David Wilson
Contributor
Although scuba diving, free diving and snorkelling can be equipment-intensive pastimes, surprisingly few books devoted entirely to diving gear matters have appeared. Of course. all diving manuals have chapters dedicated to the discussion of basic and advanced gear, but those chapters are usually subordinate to the manuals' main purpose, to train the diver to function effectively within the underwater world.
I am going to review three books, one German, another Italian and a third American, published 1967, 1977 and 1978 respectively, each dedicated exclusively to diving equipment. Here is the first.
1. Wolfgang Freihen (1967) Tauchsportler - richtig ausgerüstet! Handbuch der Tauchsport-Gerätkunde, Stuttgart, Germany: Franck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung.
This book's German title translates roughly into English as "Sport diver - properly equipped! Sport diving equipment manual". It appeared in 1967 in the publisher's Neptun-Bücherei", a series of slim volumes each of which focused on one aspect of diving. Freihen's book is 76 pages long and illustrated with line drawings and monochrome photographs. It is divided into six chapters:
1. Snorkel diving equipment: fins; masks (including goggles, full face masks and snorkel masks); snorkels; nose clips and ear plugs.
2. Exposure suits: Wetsuits (including material, thickness and accessories)
3. Scuba diving equipment: Compressed air gear (tanks, multiples); Oxygen breathing equipment (dangers); regulators.
4. Accessories: underwater lights; compass; lines; buoys; cameras; weight belts; depth gauges.
5. Compressors.
6. Equipment maintenance.
Each topic is treated thoroughly and systematically, something I've learnt to value in German academic and didactic writing. For example, in the section on fins, there is a table classifying seven brands (Hans Hass, Barakuda Original, Rondine Extra, Cress Rondine Extra, Barakuda Gigant, Nemrod Capri, Jet Fin and Spirotechnique Caravelle) according to ten blade criteria (straight; offset; long; short; wide; narrow; stiff; medium rigidity; soft; vented) and five foot pocket criteria (strap; adjustable; non-adjustable; full-foot; detachable foot pocket). The book contributes an excellent overview of diving gear available in Germany in the latter half of the 1960s.
I am going to review three books, one German, another Italian and a third American, published 1967, 1977 and 1978 respectively, each dedicated exclusively to diving equipment. Here is the first.
1. Wolfgang Freihen (1967) Tauchsportler - richtig ausgerüstet! Handbuch der Tauchsport-Gerätkunde, Stuttgart, Germany: Franck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung.
This book's German title translates roughly into English as "Sport diver - properly equipped! Sport diving equipment manual". It appeared in 1967 in the publisher's Neptun-Bücherei", a series of slim volumes each of which focused on one aspect of diving. Freihen's book is 76 pages long and illustrated with line drawings and monochrome photographs. It is divided into six chapters:
1. Snorkel diving equipment: fins; masks (including goggles, full face masks and snorkel masks); snorkels; nose clips and ear plugs.
2. Exposure suits: Wetsuits (including material, thickness and accessories)
3. Scuba diving equipment: Compressed air gear (tanks, multiples); Oxygen breathing equipment (dangers); regulators.
4. Accessories: underwater lights; compass; lines; buoys; cameras; weight belts; depth gauges.
5. Compressors.
6. Equipment maintenance.
Each topic is treated thoroughly and systematically, something I've learnt to value in German academic and didactic writing. For example, in the section on fins, there is a table classifying seven brands (Hans Hass, Barakuda Original, Rondine Extra, Cress Rondine Extra, Barakuda Gigant, Nemrod Capri, Jet Fin and Spirotechnique Caravelle) according to ten blade criteria (straight; offset; long; short; wide; narrow; stiff; medium rigidity; soft; vented) and five foot pocket criteria (strap; adjustable; non-adjustable; full-foot; detachable foot pocket). The book contributes an excellent overview of diving gear available in Germany in the latter half of the 1960s.