diveguy – Northwest Diving History Association

200 Feet Deep Working Diving in Hood Canal –
Serious SCUBA Saves the Day!

September 28, 2023/Uncategorized/by diveguy

200 Feet Deep Working Diving in Hood Canal – Serious SCUBA Saves the Day! Written by Tory van Dyke Ed Forsyth, the owner of COMMERCIAL DIVERS, INC, Portland, Oregon, successfully bid a diving contract for the U.S. Navy in 1978. The job was located just outside the U.S. Navy Submarine Base in Bangor, Washington, on the world-famous Hood Canal. The […]

The Valiant Bud Valian Story – Mt. Hood’s Ski & SCUBA Diving Living Legend

October 18, 2022/Uncategorized/by diveguy

Article 1243 The Valiant Bud Valian Story — Mt. Hood’s Ski & SCUBA Diving Living Legend Early SCUBA Diving recollections of diving in the Pacific Northwest, Mexico & Belize Written by Tory van Dyke exclusively for the NORTHWEST DIVING HISTORY ASSOCIATION 8-22-22 I have been thinking about interviewing living Ski Legend Bud Valian of Government Camp, Oregon, for many years, […]

Deep, Dark, Dangerous Diving within a Magnificent Sub-aquatic Ice Water Mansion

July 7, 2022/Uncategorized/by diveguy

I recently met my longtime friend again, the diving pioneer and living legend Spence Campbell, at Tom Hemphill’s NORTHWEST DIVING HISTORY ASSOCIATION meeting on April 12, 2022, at Tom’s well-furnished, neighborhood association Clubhouse. I hadn’t seen Spence for a few years and took the opportunity to sit down next to him at the meeting in order to acquire more knowledge, […]

Three Days Underwater Working Inside 150-feet of 54-inch diameter Pipeline

September 7, 2020/Uncategorized/by diveguy

Underwater pipeline work is both physically and psychologically challenging and demanding. The SCUBA-equipped working diver, free from the constraints of lifeline, communication and air-hose umbilical attachments associated with surface-supplied hard hat diving, has the ability to make deep penetrations into underwater pipeline systems. However, the SCUBA diver is 100% self-contained, as he carries with him on his back-pack, his limited-time-duration […]

Early era fin of unknown origin, possibly foreign military

September 8, 2015/Fins, Uncategorized/by diveguy

Early era fin of unknown origin, possibly foreign military – Circa most likley early 50’s This pair of fins are unique in that they incorporate both a heel strap and a set of laces which seems somewhat odd since the boot pocket would be unlikely to cinch around the foot to a degree where the laces wouldn’t either stretch or tear […]

Navy Underwater Demolitions Teams “UDT” Fins

September 8, 2015/Fins, Uncategorized/by diveguy

Navy Underwater Demolitions Teams “UDT” Fins – Circa post WWII throughout the 50’s-early 60’s During the inception of the U.S. Naval underwater warfare units, Strong swimmer, Frogmen, OSS-UDT and finally SEALs teams, the earliest days utilized Churchill style fins but shortly after WWII the Navy began looking for a more military grade “hardier-use” fin to stand up to the rigors of […]

Healthways “Web-Feet” Fins – Circa early to mid 50’s

September 8, 2015/Fins, Uncategorized/by diveguy

Healthways “Web-Feet” Fins – Circa early to mid 50’s Yet another version of Healthways fin designs, very similar to the Waterdog style fin, the Web Feet were slightly softer and were perhaps more comfortable because of the pliable kick effect, however they would offer less power and were probably more effective and popular as a snorkeling or skin-diving fin.

Healthways Waterdog Fins

September 8, 2015/Fins, Uncategorized/by diveguy

Healthways Waterdog Fins – Circa early to mid 50’s The waterdog fins were a departure from some of the earliest fin types when the shape began to take on the more typical “fan-blade” style, and finally offered an adjustable style heel strap rather than the fixed size style making the fin more desirable to a broader number of foot sizes. The […]

Voit James Bond 007 Fin

September 8, 2015/Fins, Uncategorized/by diveguy

Voit James Bond 007 Fin – 1965 In 1965 Voit was commissioned to supply all of the dive equipment for the James Bond “Thunderball” feature film. The now classic movie highlighted modern day scuba equipment in a way it had never been done before. Underwater battle scenes with virtual underwater armies of divers engaged in watery spear gun warfare, along with […]

Voit “Sea-Hawk” Fin

September 8, 2015/Fins, Uncategorized/by diveguy

Voit “Sea-Hawk” Fin – Circa 1960 A unique fin style, the Sea-Hawk was another design experiment of the times. Featuring a foot pocket style, with the blades extending up into mid-length of the foot pocket on either side thus widening and creating more blade surface. The Sea-hawk fin was only marketed in the Voit dive equipment catalogue one year in 1960.

Author: diveguy