Comment

Comment by Fred C. Johnson on January 7, 2015 at 7:58am

Remember to keep your exhaust valve handle turned all the way out to keep tension off the spring when it is not to be used. this keeps the spring from lose of tension.

Comment by Jim Bathgate on January 6, 2015 at 6:06pm

 Thank you Mr Johnson, really, I mean that. We should talk later, but that helmet is a custom one and I can't even claim to be a commercial diver anymore. This is just a sort of obsession, I really love the sort of workmanship that went into the old hats, and since there's a limited interest at home (Scotland) so I move further and speak to more people. Thank you for talking to me . I appreciate hearing from you. By the way, I did try writing once because I worked with a guy of the same name, in the gulf of Suez in 84. Ask your pals at Taylor, they had me paranoid about 2 Mako that kept appearing, and laughed when I "hid" from some big fast fish, which turned out to be Tuna. (I never knew they were so big & fast, so I hid behind the leg of a platform. They never let me forget it!   LOL)

Speak later my friend, take care, kind regards, Jim

Comment by Fred C. Johnson on January 6, 2015 at 12:15pm

My helmet is also a Desco just like yours only it was made in 1937 and still runs like Swiss watch.

great looking hat

Comment by Jim Bathgate on January 5, 2015 at 8:36pm

 I wouldn't spoil DESCO's work by glueing rubber to this one . I have not even got it wet yet.

Comment by Jim Bathgate on January 5, 2015 at 8:32pm

 Hi Fred, yes, I agree 100% with your comments. I appreciate that it's the weight (and to an extent, the shape) of the corselette / breastplate before getting in the water. I only did a limited about of air diving, and it was all Kirby Morgan 17b helmets and 18 masks, so I'd no experience of diving "standard gear" until I was invited over to Holland in 2013 and the guys at DWEG allowed me to try their gear. For a pad, I simply sandwiched some neoprene foam between canvas and stitched it, since I'm reluctant to spoil my perfect DESCO lightweight helmets. 

Comment by Fred C. Johnson on January 5, 2015 at 12:47pm

If you use a jocking strap or chaffing pants and line straps you put the breastplate on lift your shoulders up 1 inch and hold and tighten the jocking strap.

Air will keep the weight off your shoulders in the water.

A rolled up towel around your neck and crossing in front will also pad your breastplate.

For the soft skin boys you glue a 1 inch thick neoprene pad to the underside of the breastplate shoulders this works great. remember the only time you have weight on your shoulders is when your standing around on deck and I might add working divers are not paid to stand around on deck.

Comment by Jim Bathgate on January 3, 2015 at 1:14am

 Hi Fred, they honestly do make it a lot more comfortable for some people, for example, I found that a Draeger helmet's corselette was really comfortable, while a Siebe Gorman 6 bolt was not, but my friends removed the bonnet and stuffed one of those padded collars underneath the 6 bolt corselette and it was fine. I imagine that if I ever get a suit for my MkV it would be the same, being narrower than a commercial breastplate? 

Comment by Fred C. Johnson on January 2, 2015 at 9:05am

In 50 years of diving this is the first time I have seen a diver wearing a breastplate pad.

Whats the world coming to.