When the American Historical Diving Society (HDS) was formed in October 1992 my son I and became charter members and I was installed on the forming Board of Directors and as the first and only "Director of Sports Diving for HDS
For ALL of you unfamiliar with the history of diving fins may I suggest that you review the American Historical diving Society (HDS) and my dedicated column "Diving facts from Sam's Almanac''
Issue number 3 'A short history of fins" part 1, pages 25 & 26'
Issue number 4 "A short history of fins" part 2, pages 12 &13
Issue number 4 "A short history of fins" part 3, pages 18 & 19
I suspect that all of you, especially the PADI types and the one who informed me on a recent trip there was absolutely no diving until PADI came along in 1969. will in some way benefit from this historical knowledge of the design and development of diving fins.
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Yesterday I posted the following elsewhere on this board - It is appropriate that it be posted again
"I assume that is you in the red hat and your father is the mature gentleman in the promotional video .
I began my diving adventures many years ago as a youth during WW11 about 70 or so years ago
My first fins which I purchased via mail order were Owen Churchill fins open heel and non adjustable which I used for about ten or so years.
In the early 1950s Arthur "Bud" Brown created the Duck foot fin also open heel and non adjustable which was the fin of choice for most divers I used for many years
We who were "serious " divers ( what ever that term denotes) used the largest fin available and made adjustments by the addition of copious amounts of foam and/or rubber to the back of the heel strap. After the introduction of the wet suit by Hugh Bradner in 1954 we used wet suit scraps tapped to the heel strap
Even the early dive manuals such as the 1954 LA Co Underwater instruction manual "Underwater Recreation and a few others were against the usage of adjustable fins
Then about ten years later in 1963 at a LA Co Underwater instructors association gathering we were introduced to the adjustable Jet fin by Gus De La Valle. Slowly the adjustable fin was accepted by the at that time small diving community which was concentrated in Southern California.
Fast forward to late 1960s... Bill Walters, LA County UW instructor introduced the BIU as the "At Pac." Once again at the gathering at an LA Co Underwater instructors association . It was radical -it was a deferent concept- buoyancy on the back of a diver ? How radical ! buoyancy had to be in the front - It had to be a vest ! Once again slow acceptance Now 40 years later the standard of the diving community.
Skin Diver magazine did a series of five research programs over 25 years to identify the dive community..at that time the community was young and small as would be expected. What was unexpected was the longevity of the divers. Early in the research it was quite long a the end of the 25 year research the divers longevity was reduced to around three years.
There was a concurrent study by an American doctorial candidate who discovered any new device, technique etc introduced into the diving world required about five years to be accepted aa the standard of the diving community.
And all this occurred long before PADI was established and now PADI has become a norm of the industry.
Hope this is in some way is encouraging to you and your father...that some day Fin Clips will be the standard of the dive community
SDM
Ps need verification of my credentials check my profile or goggle may name + diver
Also, there are two Sam Millers I am # 111 son is #IV and is also involved in diving. Sam IV is a NAUI (Life) PADI instructor, SSI Pro 5000 and a ER & Hyperbaric doctor who is too busy to post sdm "
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Piumatti, although there is a very slim chance we will ever met up close and personal you have, in a few days, became a new friend I didn't know I had! My warmest California regards to you and your lovely daughter.
I wish you success in this Fin Clip and all your future projects-
Dr. Samuel Miller,111