Three vintage diving equipment monographs

[David Wilson]

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.

 

[David Wilson]

The second book dedicated exclusively to diving equipment is Italian.

2. Luigi Fabbri (1977) Guida all'acquisto dell'attrezzatura subacquea, Rome, Italy: Edizioni La Cuba.
This book's Italian title might be rendered into English as "Guide to the purchase of underwater equipment". It was published in 1977 by Italy's diving magazine il subacqueo, in its series of slim volumes focusing on single topics such as breath-hold diving, decompression, compensation and underwater photography. Fabbri's book is 64 pages long, illustrated with line drawings and divided into eighteen chapters:

1. Introduction. 2. Masks. 3. Snorkels. 4. Fins. 5. Suits. 6. Weight belts. 7. Knives. 8. Diving buoys. 9. Spearguns. 10. Torches. 11. Tanks. 12. Regulators. 13. Buoyancy compensators. 14. Watches. 15. Depth gauges. 16. Decompression meters. 17. Sinkers. 18. Lifting bags.

The main difference between Freihen's (1967) and Fabbri's (1977) books is the inclusion of BCs. Once again, the chapter on fins is of interest, certainly when compared with attitudes today. Full-foot fins are portrayed as the professional's choice, guaranteeing comfort and freedom from sharp rocks underfoot, while fins with open heels and adjustable straps are described as impractical and only advantageous when such fins are used by several people. This little book gives a fascinating overview of what was available equipment-wise to the Mediterranean diver in the latter half of the 1970s. Interestingly enough, although the "vintage era" is often considered to have come to an end by the mid-1970s, there is no mention of either silicone-skirted masks or the plastic-bladed fins which Mares, an Italian diving gear company, were designing around this time.

 

[David Wilson]

The third book in this series of reviews is American and written in English. Its remit goes beyond diving equipment to include information about publications, schools, clubs, organisations, dive sites, tours, expeditions and diving terms.

3. Larry Clinton Jr. (1978) The Complete Outfitting & Source Book for Sport Diving, Marshall, CA: The Great Outdoors Trading Company. ISBN 0-03-045606-1.

This volume is one in a series of "outfitting & source books" devoted to outdoor pursuits such as hang gliding and bird watching. It is illustrated with numerous photographs and 206 pages long, 80 of them covering the same ground as Freihen's and Fabbri's contributions. The extended third and fourth chapters, Basic Equipment and Accessories respectively, contain:

Mask Buying Guide; Snorkel Buying Guide; Fin Buying Guide; Buoyancy Devices Buying Guide; Knife Buying Guide; Exposure Suit Buying Guide; Harness Buying Guide; Pressure Gauge Buying Guide; Depth Gauge Buying Guide; Accessories (Communication Devices; Dive Boats & Vehicles; Floats; Game Collecting Aids; Lights; Photo Equipment; Protective Outerwear; Salvage Aids; Scuba Attachments; Spears & Guns).

Each section typically begins with a few pages of selection criteria for purchasers, followed by a large, illustrated collection of examples of the diving gear item, arranged by manufacturer. Once again looking at the section on fins, open-heels get a better reception here than in the European books, particularly for their ability to be worn with thick-soled boots. However, the introduction notes that straight-bladed open-heel fins distribute power less equally than offset-bladed full-foot fins.

This volume is a very useful directory of diving equipment with much more besides, such as its review of the diving literature (both books and periodicals) available in the late 1970s. I would classify the book as part of the vintage era of diving by again applying the silicone-skirted mask and plastic-bladed fin test. Both technologies are conspicuous by their absence.

 

[DaleC]

Here is a picture of the book for your third review. Mine is HC, 1978, first edition.