibly actually dove one.

Sam Miller, III

Thanks Sam.

 

[Luis H]

We had an Aqueon at Divers Service Center. I got to try it briefly in the pool. It is a very interesting device.

I got to have a long conversation with Calvin Gongwer about 15 years ago. It was very nice having a somewhat technical conversation with him. He had one Aqueon left. It was expensive, but I kind of wish I would have bought it.

 

[CuzzA]

More like the Aqua Nut... cracker.

 

[divinh]

Wow, the designs look almost identical. I wonder if that's a result of physics or copied ideas...

 

[JackD342]

Wikipedia says Powerswim developers started by examining the Aqueon.
PowerSwim - Wikipedia

 

[Sam Miller III]

@divnh
I suspect imitated concept .
Cal was one of a kind- humble easy to approach and concurrently absolutely brilliant .
I suspect @Luis H will agree - 110 %

The diving world needs more brilliant engineers like Cal and Luis

<<< Flip Fleidner who Cal towed to Catalina was a dear friend, diving buddy and fellow LA Co UW instructor introduced me to my wife--way back in the last century>>>

Sam Miller, III
@John ("Popeye") Renshaw
@Marie13 CE

@CuzzA so sad you cant try it -- very impressive performance with mimimum effort