Paul Kernan
A Fixture
Can anyone tell me what makes this figure a Navy diver versus a commercial diver? If there is no diff then it opens a lot more possibilities to portraying the shipdeck as more of an old rust bucket as opposed to Navy shipshape
Andrea US Navy Diver 1942
- Thread starter Paul Kernan
- Start date
Help Support planetFigure:
gordy
A Fixture
No link or pic 
gordy
A Fixture
This one or the bust ?
Paul Kernan
A Fixture
Thanks Gordy. Yep, this is the one
gordy
A Fixture
IMHO, I don't think these diving suits were exclusive to the military.. good question though!
Harry
Well-Known Member
There's nothing that makes him absolutely exclusively a navy diver.
The "US Navy" MkV helmet and corselet were supplied by their manufacturers to the civilian market too (they are still in use by commercial divers in many places today). There is a ton of information online on the design and history of the "US Navy" MkV helmet, as it is a much sought after collector's item. For example;
http://www.divingheritage.com/markvkern.htm
These sources frequently mention the use of the MkV by civilian divers at the same time as the helmets were in navy service.
The same companies who made the helmets manufactured the weight harness and boots (the biggest maker was Morse Diving Inc. They are still in business - with a website - and still make the old MkV helmets and equipment on request). It seems very likely (although I have no hard information) that these items would have been supplied to the civilian market too.
The canvas (not rubber!) diving suit (or "dress") seems to have been a rather generic sort of item.
The "US Navy" MkV helmet and corselet were supplied by their manufacturers to the civilian market too (they are still in use by commercial divers in many places today). There is a ton of information online on the design and history of the "US Navy" MkV helmet, as it is a much sought after collector's item. For example;
http://www.divingheritage.com/markvkern.htm
These sources frequently mention the use of the MkV by civilian divers at the same time as the helmets were in navy service.
The same companies who made the helmets manufactured the weight harness and boots (the biggest maker was Morse Diving Inc. They are still in business - with a website - and still make the old MkV helmets and equipment on request). It seems very likely (although I have no hard information) that these items would have been supplied to the civilian market too.
The canvas (not rubber!) diving suit (or "dress") seems to have been a rather generic sort of item.
Similar threads
