Comment

Comment by Dive Diva on June 24, 2010 at 3:43pm

The mask is based on the original aluminum frame Widolf mask. It was designed by George O. Swindell, inventor of the Swindell Helmet. Swindell was also president and founder of Advanced Diving Equipment & Manufacturing Co., Inc (ADEM) of Gretna, LA. ADEM was a small manufacturer of underwater equipment for commmercial divers. ADEM products included diving helmets and masks, oxyarc cutting & welding torches and underwater communication devices. About 1968 Swindell joined Beckman Instruments (Fullerton, CA) as manager of their Oceanic Equipment Activity's commercial diving product line, with offices in Gretna, LA. This accounts for the various names by which Swindell products are called, i.e. Swindell, Advanced and Beckman. The partnership was short lived. Beckman had also acquired the rights to Walter Stack's Electrolung and after several deaths using the Electrolung in 1970, Beckman got out of the commercial diving equipment business. By 1972, Swindell's ADEM was also defunct. It was about this time that Swindell became the design engineer for George O. Sampson. president and founder of DiVex Corp. of Harvey, LA.

Comment by Bill Gardner on November 2, 2009 at 3:31pm

I am led to believe less than 50 were built. Have been looking for evidence of one since I first saw it in Zinkowskis' book around 76. (When I first saw the book.) Any further info appreciated. Also interested in any Phil Widolf full face masks among ab divers & early comm. divers.