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Post by duckbill on Mar 22, 2006 23:33:00 GMT -8
I have two Sea-Vue SPGs made by Sportsways. One sports a Huntington Park, CA address, whereas the other says Los Angeles. Does anyone know when these gauges were made, and/or when Sportsways made the move? To complicate things, I guess that Sportsways was in Paramount, CA in 1963 according to "Basic SCUBA".
Also, during what years was Selpac in business?
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Post by luis on Mar 23, 2006 3:44:30 GMT -8
Are you referring about Sherwood Selpac?
I don't know much about their history.
They used to manufacture the tank valves (and other regulator parts) for other companies like Dacor, Healthways, etc. If you look closely at many old valves (in particular Healtways tank valves) you will see a small square with an "SS" in it.
My understanding is that Sherwood Selpac was a large manufacturer of compress gas equipment. At some point they started marketing their own SCUBA gear under the name of Sherwood. Companies like Dacor did not like that and quit buying parts and component from them.
Anyone else that has more knowledge, please jump in and correct or expand on what I just wrote.
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Post by Broxton Carol on Mar 23, 2006 5:08:15 GMT -8
I have a chrome sportsways guage, marked los angeles, and it is pictured in a 1959 scuba magazine I have. That would date that one, and the other I have ius a huntington beach one, with a rubber protective cover on it. I have had great luck with these guages attatched to banjo fittings, and they work smoothly and accurately. There are 2 of them on ebay now for about 25.00 each.
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JohnA
Pro Diver
Posts: 134
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Post by JohnA on Mar 23, 2006 6:04:45 GMT -8
Sportsways (waterlung) was never associated with Sherwood/Selpac. It seems from what I have read that Sherwood and Selpac were two distinct companies that merged but stayed separate entities. They later split and were totally separate companies that continued to sell scuba and industrial gas equipment. Later Selpac and White Stag merged and formed Ocean Dynamics, don’t know what happened to them after that. Sherwood obviously has continued to prosper.
John
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Post by duckbill on Mar 23, 2006 23:22:26 GMT -8
Thanks for the help on this. I record any historical information I can for future reference.
John, the Selpac and Sportsways qestions were independent of one another, but the history you gave is very interesting and I have included it in my notes. It seems there should be a comprehensive book on historical timelines related to manufacturers and gear. That would be great, but I guess the market for such a book would be rather small, no matter how helpful. It is just one of those things that will probably be tied up in eternity in bits and pieces of information hidden in hundreds of different catalogues and magazines. Oh well.
Chuck, both of my gauges look identical except for the addresses. Does your 1959 magazine specify Los Angeles, or can you see it printed on a gauge in the ad?
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Post by Broxton Carol on Mar 24, 2006 3:57:10 GMT -8
There is a picture of a diver USING a sportsways guage, a chrome one, with a single hose regulator. I cant see how its hooked into the reg, or is using an early "banjo" fitting. It is in skin diver magazine. I find those sportsways guages the most heavy duty smooth working ones there are. I have had dacor and usd guages leak under the plastic lens. Those guages are built like a TANK, no pun intended. There are still 2 of them on ebay now. A nice deal for some vintage diver. Chuck  |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2006 10:55:04 GMT -8
chuck
not sure which sportsways reg you are looking at, but my old Sportdiver II had two LP ports and one hp port, and my seavue has been plugged in there for over 30 years.....still working too.......both reg and guage....they are rugged.........
Michael
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