The Aqueon, and Possible 3rd Generation U/W Swimming Devices

[SeaRat]

Some years ago, I uploaded this image to our website, and it's still there. Right in the center is the Aqueon, and underwater swimming device that I bought in the early 1970s. Well, I have started to bring my Aqueon back to life this year. I lost one of the stabilizing fins (back fins), and so am in the process of making a new one. As soon as I get it made, according to Murphy's Law, I'll find the old one somewhere in my dive shed. I'll be adding to this post shortly.

Here is the original pamphlet on the Aqueon:

Aqueon002 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

Aqueon001 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

Here is a 1968 video on the Aqueon:



John

[pacediver1]

Those duck feet ,great collection

[SeaRat]

My Aqueon is getting closer to being rebuilt. I've sanded most of the varnish on the wood parts, made a missing rear stabilizer, and today got some new stainless bolts to bolt the rear part together. I'll sand the front propulsion blades later this week, and start refinishing them. It doesn't look that difficult to get it back working.

Interesting, I have found two patents:



patents.google.com/patent/US3122759A/en?q=and+underwater+swimming&inventor=Gongwer&oq=Gongwer+and+underwater+swimming
This appears to be the original patent.



patents.google.com/patent/US3122759A/en?q=and+underwater+swimming&inventor=Gongwer&oq=Gongwer+and+underwater+swimming
This one is the second patent, which is the Aqueon as I know it.


Here are photos of me testing the Aqueon in Lake Chelan in Washington State in 1972.

JCR & Aqueon by John Ratliff, on Flickr

JCR Mounting Aqueon-1_edited-1 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

JCR & Aqueon1 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

In the mid-2000s a company apparently got a DARPA grant to develop what they called the "Power Swim" machine, which is the Aqueon, updated. They also patented it, and provided this diagram:


patents.google.com/patent/US10392090B2/en?q=and+power+swim&inventor=Christopher+C.+Langenfeld&oq=inventor:(Christopher+C.+Langenfeld)+and+power+swim

John

[vance]

There is so much fun to be had here! This is the best forum ever.

[SeaRat]

My Aqueon restoration is almost complete. I need only to string the two lines, one for the propulsion blades and one between the top two leg-holding boards, and then make some old wetsuit neoprene shin guards.

Photos will be coming. I hope to get it wet this month (May).

John

[SeaRat]

Okay, here's the photos of the finalized reconditioning of my Aqueon:

IMG_0124 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

IMG_0123 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

So now, after about thirty plus years, the Aqueon is back together. Note the back right stabilizing wing is new. I also have the front line put together in a manner that I can re-tie it to give me different spring strengths by either loosening it or tightening it. But I probably cannot do that with my diving gloves on. I also adjusted it so that the main stem doesn't come up so high on my waist, which may give me more ability to surface dive with the Aqueon.

It looks like it might get wet soon, as the river is in shape, and I have a shallow area that I could use as a test bed without the hazard of the upper area of the High Rocks site. So I may have some information on it fairly soon.

John

[SeaRat]

Well, my Aqueon now sports two blue shin and knee pads on each side, courtesy of an old 1/4 inch neoprene hood I haven't used in years. It was sacrificed for the production of the pads. This Aqueon is now completely ready for the water.

John

PS, I posted the patent on the PowerSwim machine earlier, but here it is again:
US10392090B2 - Swimming propulsion device - Google Patents

This patent has a huge number of drawings, and incorporates some designs which have not been materially made yet. It appears that the company, Deka Products LP, to whom the patent is assigned, has covered the bases for manufacturing this device. There is also detailed descriptions of the theory of operation of this device.

One of the things I found out while looking at the Aqueon patent and materials is that the rear stabilizing fins work to provide a fulcrum for the front fins to work. They provide resistance to movement, which translates into better leverage and more power for the front fins.

[DavidRitchieWilson]

Congratulations, John!

