Phillip R. Widolf was an abalone diver from Orange County, California. In the 1940s he began making band masks that were the forerunners of the band masks used today, He began manufacturing this particular design in 1959 (US Patent #2910063). The full face mask (FFM) made it comfortable to wear for long periods of time. In 1980 Divematics bought the rights to the Widolf FFMs and continues to manufacture and sell the Widolf mask today for use with rebreathers.