Old US Divers mask question

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fishoutawater:
Way back in '67 or '68, my dad bought me a "real" SCUBA divers mask, while we were in Hawaii. Lately I've been looking for one just like it. As I've mentioned, it was a US Diver's mask. It was of course, black rubber, with an oval lens with a cut in it for the nose section, and had a chrome retainer ring. The unique thing about it was that it had some white rubber trim around the lens. It also had a nose pocket with a purge valve in the bottom.
Anybody seen one of those?
My very first mask, prior to the US Divers mask, was some sort of joke meant to kill me I think. Blue rubber, lots of volume, didn't seal, plastic lens, and the worst part; it had two snorkels with ping pong balls in plastic cages sticking out of the top of it. I remember taking the snorkels out and plugging the holes to make it sort of servicable.
I'm NOT looking for one of those! Just wondered if any of you remembered 'em.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7174635341&fromMakeTrack=true

Sure you don't want to bid on this one for old times sake?
 
That's Funny ClevelandDiver!
No, I think I'll pass on that one.
Would be funny to show up at a popular dive sight with that though. Can you imagine the stares? :D
 
fishoutawater:
That's Funny ClevelandDiver!
No, I think I'll pass on that one.
Would be funny to show up at a popular dive sight with that though. Can you imagine the stares? :D


And the laughs!!! Could anyone keep a straight face if they saw that enter the water?
 
The "Medusa" mask appeared a long time ago, and disappeared within a couple years of introduction. They were featured in the 1957 Divemaster catalog. The Medusa was available with one or two snorkels.

About Divemaster, the president of the Chicago based business was Dick Bonin, a young 20 something, ex frogman (UDT). He later went on to cofound the Scubapro company.
 
I couldn't afford the premo upgrade with the ping pong ball snorkle integral with the mask, so I had a seprate single ping pong ball device of hard plastic. Isn't it great how the advances in materials have made life easier? Can we attribute that to going to the moon?
 
Fish dude,

Here's a thread with a bunch of links to 'retro' style masks - might be better to peruse brand new than used. Some are now silicone (Aqualung Pacifica for one, my favorite mask), others are rubber.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=78006
 
>a thread with a bunch of links to 'retro' style masks<

Indeed. Here's a current list of links to classic rubber dive masks which are apparently still in production.

Amico Classic Rubber Scuba Mask
http://www.island-scuba.com/page/001/PROD/scuba_masks/MK6
AQA Compa and Aquapro Masks
http://www.gull-msc.co.jp/aqa.html
Bali Copy Mask
http://www.sonarwetsuits.com.au/oza.shr/wsproduct/10/82
Beuchat Super Compensator Mask
http://www.beuchat.fr/catalogue/index.cfm?action=voir_produit&scat=30&idp=160
Beuchat Senior Securit Mask
http://www.beuchat.fr/catalogue/index.cfm?action=voir_produit&scat=30&idp=256
Beuchat Strato Mask
http://www.beuchat.fr/catalogue/index.cfm?action=voir_produit&scat=30&idp=157
Cannon Sports Deluxe rubber swim mask
http://www.cannonsports.com/product.php?model=5306
IST Classic Round Black Rubber Scuba Dive Mask
http://www.joediveramerica.com/page/JDA/PROD/msk/M27
MK6 - Black Rubber Oval Mask
http://www.sportdiversmfg.com/vcart/index.php?action=item&substart=0&id=40
Oceanways Classic Pacific Mask
http://www.onlinescuba.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=4066
Reflex Bali Mask
http://www.diveunlimited.com.au/prod32.htm
Sommap Visocean, Malibu, Panora, Alpha and Prima Rubber Masks
http://www.sommapdiving.com/pages/masks-rubber.html
Sommap Panama, Madera, Corail, Colombo, Moana, Visiomer and Supervisiomer Traditional Masks
http://www.sommapdiving.com/pages/masks-traditionals.html
Swimline Porpoise, Montauk, Omega and Atlantis Neoprene Masks
http://www.swimline.com/PgLinks/Pg-4647.htm
Water Gear Gold Medal Rubber Dive Mask:
http://www.watergear.com/facemasks.html
XS Scuba Panoramic Rubber Mask
http://www.scuba.com/shop/diving.asp_cat_52_scuba_1_gear_027037_pn_XS-SCUBA-PANORAMIC-RUBBER-MASK
 
pescador775:
The "Medusa" mask appeared a long time ago, and disappeared within a couple years of introduction. They were featured in the 1957 Divemaster catalog. The Medusa was available with one or two snorkels.

The Historical Diving Society of Italy has an online "catalogue" of 1950s masks at:

http://www.hdsitalia.com/articoli/20_attrezzature.pdf

The ones with the attached snorkels are illustrated at the end of the document. Cressi's "Medusa" mask is there in both one- and two-snorkel versions. So are models by Salvas, Pirelli, Aquatic and Atlantic. Modern manufacturers' claims that a range of hues was only possible with the arrival of "space age materials" are well and truly refuted by the variety of colours of rubber on offer back then: green, light blue, dark blue, black and red.

By the way, there's a similar catalogue for 1950s fins and knives at

http://www.hdsitalia.com/articoli/21_attrezzature.pdf
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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