I have been working my way today through a run of the Soviet diving magazine "Sportsmen-Podvodnik" and have just chanced upon a short article about the Aqueon in a 1976 issue. I've had a go at translating the article from Russian into English. The original Russian can be found here. Hope this helps - it might at least provide an alternative scientific/cultural perspective.

B. SAKHAROV: “AQUEON” SWIMMING DEVICE

Although many improved types of fins have emerged, they are only suitable as a propulsion device when moving over a short distance. When it comes to substantial underwater movement, autonomous self-propelled electromechanical vehicles are used. They are not, however, always easy and convenient to operate.

The "Aqueon".


Graph showing air consumption when swimming at identical speeds: 1 — in fins; 2 — with the Aqueon device.

The "Aqueon" is a mechanical device and does not require any energy other than the energy of human muscles. Tests of the "Aqueon" have clearly demonstrated its effectiveness. The author of the device, an American hydrodynamics scientist, has used the Aqueon to swim 25 miles in 12 hours. After completing this marathon, the then 56-year-old swimmer stated that he did not feel particularly tired during his swim. Although the swimming speed during the marathon averaged 2 knots (3.7 km per hour), the author claimed it could rise to 4 knots after training.

The scientist created his model based on his observations of dolphins and flying fish. He worked on it for 17 years.

The main parts of the Aqueon are an aluminium tube and the wooden bars attached to it at the front and rear. The swimmer’s legs are threaded between the rear bars and fit comfortably above the ankles. The front bar, connected to the rear elastic extensions, is located approximately under his abdomen. The front bar is the main propulsive work surface of the device. The rear bars serve as a stabiliser.

While swimming with the Aqueon device, the swimmer’s body is kept in a horizontal position, the arms are extended forward, parallel to each other; the legs are bent, then quickly straightened, imitating the movements of a dolphin’s tail.

A comparison of results from a swim with fins and a swim with the "Aqueon" device makes interesting reading.

With fins, two trained scuba divers swam a predetermined distance of 1,350 metres in 44 minutes and 30 seconds. Using the "Aqueon" device, the swimmers covered the same distance in 24 minutes.

Another experiment. It took place in a seawater pool at a temperature of 15.6°C, over a distance of 460 metres and at a depth of 4.5 metres. The results showed that the expenditure of muscular effort when swimming with the Aqueon is five times less than when swimming with fins, and air consumption at a speed of 1.5 knots is 2.5 times less.

The "Aqueon" is limited in scope. Experts abroad rightly point out that swimming with the "Aqueon" among seaweed, ship wreckage, or in narrow locations is difficult and even dangerous; they do not recommend risk-taking. For long-distance swimming in clear water, however, there is universal acknowledgement that the Aqueon outperforms fins in efficiency.

DRW

[SeaRat]

DRW,

Thank you for this post. It's amazing that it comes from Russia.

Well, I was going to get the Aqueon wet today, but instead decided to sleep in and relax. I was feeling pretty "drained" today, and besides it's raining today. So my next opportunity will probably be in about two weeks.

John

[SeaRat]

Well, yesterday, I got wet with my Aqueon. I’m in the process of writing up the dive, and will post it soon. But I now know why I abandoned diving the Aqueon over three decades ago. But it got wet, did work (though I have some more modifications to make), and it will get wet again this spring or summer.

John

[SeaRat]

Dive Debriefing Sheet
Screen Shot 2021-05-16 at 6.24.37 PM by John Ratliff, on Flickr

Dive Plan:
I carried the Aqueon down to the rocks for the tests, along with my forward unit and the float/dive flag. I put the float into the water when I came down the second time with my scuba unit/wet suit on. The plan was to use the Aqueon with no fins, then with fins, then with fins and the forward unit. No photography this time.

Observations:
I came down the trail in full scuba gear, being careful how I navigated the steep areas. I had become accustomed to climbing out of this area from High Rocks upstream, but not descending it. So I had to re-do my descent, by turning half-way down to face the steep trail. Once down, I launched the float/dive flag, positioned the Aqueon, fins and forward unit on the rocks but into the river so I could access them once in the water. I then walked into the water, donned my mask/snorkel, put the regulator into my mouth, and kneeled into the water. I then grabbed the Aqueon, and tried mounting it in the river’s current.

