Rebreather Videos: Mad Dog & Historical Diving Society

caveseeker7

Originally posted by me on Scubaboard in January of 2004

Update: Mad Dog Productions has Vol. II in the works, and Ken has placed a teaser clip in the gallery.
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Rebreather Videos: Mad Dog & Historical Diving Society

The weekend before last I watched a couple of videos I think are worth posting about.
Did a quick search but couldn’t find any thread on them yet. So after some time constraints on my part, and the boards unavailability, here finally a bit about them:

“Rebreathers Vol.1: The Future of Diving” from Mad Dog Expeditions
http://www.mad-dog.net/ (they’re working on it)
info@maddogexpeditions.com

I’ve been wanting to watch this one for a while, as it features five rebreathers, two of which I wanted to know more about. Those five rigs are the Cis-Lunar MK-5P, the MK 15.5, the Dräger Dolphin, the APD Inspiration and the SMI Prism Topaz.

The video is structured into three sections. An intro section, briefly explaining what RBs are, and different kinds of them. Not much new here for me, but it will give a basic understanding of the subject to anybody new to it.

Next is the good part, a close look at the five featured units.
As I’ve never even seen a Cis, having Mad Dog’s Andrew Driver explain it on screen is by itself worth the price of the video to me. It is truly a fascinating machine, and Andrew did a good job describing it. You just have to see how the water trap on an almost $20000 looks ... .

Next up is the late Will Smithers, introducing his MK15.5. Of the MK series I always found the 15.5 the most tempting as it combines the best of the 15 and 16 models. Seeing him tear the rig down helped tying up some of the loose ends I had understanding that model.

Then comes the Dolphin, and like all other RBs it is shown both above and below water. As the Dolphin is a rather simple unit and hence quickly explained, part of the segment features a get-ready-to-dive assembly. While this part is sped up giving it a bit of a comical look, it illustrates the simplicity and ease of assembly quite well.

Following the Dolphin is the Inspiration, and as with the Dolphin I forgot the name of the diver presenting it. I apologize, but I’m just not good with names. Again the unit’s breathing loop is explained, followed by a disassembly and good look at the bits and pieces that make the Inspiration. Special attention is given to the handsets and the prompted information during start-up.

The final CCR featured is the Prism Topaz, explained by Ron Scorese. This segment has footage of both his personal, modified unit and the stock version for the teardown. After explaining the ins and outs of the Prism, he makes the transition to the final part of the video by emphasizing the need fo training.

Said final part is a summary of the video, which ends in a list of information sources (including RBs not featured in this volume).

Needless to say, I liked the video, not only enough to make this post, but I ordered a copy. It belongs in any good Rebreather library, and should be perfect to introduce non-RB diving buddies and friends to the subject. It gives you a look at two rare units, as well as the two most likely to be encountered ones.

At times the video seems like a home movie, with lighting and exposure needing some work. Some of the people featured are obviosly more comfortable in front of a camera and well versed speakers than others. It’s a disadvantage of using ‘amateur talent’, but easily made up for by knowledge of and experience on the units.

Originally Mad Dog had plans to make a second video that would present the Megalodon, RB80 and whatever would be available at the time. Today, that could include the KISS and the Azimuth, and soon the Evolution (bringing the total to five again).
Unfortunately the initial sales were not encouraging, so Mad Dog put Vol.2 on hold. I wonder if the increased intrest in and sales of rebreathers over the past two years wouldn’t warrant reconsideration. I would would certainly be in line for the first copy. Anybody intrested in Vol.1 or the production of Vol.2 should contact Mad Dog.


The second video I watched was a treat of a different kind, even though it too featured a close look at a rebreather. I’m talking about

“O.S.S. Operational Films” , available through the Historical Diving Society


This video features three O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services - the predecessor of the CIA) WWII era operational films. About 30 minutes in lenth and entirely in black and white, it gives a fascinating look at clandestine diving operations.

The first film is about ‘Sleeping Beauty”, a kayak-shaped diver delivery vehicle. It can travel at the surface as well as dive to 50 ft., and has a steering wheel reminiscent of cars of that period.

The second film is about “Underwater Operations” by the O.S.S., giving a look at the trainig and equipmant of those combat divers. As did the Sleeping Beauty operators, the frogmen use CCRs.

Which brings us to the third film, “The Lambertsen Unit”, a teardown and close look at this famous rebreather and its operation.

For anyone who is intrested in the historical aspects of diving or rebreathers, their military/intelligence use, this video is a must have. Even playing for only half an hour and in grainy b&w, it is well worth watching.

__________________
Cheers
Stefan



"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media,
which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.'!"

Crazyduck

Stefan,

Very good review. I have seen the Mad Dog video for sale on their site, just never really considered buying it.

I had a good laugh on the water trap myself 25K and here’s your water trap. Inventive that it was supposed to be easily replaced. Then again it seemed a little spongy!


I would like to see-


Something that is just a pipedream at the moment. I would like to see a book written by someone with historical, real world, and real experience diving in deep water and not always for fun. I think we are in the need for a book that shows divers not only what we should be thinking about but also give us real world examples. How to easily calculate certain things when “Kaka is hits the isolating fan.” This could be supported by divers that are working for commercial, military and scientific purposes.


Andrew

Ken

Hi Stefan,

Thanks for the endorsement. I appreciate it. Rebreathers Volume One was a collaborative production of Mad Dog Expeditions and Ken's Science Store Inc. The instructor describing the Dolphin is Andrew Black and the dude talking about an Inspiration Classic is yours truly. Volume Two is in the works. We have KISS footage in the can, and shortly some Meg. footage. Volume Two will also feature the Jodrey Oil project. This footage was filmed deep inside the interior of the Jodrey as team Mad Dog explores, locates and eventually answers the mystery of the leaking oil that often necessitated shutting the area off to divers. Needless to say, filming in the silty interior of an actively deteriorating ship wasn’t easy. However, we got great footage.

As anyone in video knows getting footage takes a time, coordination, love of the sport and sometimes a little bit of luck. More so, if you design the piece towards entertaining while informing it takes much longer. We opted a long time ago not to place a camera on a tripod and just talk. It’s something we believe in wholly - educational excellence.

Hopefully, we will finish sometime in the near future. Just can’t say when as work, teaching and expedition schedules take precedence vs. this project of personal interest.

Again, thanks for your continued support and to those of you who have purchased the video/DVD.

Sincerely,

Ken – Ken’s Science Store Inc.