The iconic MkV (pronounced "mark five") diver's dress has been around. Originally produced in 1916, the classic helmet was used by the US Navy all the way up till 1980. It was used concurrently by military organizations and commercial divers all over the world. It is perhaps the most iconic symbol of diving and its likeness is often used as a logo by military divers, commercial diving companies, and even scuba enthusiasts (funny how that works). Because they are huge pieces of brass, extremely durable, and relatively simple in construction, there are still many MkV hats in existence and many are still in dive-able shape. I got the chance to dive one at the end of commercial diving school and it was an experience I'll remember forever, not only because the whole rig weighed about 175 pounds... One of the coolest parts of diving the MkV was the care and tradition in how you put on the dress (dress as in diving helmet, drysuit, boots, weights, etc... not cross-dressing). It's a slow and careful process intended to ensure everything is where it needs to be and put on the diver correctly. The method by which the tenders dress the divers is standardized and done the same way every time. The US Navy even produced some classic videos showing the process which I'll attach here.
Ok, that last one is me diving the MkV in dive school. I think this video is on BottomTimer somewhere already but it's my pride and joy so here it is again and here are a couple pictures from the day.
nice
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