I found that the current was carrying me downstream. I had about a 2 mph current, though the river was otherwise calm. I mounted the Aqueon, and tried it out. I was able to get horizontal and take some strokes. I was able to maintain my position in the current for a few minutes, but then had to dismount, and the current again carried me downstream. I was able, with some effort, to swim without fins to the shallow area, get myself oriented again, and again mount the Aqueon. But I was not able to overcome the current and get to the other side of a rock. So I grabbed it, and then hand-over-hand went around the rock.

I then put my fins on to use with the Aqueon; that really didn’t work. So as soon as I could, I made my way back to the shore, took the fins off, and grabbed the forward unit to try it with the Aqueon. Again, that didn’t work well, as the kick is different than a dolphin kick. So back to shore, stash the forward unit, and go out on the Aqueon sans fins again.

At this point, I looked and had about 750 psig in my steel 72 tank. That’s not too much, and I decided that I’d use it as much as possible. The Aqueon’s left stabilizing fin kept folding up, and would not stay in place. I tried to tighten the nut, but unfortunately I had not invested in a wing nut for these two fins. So even while I tried to get it fitted correctly by screwing down the top leg braces, it still would not stay in position. I was able at different points to get to the bottom (about seven feet deep here), and go somewhat upstream against the current (which was about 2 mph). But I could only keep going at this for about 20 to 30 strokes.

I had found some fishing lures, and a golf ball, but the ball fell out of my front pocket. I did come home with some nice fishing lures, though.

Then, the regulator got hard to breathe, and so I tripped the J-valve and swam to the river’s edge where I had started. The swimming was over for the day.

I needed to get out, and make the trip up to the roadway and to my car. I removed my mouthpiece and instead put my snorkel in my mouth. Breathing with the snorkel, I shoved the Aqueon up onto the rocks. The Aqueon does float in the water, making that easier. I “beached it.”

Then it was simply getting out with the slippery rocks. The snorkel in my mouth served as a mouth guard in case I did a face plant as I crawled out of the river. Finally in shallow water, I was able to stand up and walk out.

At home, I had 352 psig left in the tank; I started out with just under 2200 psig.

Special Problems and Ideas:
Where do I begin? Well, it was good that I started in a rather sheltered portion of the Clackamas River. Here’s some of the problems, in no particular order:

--The current caused problems simply mounting the Aqueon, as while doing so, I was drifting away from the area I wanted to use to test the device out.

--The Aqueon tried to ride up on my knee’s ligament. It needs to stay down lower. Later versions of the Aqueon had a curved cover that kept this from happening. The only way, which I tried later in the tests, was to screw down the wing nut on the back upper leg brace. That helped, but not too much.

--The leg braces and the right stabilizing wing caused my leg knife strap to go down toward my ankle. I’ll have to figure out something different about that knife.

--The forward propulsion wings sometimes hit rocks, which stopped the motion cold.

--Mounting the Aqueon in the water will take more practice. I think I need to keep the two leg braces tighter, and bring my leg into them sideways.

--Carrying the Aqueon to and from the water is a chore. It is pretty heavy, and it was best to have it fully extended, upside down, with me walking between the wings. Since I was also climbing a rather steep slope, I needed to adjust which hand I carried it in. This was especially important since I was also carrying my float in the other hand. I had already gotten to the car, and had to remember to take the car keys with me. When I carried the Aqueon, I was already out of my dive equipment and wet suit.

--I may try this without scuba next time, snorkeling; ‘depends upon where my next Aqueon dive is at (either the Tualatin River or the Clackamas River).

--The Aqueon is really awkward if I got on my side or upside down. It’s really hard to regain being upright, to the point that I gave up and got out of it to try mounting it again on the surface.

