Hookah Harness

[Gomez' echo]

If you did not see this on VDH, I repeat this request here.
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I have a customer who would like me to make a vintage hookah harness for his DA AM. I have never seen one other than the photos in USD catalogs and a couple of other places. My problem is that I am not sure how the front of the harness was made. I have an idea, based on past experience with original tank harnesses of various configurations, but if anyone has one or has knowledge of this type of harness I would be most grateful for your assistance. Here are two photos from a 1959 USD catalog showing the rear side of the reg with hookah harness and a closeup of the harness. This seems rather simple, but the question is what is the front side like? Thanks for any help.





Allan

[SeaRat]

Allan,

There are a few shown in the National Geographic Magazine. I think I can find out a bit more about it tonight, and maybe give you a citation for the National Geographic. I won't post any Geographic photos here, as that would violate their copyright.

John

[SeaRat]

Allan,

I think the one shown in the catelog is actually upside down; at least, I would configure the harness so that the "D" rings were on the top of the shoulder strap, and that way the loop would hang down, with the end of the strap up where you could reach it. I'll see tonight whether I'm right or not.

John

[Gomez' echo]

I felt the same way about the D ring sections. So far I also think that one of the hoses most likely had to be removed to put the harness on the reg because the D rings on the end of the straps would not slide back through the one or two Ds that are near the reg can. I do appreciate any help on this project.

Allan

[SeaRat]

The National Geographic book, World Beneath the Sea[/B], by James Dugan, 1967 has two photos in it of the harness at work. Unfortunately, one is not real easy to see, as it is black. Both were shot by Thomas J. Aberchombie of a Byzantien merchantman ship which archeologists worked off Turkey. One photo (on page 121) shows a diver with the hookah unit from the front, using a lift bag to raise a "seawelded mass of copper ingots and bronze tools from he oldest shipwreck known--a Branze Age trading vessel that sank in 90 feet of water off Cape Gelidonya 32 centuries ago." By the way, he's not only using a DA Aquamaster on hookah, but he's also wearing an oval mask;).

I think this is the actual site, but the hookah is not in the one photo here from National Geographic.

www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2002/03/01/html/ft_20020301.6.html?fs=www3.nationalgeographic.com&fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com

This site says that this was covered in the December 1987 National Geographic, and I should have that downstairs. I'll look after my shower (I just got home from work, and I commute by bicycle).

Concerning the photo, it appears to show the harness with a coss-chest strap too, possible put on afterwards. That makes sense, as it may be difficult to hold the straps in place without a cross-chest strap. Also, it does appear that the double D-rings are on the top part, as the strap hangs like it should from that photo.

John

[SeaRat]

Well, it was a nice try, but that article is considerably older than the one cited above. I have the one above, and these archeologists used scuba only, no hookah. The book cited above is by James Dugan, and is dated 1967. There are two articles in the above article:

--"Odest Known Shipwreck Yields Bronze Age Cargo," May 1962
--"Thirty-three Centuries Under the Sea," May 1960, both by Peter Throckmorton.

The hookah divers are in one of the two above articles.

Now, let me speculate on the front. I think that there are the two straps, but that they cross right over the regulator name plate. This would keep them on the regulator, and it could not slide out.

John

[jamiep3]

I have both of those issues on CD. I'll Look tonight and see what I can find.