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Post by SeaRat on Apr 30, 2022 8:54:37 GMT -8
Got to be my homemade Hawaiian backpack. It’s perfect for boat dives. Now if I can get Flickr to work I’ll try to post a photo of it. Well, I’m an idiot and can’t do Flickr properly to post photos. For some reason, I can do it on the other board, but not here. It’s my fault and im doing something wrong. So, I’ll try to describe my Hawaiian backpack. It’s really simple with no moving parts. Basically, it’s all aluminum with a plate and a bucket attached to it. The bucket only fits a steel 72, but I prefer them anyway. Holding me into it are two shoulder hooks and waist strap webbing with a quick release buckle. The shoulder hooks are bent aluminum with air conditioning insulation for comfort. Lastly, the tank is held in place by a surgical tube loop pulled up and around the tank valve. I hope I’ve described the backpack sufficiently. It’s pretty much bullet proof in that I only have to replace the shoulder insulation and surgical tubing. Like I said, it’s great for boat dives in that I can take off the gear in seconds, hand it up to folks on the boat and climb aboard without carrying the gear with me. Or, I can stay in the water and have the folks onboard quickly change out the tank and hand me the gear and I put it on in the water and go. Art, I have a message to you showing you how to post images from Flikr. John
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Post by antique diver on May 12, 2022 6:09:46 GMT -8
Here is a "not regulator" project that pertains to vintage diving. What am I making?
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Post by snark3 on May 12, 2022 6:34:23 GMT -8
looks like a weight system
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Post by antique diver on May 12, 2022 8:12:41 GMT -8
looks like a weight system Yes! And specific use is...?
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Post by SeaRat on May 12, 2022 8:37:52 GMT -8
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Post by antique diver on May 12, 2022 10:32:08 GMT -8
I had forgotten about the Nautilus weights, but no... that's not what I'm making.
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Post by antique diver on May 12, 2022 12:26:01 GMT -8
Almost finished, so this should start looking a little more familiar. Finished photo by tonight, I hope.
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Post by antique diver on May 12, 2022 14:44:11 GMT -8
I just completed my weight harness for Mark V rig. All straps are heavy leather as would have been used with the DESCO Mark V system. It will go on my WW-II era USN issue hat and dress (by DESCO,1944). Harness designed to be very similar to DESCO version. Knife is Schrader, made between 1912-1923. They also made Mark V's for the Navy during the war. This just about completes my rig, which has been without a proper weight harness since I acquired it in 80's. I'll post a photo of the whole works after I get Big Bad John dressed out. Hopefully tonight.
If this looks a little confusing, the double strap ends and buckles go in the back. Crossed shoulder straps in front.
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Post by antique diver on May 12, 2022 18:40:26 GMT -8
A lot of leather went into making the weight harness. Luckily I have a friend that is a saddle maker, and he was able to provide me with some vintage-looking but substantial material that he has taken off saddles he was rebuilding. Only the 4" wide waist band was new. All main leather parts were heavy 3/16" thick oil-impregnated latigo leather, made to hold up to years of horse sweat. I think it will hold up just fine in my diving den. Making the weights was the hard part. They are bolted to the belt with galvanized hardware.
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Post by vance on May 13, 2022 7:13:27 GMT -8
Excellent craftsmanship, as usual, Bill.
BTW,I use a suspender style weight belt since losing a regular one while surface swimming. The thing slipped right off and tangled up with my fins for a horrifying moment.
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Post by snark3 on May 13, 2022 7:54:43 GMT -8
I use a suspender style too with a couple of small weights separate. I wear 45-50 lbs and if I were to lose my belt at depth there is no way I could control an ascent being that positive
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Post by nikeajax on May 13, 2022 8:40:20 GMT -8
Bill, you need to read this book: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33146At least the first two chapters, it's called "Careers of Danger and Daring" by Cleveland Moffett 1903. So, the first one is about Steeplejacking, which is utterly wild! But the second is about hard-hat-diving and type of person it took to do such things. Remember, it's from 1903, so these guys are beyond brave, some, as the author points out, are quite literally insane. I've read it I think three times; the historical context is something I don't think many can comprehend. Oh, and it has lots of great illustrations too JB
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Post by antique diver on May 13, 2022 10:06:08 GMT -8
Bill, you need to read this book: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33146At least the first two chapters, it's called "Careers of Danger and Daring" by Cleveland Moffett 1903. So, the first one is about Steeplejacking, which is utterly wild! But the second is about hard-hat-diving and type of person it took to do such things. Remember, it's from 1903, so these guys are beyond brave, some, as the author points out, are quite literally insane. I've read it I think three times; the historical context is something I don't think many can comprehend. Oh, and it has lots of great illustrations too JB Interesting! Thanks for putting me onto this.
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Post by Aquala1 on May 18, 2022 9:13:38 GMT -8
Mark, I’ve done a bit of research on the Oceanways Aquapro fins. It looks like when Healthways stopped making the Cressi Rondine fin here in the US, Oceanways acquired the molds. They had them reworked to say Oceanways instead of Cressi, and continued production. So our Aquapro fins are somewhat genuine Rondine fins, or at least they came from the same mold.
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Post by nikeajax on May 18, 2022 15:29:30 GMT -8
Ty, I was beginning to worry about you buuuddy I was hoping you weren't one of the 992,835-statistics or one of the collapsed companies caused by the afore mentioned... JB
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