Equipment Used:
Scuba, a single 72, with a modified Dacor backpak (with hip connectors for my Para-Sea BCD), Dacor 3-window mask, Scubapro Shotgun snorkel, full wetsuit with hood, boots and gloves, and Wenoka knife. I used my Dacor Pacer regulator, with an octopus on a neck strap, and my Cobra computer. I had my Para-Sea BCD (my own invention), with an LP inflator that I did not use in this dive. Oh, and my weight belt of about 20 pounds with an older wire-type quick release and on a rubber strap.

[SeaRat]

Okay, I’ve found another thread on the Aqueon. I’m seeing that most of the videos are of snorkel divers, and not scuba divers, using the Aqueon. I find that interesting too. Here’s that thread. There have been some updates on Tom Lightfoots use of the Aqueon in a free diving competition on forums.deeperblue.com/freediv...st-past-6.html

Originally Posted by true View Post
I just added the results of the last CAFA competition and see that Tom Lightfoot competed in DYN and in CWT with the Aqueon! I do not know whether anyone else ever did, but the results are quite good (rather close to Tom's competition PB's in DYN), and may be well unofficial Aqueon competition records (100m DYN and 40m CWT):

APNEA.cz ranking - CAFA Western Regional Competition II 2011

I wonder how Tom managed to do the DYN turns - in a pool with shallow ends it may be quite challanging with the Aqueon.

DYN 100 m With Aqueon 09/18/2011
This is swimming horizontally in a 25 m pool for distance.

CWT 40 m With Aqueon 09/17/2011
This is a vertical free dive with constant weight

Quote:
Originally Posted by trux View Post
Just got some new details about Tom's performances with the Aqueon: the DYN swim was in a 25m pool with the ends 120 cm deep! It must have been pretty challenging since the rear rigid blade is exactly 120 cm wide too! Additionally, the fin is quite heavy, it means all those turns certainly cost Tom quite a bit of energy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Lightfoot View Post
Hi Trux and Rick,

I'd been toying with the idea of competing with the Aqueon since I got it. I spent a fair bit of time training with it three years ago but haven't used it much since then. The CAFA competition seemed like a golden opportunity to put some numbers up despite a lack of recent training with it.

To be perfectly honest, the Aqueon in its current form is no revolution in underwater propulsion. The improvement in efficiency is more than eaten up in increased drag, incredible mass (>20lbs) and difficult maneuverability. Still, it is a fun device to fly and I'm glad I dusted it off for the comp.

The constant ballast dive was the most daunting, both for me and for the organizer. The wide wings of the Aqueon don't mix well with the lanyard and the descent line. One has to be keenly aware at all times where all of these things are, especially at the start and turn. A back flip with head to the wall is the only way to start as it finishes with the diver facing the line with minimal risk of entanglement. The sink phase was very slow so I had to pump the blade occasionally to keep some forward momentum. At the turn I had to swing my body well clear of the plate to avoid knocking the bottom camera. On the start of the ascent I typically feel like I don't have much power against the negative buoyancy but at 20m and shallower I feel like I can outrun anything with the Aqueon.

Dynamic apnea presents its own challenges, especially in a 25m pool. Obviously the turns are inherently difficult. The only way to turn is to keep level and straight. Any tilt would drive the wing tips into the bottom and any bending of the knees would hammer the front blade into the bottom. It is therefore necessary to scull with the hands to finish the turn. The aqueon is not very efficient at low speed so it is necessary to push a bit harder than otherwise ideal.

The Aqueon takes a life of its own at medium fast speed. The blade suddenly grabs the water and you propel yourself more by leaning against the blade than by moving it. You have to forget everything you know about the monofin; pump entirely from the legs and relax the upper body.

Tom

There have been some updates on Tom Lightfoots use of the Aqueon in a free diving competition on forums.deeperblue.com/freediv...st-past-6.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by trux View Post
I just added the results of the last CAFA competition and see that Tom Lightfoot competed in DYN and in CWT with the Aqueon! I do not know whether anyone else ever did, but the results are quite good (rather close to Tom's competition PB's in DYN), and may be well unofficial Aqueon competition records (100m DYN and 40m CWT):

APNEA.cz ranking - CAFA Western Regional Competition II 2011

I wonder how Tom managed to do the DYN turns - in a pool with shallow ends it may be quite challanging with the Aqueon.

