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Although I don't believe it was marketed as a BC originally (the term buoyancy compensator had not yet been coined), the Fenzy may have been the first with the features that now define a BC, oral and power inflation, overpressure/dump valve. I found this.
The ABLJ (ajustable buoyancy life jacket) was developed by Maurice Fenzy in 1961. [3] Early versions were inflated by mouth underwater. Later versions had their own air inflation cylinder. Some had carbon dioxide inflation cylinders, a development which was abandoned when valves that allowed divers to breathe from the BC's inflation bag were introduced. Since 1969 most modern BCs have used inflation gas from one of the diver's main gas cylinders, in addition to an oral inflation tube which is used at the surface in the event the diver has no high pressure gas left. In 1971, ScubaPro developed the Stabilizer Jacket, the first jacket-style BC, and in 1972 Watergill developed the Atpac wing.
__________________
Captain;
A recent article in the local news paper questioned the accuracy of on line information sources and presented examples of gross errors as well as some items that were totally correct. I will not question the validity of the source but will offer the following;
There was a fellow Antonio Ribera from Barcelona Spain who was very active in early diving. He was one of the early translators of JYC's "Silent World" from English in to his native language --not Spanish, but Catalonian, a Spanish dialect which contains a little Italian, French and what ever else tossed in. (Not for your information I know you know it-- but FYI others the "Silent World" was first printed by Harper and Rowe, NYC in English, later French and now 23 different languages)
Also at that time Antonio was collecting the red corral that profusely grew in deep water off the coast and marketing it for jewelry--it was highly prised and very expensive . (FYI I have a Pukka Strand with the red coral interspersed in it.! wow showing my age)
One of his many problems was buoyancy.
He solved it by creating an air bag to which he attached a hose and a crude mouth piece from a double hose regulator. this gave his buoyancy at depth as well as a personal lift bag. Very little was made of his SAID ---aka Specific Adaptation to the Imposed Demand, for at that time in the early to mid 1950s very little attention was given to buoyancy. It was not needed since most who were active in diving had been HS/College swimmer athletes... as the sport progressed and currently most who enter the sport can barely swim and certainly were not athletic, so later on buoyancy became a serious issue that had to be addressed by diving manufactures and certainly welcomed by the occasional vacation diver.
About the same time that the BF became popular Nemrod also offered a large yellow well made almost inflexible horse collar with a long inflation tube which possibly came from the Nemrod double hose regulator--It is also noted at that time Antonio was an official with Nemrod...As I recall the National or International Sales manager.
He was a prolific writer , wrote for various diving and sport magazines, had translated the Silent world, and I think he was the one who wrote or was a major contributor to the "History of Nemrod"...I saw the book only once it was very complete and had a bright red cover--
Don't have a copy of the Silent World in Catalonian nor do I have the History of Nemrod.--some day !
<I also don't have any books in French-- they were stolen by a couple "researching information" for a book--that never will be published>
SDM
The ABLJ (ajustable buoyancy life jacket) was developed by Maurice Fenzy in 1961. [3] Early versions were inflated by mouth underwater. Later versions had their own air inflation cylinder. Some had carbon dioxide inflation cylinders, a development which was abandoned when valves that allowed divers to breathe from the BC's inflation bag were introduced. Since 1969 most modern BCs have used inflation gas from one of the diver's main gas cylinders, in addition to an oral inflation tube which is used at the surface in the event the diver has no high pressure gas left. In 1971, ScubaPro developed the Stabilizer Jacket, the first jacket-style BC, and in 1972 Watergill developed the Atpac wing.
__________________
Captain;
A recent article in the local news paper questioned the accuracy of on line information sources and presented examples of gross errors as well as some items that were totally correct. I will not question the validity of the source but will offer the following;
There was a fellow Antonio Ribera from Barcelona Spain who was very active in early diving. He was one of the early translators of JYC's "Silent World" from English in to his native language --not Spanish, but Catalonian, a Spanish dialect which contains a little Italian, French and what ever else tossed in. (Not for your information I know you know it-- but FYI others the "Silent World" was first printed by Harper and Rowe, NYC in English, later French and now 23 different languages)
Also at that time Antonio was collecting the red corral that profusely grew in deep water off the coast and marketing it for jewelry--it was highly prised and very expensive . (FYI I have a Pukka Strand with the red coral interspersed in it.! wow showing my age)
One of his many problems was buoyancy.
He solved it by creating an air bag to which he attached a hose and a crude mouth piece from a double hose regulator. this gave his buoyancy at depth as well as a personal lift bag. Very little was made of his SAID ---aka Specific Adaptation to the Imposed Demand, for at that time in the early to mid 1950s very little attention was given to buoyancy. It was not needed since most who were active in diving had been HS/College swimmer athletes... as the sport progressed and currently most who enter the sport can barely swim and certainly were not athletic, so later on buoyancy became a serious issue that had to be addressed by diving manufactures and certainly welcomed by the occasional vacation diver.
About the same time that the BF became popular Nemrod also offered a large yellow well made almost inflexible horse collar with a long inflation tube which possibly came from the Nemrod double hose regulator--It is also noted at that time Antonio was an official with Nemrod...As I recall the National or International Sales manager.
He was a prolific writer , wrote for various diving and sport magazines, had translated the Silent world, and I think he was the one who wrote or was a major contributor to the "History of Nemrod"...I saw the book only once it was very complete and had a bright red cover--
Don't have a copy of the Silent World in Catalonian nor do I have the History of Nemrod.--some day !
<I also don't have any books in French-- they were stolen by a couple "researching information" for a book--that never will be published>
SDM
