Michael
Story's first dive of 2006, in Lake Whitney, south of
Fort Worth,
Texas. Gear includes Deluxe Pinocchio mask, signature
Jacques Cousteau
US Divers wet suit, late 1960's Royal Aqua-Master,
1958 US Divers
tanks, and Scubapro Jet-Fins.
|
Michael's
son, David Story, also diving in Lake Whitney. This is
David's first
dive with his Royal Aqua-Master. David, now 31, has
been diving since
he was 12. According to Michael, David "has the
vintage bug, but not
the cash".
|
David,
left, and Michael on the right. Both of their regs
have a new hookah
reducer nut that Michael developed. Any 3/8" thread
hose or splitter
can fit on it.
|
Lake
Whitney looks like a great place to dive, although
Michael says the
water is really, really cold!
|
Michael
Story at the Horseshoe, Okinawa, 1971. He had a Deluxe
Pinocchio mask
with corrective lens, "L" snorkel, Dacor vest, 1/8"
Healthways wet suit
top, and Voit Viking fins (not shown). Note the Nikon
light meter
hanging there. Michael says he still has it.
|
Jim
Underwood
at Monza Beach, Okinawa, 1971. He is
using a DA Aqua-Master regulator with unknown mouthpiece
and
hoses (they were extremely long), standard Marine Issue
USD oval mask,
Jet fins, Turtleskin wet suit, and USD tank with "I"
valve (no
reserve). Michael and Jim
timed this dive with a watch only, no SPG, no reserves.
Depth was about
60 ft. The current retuning in from the dive was over 4
knots. They hand crawled across the bay floor holding
onto dead
coral with outgoing tidal wash, and swam like "ell" with
the ingoing
tidal wash. Michael's extra pair of Marine Corp issued
leather gloves
held up
nicely on the coral.
|
Vintage
equipment divers at Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida.
April, 2006. The
water was about 40 ft. deep. -Photo
by Chuck Tenge.
|
Vintage
diver Allan Klauda with his underwater camera, at
Weeki Wachee Springs,
Florida. -Photo
by Chuck Tenge.
|
More
vintage divers at Weeki Wachee Springs. -Photo
by Chuck Tenge.
|
Will
the real manatee please stand up? Maybe this is Chuck
Tenge
himself! -Photo submitted by Chuck Tenge.
|
Dan
Barringer of Vintage Scuba Supply, and Franz Rothbrust
of Neustadt,
Germany, look over some of Dan's recent acquisitions
bought on eBay
Germany. Franz was kind enough to invite Dan and Linda
to his home in
Germany. Some of the rare items on the table include a
Bolex H16
underwater movie camera housing and a Swiss Colombo
two hose regulator.
|
While
in Germany, Dan and Franz also visited author and
bibliophile Wolfgang
Freihen. Wolfgang collects scuba and diving books and
literature,
including any type of literature dealing with the
undersea world. This
photo shows only a small portion of his collection,
which is probably
the largest in all of Europe. Wolfgang was very
interesting, helpful,
and also a wonderful host.
|
Franz
Rothbrust of Neustadt, Germany. Franz says the summer
lake diving there
is superb - clear, warm water, and lots of fish!
|
Tim
Vertongen of Belgium. Tim is the only vintage diver
that he knows of in
his area. He dives in an old mining quarry, using a
Royal Mistral
regulator, single 12 liter Spirotechnique
tank dated 1961, Fenzy horsecollar BC, SOS
Bend-o-matic, Beuchat Jet
Fins, and Spirotechnique compass and depth
gauge. The wet
suit was made by Spirotechnique, in Brussels,
in
the late 1960's. |
Bill
Steele,
diving with his Mistral at the Omaha Zoo.
|
Dave
Krafft, barbecu-er extraordinaire, at the 3rd Annual
Vintage Dive
Assembly at Lake Wazee, August 2006.
|
Vintage
divers test the water at Lake Wazee, August 2006.
|
3rd
Annual Vintage Dive Assembly at Lake Wazee, August
2006.
|
Ryan
Spence of Colorado presents a portion of his Cousteau
collection
to the vintage divers at Lake Wazee.
|
Ryan
is a foremost expert on Cousteau memorabilia, and his
collection
contains many one of a kind items. It is a real treat
to see the
collection in person.
|
Terry
Stevens of Benzonia, Michigan, at Lake Wazee, 3rd
Annual Vintage Dive
Assembly.
|
Ryan
Spence with scooter at Lake Wazee. Photo courtesy of
Terry Stevens.
|
