Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG)

[Akimbo]

...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...

Ahh, I see the error of my ways... at least partially.

The 1961 US Divers catalog, which I drooled over as a 10 year old, didn't have an SPG. The SPG listed in the 1962 catalog was the first I could find from US Divers that screwed into a HP port on the first stage of a single hose.

However, I did find an SPG that screwed into the proprietary plug on the J (reserve) valve listed from in US Divers catalogs from 1957-1960, which I hadn't seen until downloading them from the Vintage Double Hose site. Check the middle of Page 8 of the 1957 catalog under: UNDERWATER PRESSURE GAUGES

It looks like Sam Lecocq, founder of Sportsways, got the jump on US Divers by introducing an SPG that screwed into the first stage of a single hose regulator. Do you know how early Sportsways introduced this style of SPG? I don't have any older catalogs.

Another question, was Sportsways the first to introduce HP ports on the first stage? I couldn't see any plugs on the US Divers Calypso in their 1960 catalog, but their less expensive "Aqua-Div" looks like it has a port... but it could be an LP??? In any case, they didn't sell a gauge for it if it was HP. Weird.

I have a vague, and probably wrong, recollection that one of the mine safety/firefighting equipment companies like Scott or Northill had gauges on the rigs they converted to use underwater. Could it be one of them?

 

[Nemrod]

My Calypso J had a single HP port and no LP ports. That was 1966. I am pretty sure at least the previous year model had one because it was one of two regs I was assigned during class, the other being a Mistral which had neither. Banjo bolts were used to provide HP pressure and as well, tanks had HP ports on them. In fact, spgs were generally hooked up to the valve and I recall thinking how odd the first time I saw one actually installed on a regulator, like, holy cow, you can do that?

The well equipped diver of 1963, no mention of a spg:

Beginning divers in the 60s routinely made dives with only a J reserve, tank, flippers, mask, just like this and nothing more:

I guess divers today are just not as good as a 12 yo boy, otherwise they would not keep removing these threads.

N

 

[Akimbo]

So when did the use of a SPG become common practice?...

I imagine it depends on how you define "common practice", who you ask, and where they were. I started to see a definite trend in the mid-1960s in Northern California. By the early 1970s in the San Diego area the great majority of divers in my sphere of visibility used single hose regulators and the vast majority of those had an SPG, outside the Navy of course.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

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

I have to agree about the simplicity.
I do some old school type diving off our coast, steel 72 w/ a plain harness or maybe one of my backpacks, J valve, no bc, single second stage, sometimes spg with a Conshelf or if my double hose then no SPG and just J valve.
I must say it is quite liberating to come home and all I have to do is lay the thing on the ground and hit it with the hose, done. No wing to clean out. If I use my double hose then it's a pain because I have to disassemble the thing and clean it out well otherwise they tend to get a bit funky, kind of a maintenance pig but they are fun to use.
Just for quick simple shore dives to 40 - 50 feet to shoot a few fish for dinner old school is still the best way I think.
It easy, fast, and simple. It's about as close to freediving as you can get and still be able to breath underwater.
Plus some of the looks I get from other divers on the beach are priceless!

I always say (and so do many others), the best way to teach somebody the dynamics of proper weighting a buoyancy is to take away their BC.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2014 at 11:50 PM ----------

Here is a link to a group in Southern California that practices no BC diving:
It's an older gallery but they are still as active as ever.
Combine a back pack with freediving fins and you have greased lighting!
Gallery of California Backpack Divers : 1999-2001

 

[danvolker]

I have to agree about the simplicity.
I do some old school type diving off our coast, steel 72 w/ a plain harness or maybe one of my backpacks, J valve, no bc, single second stage, sometimes spg with a Conshelf or if my double hose then no SPG and just J valve.
I must say it is quite liberating to come home and all I have to do is lay the thing on the ground and hit it with the hose, done. No wing to clean out. If I use my double hose then it's a pain because I have to disassemble the thing and clean it out well otherwise they tend to get a bit funky, kind of a maintenance pig but they are fun to use.
Just for quick simple shore dives to 40 - 50 feet to shoot a few fish for dinner old school is still the best way I think.
It easy, fast, and simple. It's about as close to freediving as you can get and still be able to breath underwater.
Plus some of the looks I get from other divers on the beach are priceless!

I always say (and so do many others), the best way to teach somebody the dynamics of proper weighting a buoyancy is to take away their BC.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2014 at 11:50 PM ----------

Here is a link to a group in Southern California that practices no BC diving:
It's an older gallery but they are still as active as ever.
Combine a back pack with freediving fins and you have greased lighting!
Gallery of California Backpack Divers : 1999-2001

If only it was easy to get your hands on a J valve in good shape today....I know the plastic pac harnesses are only about $45 --and easy to find.

 

[Sam Miller III]

[h=2]Come on boys the subject of this thread is:

Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG)[/h]

Who on this board began diving prior to the SPG introduction to the US Market?

Who on this board began diving prior to the SPG introduction to the European (world?) Market?

When did you begin your diving career?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you want o discuss vintage equipment it is suggested that you visit Vintage double hose


Currently we are still several generations removed from the introduction of the SPG.


SDM
​

 

[Scared Silly]

Sam will correct me if I am wrong but I know of SPGs from at least 1955/6. They were made by Mar-Mac Industries and called the "SeAir"

Skin Diving History - Mar-Mac Industries No.8 - Mfg & Retailers

Skin Diving History - Mar-Mac Industries No.10 - Mfg & Retailers

They made other items as well. Here are some of their ads from that era:

Skin Diving History - Mar-Mac Industries - Mfg & Retailers

I have a SeAir to "save air" on my double hose.


I did not start diving under 1982 but like history so going old school was fun.

 

[Splitlip]

If only it was easy to get your hands on a J valve in good shape today....I know the plastic pac harnesses are only about $45 --and easy to find.

I've got several including a Dacor sitting in front of me. I use this one as a paper weight, but they function. Pissed off I sold my 72's years ago.
When Frank's son closed the shop, a friend of mine scooped up all the 72's. He lets me use them, but I badly want one in my locker.

 

[Akimbo]

Sam will correct me if I am wrong but I know of SPGs from at least 1955/6. They were made by Mar-Mac Industries and called the "SeAir"...

Now that is a strange coincidence, Mar-Mac Industries was in the town where I grew up. Thanks for the links.

 

[Dhboner]

I was certified in 1971 and used tanks with J-valves and no SPG. There were no octo's, spg's or BC's (we used rubber horse collar flotation devices with CO2 cartridges).

Bob (Toronto)