DYN 100 m With Aqueon 09/18/2011
This is swimming horizontally in a 25 m pool for distance.

CWT 40 m With Aqueon 09/17/2011
This is a vertical free dive with constant weight

Quote:
Originally Posted by trux View Post
Just got some new details about Tom's performances with the Aqueon: the DYN swim was in a 25m pool with the ends 120 cm deep! It must have been pretty challenging since the rear rigid blade is exactly 120 cm wide too! Additionally, the fin is quite heavy, it means all those turns certainly cost Tom quite a bit of energy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Lightfoot View Post
Hi Trux and Rick,

I'd been toying with the idea of competing with the Aqueon since I got it. I spent a fair bit of time training with it three years ago but haven't used it much since then. The CAFA competition seemed like a golden opportunity to put some numbers up despite a lack of recent training with it.

To be perfectly honest, the Aqueon in its current form is no revolution in underwater propulsion. The improvement in efficiency is more than eaten up in increased drag, incredible mass (>20lbs) and difficult maneuverability. Still, it is a fun device to fly and I'm glad I dusted it off for the comp.

The constant ballast dive was the most daunting, both for me and for the organizer. The wide wings of the Aqueon don't mix well with the lanyard and the descent line. One has to be keenly aware at all times where all of these things are, especially at the start and turn. A back flip with head to the wall is the only way to start as it finishes with the diver facing the line with minimal risk of entanglement. The sink phase was very slow so I had to pump the blade occasionally to keep some forward momentum. At the turn I had to swing my body well clear of the plate to avoid knocking the bottom camera. On the start of the ascent I typically feel like I don't have much power against the negative buoyancy but at 20m and shallower I feel like I can outrun anything with the Aqueon.

Dynamic apnea presents its own challenges, especially in a 25m pool. Obviously the turns are inherently difficult. The only way to turn is to keep level and straight. Any tilt would drive the wing tips into the bottom and any bending of the knees would hammer the front blade into the bottom. It is therefore necessary to scull with the hands to finish the turn. The aqueon is not very efficient at low speed so it is necessary to push a bit harder than otherwise ideal.

The Aqueon takes a life of its own at medium fast speed. The blade suddenly grabs the water and you propel yourself more by leaning against the blade than by moving it. You have to forget everything you know about the monofin; pump entirely from the legs and relax the upper body.

Tom

fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4372



John

[SeaRat]

Yesterday, I went to the hardware store and picked up some needed additions for my Aqueon. I got wing nuts to replace the regular nuts on the stabilizing fins, and new washers. I also picked up some ceiling hooks of stainless to use on the propulsive wings to attempt to reverse the blades. This, according to the inventor, Dr. Calvin Gownwer, will help in descending. I’m not so sure about that, as so far I can only get one wing to reverse; I probably need to use less spring tension on the blades.

I also decided not to use a bowline loop, and just use the original line through the blade with an overhand knot to keep it from pulling out. This changes the angles of the blades to some degree, and I’ll try that out soon.

Other improvements are to tighten the line between the two upper leg braces to prevent rotation of one in relation to the other, which will hopefully keep the lower one from rotating when I try to mount it.

Here's the Aqueon with mods:

IMG_0179 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

John

[nikeajax]

John, very fun/exciting: thanks for Sharon with us There's something romantic about going back to things we've had for years and rediscovering them, especially when it's as quaint as this machine.

As stated before, I'm enjoying old fishing gear from around 1900 to late 1960's: especially those from Post-occupation Japan. It's like with our old scuba regs, yeah, things may have gotten better, but learning to use the old stuff is more fun, it makes you think

JB

[vance]

Pretty cool, John. You are a font of knowledge about these vintage (I think most of the stuff we deal with here is legit antique, not vintage) gizmos we are so attracted to. Thanks for your restoration notes/dive notes/logs/review of this piece of history!