Training then. This is what was state of the art advice in 1968

[LeadTurn_SD]

Everything taken from early diving has to be seen in the context that most divers had previous skin diving experience. Every vintage training book I have is filled with skin diving information. From that perspective, things like J valves and even K valves without spg's weren't the boogeyman they are today.

Yes.

At least that was my experience as a teenager growing up in Hawaii. In the 1970's a group of us were "skin divers" first (spear fishing), then transitioned to scuba.

Most of us did use K valves and SPG's. I used a J-valve 1st stage (US Divers Calypso "J") along with an SPG, so I was the "high tech" diver in our group.

Depths generally were fairly shallow, 30 - 50' was common... but not always. We did dive deeper on occasion, sometimes much deeper. Combine excess testosterone and thrill-seeking behavior, the invincibility of youth, free diving experience, and even with our single steel '72's significant depths could be reached (very briefly) followed by brief deco following US Navy Tables, using a couple tanks we suspended from an inner tube to complete our deco time if needed... today's "tech" divers would cringe. Heck, I cringe thinking back on it, although it was not as "bad" as it sounds... well ok, maybe it was as bad as it sounds.

Best wishes.

 

[LindaSSF]

My basic dive course in the 1970s used US Navy dive tables and had us "do the math" on gases for the physics. The course included calculating deco - all on air, of course.


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[Bob DBF]

And, in that context I looked at my copy of 'The New Science . . . ' and here is what it says about valves:

'TANK VALVES . . . Two types may be had. One automatically signals the diver when the air reserve is down to a certain pressure. The other only opens or closes to release or stop air flow.

"K" valve. This is a simple on-off valve that operates like a kitchen faucet. When it is turned to the on, or open, position, air will flow to the demand regulator until internal tank pressure equals water pressure or the air supply is exhausted. Because the "K" valve lacks a signal for warning the diver that his air supply is about to run out, it is recommended that this type of valve be used only with an underwater pressure gauge.

"J" valve. A more sophisticated air-pressure control, the "J" valve contains a spring-operated reserve mechanism that automatically shuts off the flow of air when internal tank pressure falls to 300 psi. When the diver experiences dif- ficulty in taking air from the mouthpiece, he or she is warned that the reserve is running low and manually pulls down the lever on the "J" valve to again release the flow and begin the ascent. '

So, perhaps it is a bit more balanced in its consideration of the K valve - 'use only with a SPG', rather than 'don't use deeper than 30 feet', but it, too, clearly implies the J valve is the superior piece of equipment.

My version, 1963, has no mention of SPG's and uses the term Air Reserve Valve rather than J valve, and says it could be part of the valve, or the regulator, and mentions other devices which would give you indication of low pressure. The K valve was not mentioned at all, probably seen as a given.

The The New Science of Skin and SCUBA Diving was updated on a regular basis from 1957 on, I have heard of a 1980 edition. The YMCA was involved in creating the book and used it for their SCUBA training classes so I doubt that it outlived their program.



Bob
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"the future is uncertain and the end is always near"
Jim Morrison

 

[AfterDark]

When I turned 10 my father allowed me to go off alone to the beach on my bicycle. I put my mask snorkel and fins in my rucksack an innertube on the handle bars and took off to the "beach". In fact in was to an old ice house on a fresh water pond in RI Stafford Pond. I'd skin dive in that 20+ foot vis for hours towing my inner tube just in case, safety 1st even at that young age. Every summer same thing until I turned 14 when I was able to take !SCUBA! lessons. At that time 16 was the minimum age for scuba lessons but, the instructor was also my mechanical drawing teacher! I continued to skin dive when I speared fish for a while but stopped long ago. I still snorkel with Mrs. AD but haven't spearfished or did any serious skin diving in years, but all those hours in the water snorkeling sure paid off.

 

[NAM001]

I remember those days. Its funny that the J valve was teh method of 300# of reserve gas. Then the K valve changed to acomodate an SPG. With any good ideawe still had to deal with inaccurate SPG's so we created teh 500# rule. Seems like 8 bucks for a K valve and 15 for an SPG and hose would have ben an even swap for a J valve. If you could find somwhere to buy one. The rih folks found buy a regulator that made a sonic sound when ever it was breathed to let youknow you were low on air. My first set of gear cane from the Monky wards catalog. Healthways steel 72 2250# tank for 49.99. The matching heakthways (new technology) single hose reg was 49.99. The 2 piece wet suit with bever tail was you guessed it 49.99. Mask fins and shark killing rambo knife with horse collar another perhaps 49.99. You would think Earl Schibe was selling this stuff when he wasnt painting cars. There were still plenty of double hose regs, both of the single and double stage variety. Wet suits were 1/4 and 3/8 suits, no M&M's to them. Ow (YMCA) classes were 20-30 hours over 8 weeks. The hottest fins on the street were rocket fins by USD and were 20.00 a pair. Rich folks had SPG's. Minimum wage was i think 1.00 per hour. home mortgage was < 100 a month. My family of 6 had a family income of 2300 a year with overtime. and we still paid 50.00 or so income tax and took vacations every 2 years. Like life the world of scuba has definately changed.

 

[DaleC]

My brother and I lived in water when we were young. Very influential were early Tarzan movies starring Johnny Weissmuller, who was always fighting a crocodile or something. In the pool, at the beach, either I or my brother took turns being one or the other (Tarzan or the croc). SCUBA seems pale in comparison...

 

[diver 85]

My brother and I lived in water when we were young. Very influential were early Tarzan movies starring Johnny Weissmuller, who was always fighting a crocodile or something. In the pool, at the beach, either I or my brother took turns being one or the other (Tarzan or the croc). SCUBA seems pale in comparison...

"Tarzan movies"???........That's where Mike Nelson got the idea of carrying a dive knife......

 

[XS-NRG]

WOW And yet we are still using the K valve albeit with an Octo plus the use of an SPG and don't forget your buddy!

 

[NAM001]

I
n time all will evolve to its most effective form.

WOW And yet we are still using the K valve albeit with an Octo plus the use of an SPG and don't forget your buddy!

 

[CT-Rich]

WOW And yet we are still using the K valve albeit with an Octo plus the use of an SPG and don't forget your buddy!

Well, now they have yoke vs DIN. Today you can go on line and find a buddy if you want on Craig's List or SB. Tragically, the mindset by the time I started diving was that if you didn't have a buddy (even a crappy insta-buddy) was that you were going to turn into a pumpkin upon touching the water. I missed out on a lot of good diving because of the dogma of the day said if you didn't have a buddy YOU WERE GOING TO BE PULLLED DEAD FROM THE WATER....

The net has probably done as much to improve diving as the SPG did, maybe more...

---------- Post added April 27th, 2014 at 06:12 AM ----------

I think we had better basic training back in 1980 (when I was certified) because we really were not likely to go and collect certification cards like people do today, courses were built around a bunch of pool time to learn the basic skills and here is a lot of theory about how to plan a dive safely. Oh, and now we'll scare the crap out of you by making you practice the dive tables... Better know those inside and out (mistakes on those can really make you die...). with all the pool time we also spent a lot of time actually getting trained to dive with a buddy, so you had real buddy skills.