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| PROGRESS TIME LINE FOR
DEVELOPMENT March 2005: During a telephone conversation, Fred Biller and Terry Maas discuss the lack of effective safety equipment for freedivers, despite the tremendous need for something to help save divers’ lives from blackout. Fred emphasizes the necessity of an easily wearable and usable product, perhaps along the lines of a life vest and Terry observes that a timing mechanism would likely be helpful in providing a necessary margin of safety. April 2005: Terry with the help of others, launches an Internet forum for recognizing and defining the inherent risks that need to be addressed, as well as the discussion of various things that could be done to provide freedivers with greater safety in the event of blackout. Dozens of participants shared their views and opinions as to the nature of freediver blackout and what might be done to help reduce the numbers of freedivers dying from blackout. It was generally agreed that a wearable product, e.g. a vest, would be preferable. As the thoughts and opinions of the many divers were presented, the pros and cons of various safety theories were discussed. These discussions were vital in terms of recognizing the strong need for some form of safety device for freedivers, and the many different opinions as to how best to pursue it. Terry soon realized that in order to precisely define and conceive of a device to effect their goal, and to make that device a reality, he would need to identify and assemble a team of individuals who were both willing and able to aid in conception and development of a completed freediver safety device. In Terry’s discussions both on and off-line, certain individuals stood out both for their insightful observations and strong desire to bring greater safety to freediving. Terry approached those individuals in whom he recognized the skills, experience, and dedication that would be necessary to conceive a single product that would satisfy all of the key elements required to provide an effective and practical safety device. Of those he spoke with, two very special individuals, both outstanding members of the diving community made such significant contributions to the vest concept that they have been called Co-inventors. David Sipperly, of Sheri Daye, of Boca Raton, Florida, is a spearfishing National Champ and holds several world records. She has a mechanical engineering degree, an MBA, and works for a Fortune 500 company. With David and Sheri onboard, the project freedive safety team began to take shape. August, 2005: In the course of assembling the project team, Terry sought to ensure that the team members possessed a diverse array of knowledge, skills, and freediving experience. In so doing, he believed that the collaborative efforts of the team would bear synergistic results. As a result of his search, the team roster grew again and its skill base further developed through the addition of two more members: Co-inventor Chip Bissell, a registered patent
attorney and Co-inventor Jason Bush, a September, 2005: As the team’s efforts continued to produce concrete results and the first of the applications for a patent were finalized, it became increasingly apparent that a corporate or other business entity would be necessary to manage the project through to full potential. Combining their resources and skills, Jason Bush and Chip Bissell stepped forward to form Applied Oceanic Specialties Inc. (AOS), a company with the sole purpose of commercial development of the freediver Recovery vest. Terry Maas, David Sipperly and Sheri Daye continued with their participation throughout the inventive process stage of development, and continued to remain active in an advisory capacity. During the next year the team:
July, 2006: With his geographical proximity to the core of the project’s advancement and his desire to stem the flood of senseless freediver deaths due to blackout, Terry Maas resolved to increase his involvement and active participation in the design, fabrication and testing of the rapidly developing device prototypes. Early December 2006: After more than a year of devoting considerable time and financial resources toward the project’s advancement, Chip Bissell and Jason Bush were facing increased demands from each of their respective professional obligations. In order to maintain the pace of development and prototype testing, they transferred the project over to Oceanic Safety Systems LLC, a newly formed entity owned by Terry Maas, dedicated to furthering the development of the Freediver's Recovery Vest. Both co-inventors, Jason and Chip remain on the advisory board of OSS, and Chip will continue to advise the new company on intellectual property matters. Mid December 2006: The team meets with John Modugno Sr. who held the white seabass spearfishing record for many years, and who has been making custom buoyancy devices for the diving industry for over 20 years ( http://custombuoyancy.com/). John and his development team have begun to make prototype inflation bladders equipped with an integrated pouch for the back-mounted inflation unit. The team also met with their engineers and completed a major preliminary design review. As a result of the review, prototype valves and wrist units were commissioned. January 2, 2007: The team accepts the inflation prototype made by John Modugno Sr. of Custom Buoyancy. Except for minor changes we expect during the testing phase, the vest meets our goals by being streamlined, durable and highly functional. This is, indeed, a major step in achieving our goals. March 1, 2007: The name of the product is changed to THE FREEDIVER'S RECOVERY VEST because the previous name promises too much. To suggest safety in an inherently dangerous sport is not appropriate because even if the diver is brought to the surface, the outcome might not be good due to such factors as the user's settings, his health and the readily availability of a rescuer. We have, therefore, elected to rename the product to more accurately reflect its purpose. March 23, 2007: Chip Bissell and Terry Maas each make 20 drop dives to 50 feet following the same track down the anchor rope. Half of the dives were made wearing the vest, and in the other half no vest was worn.We were astounded to find that, because of the hydrodynamic shape of the "turtle back" fiberglass bowl used to streamline the inflation unit, the diver with the vest actually moved quicker through the water column—actually 7% faster! If we assume that speed through the water column is directly related to drag, then the vest design actually improves freediving performance—a pleasant finding, indeed, and one we may be able to improve upon further.(Spreadsheet of our findings) November 20, 2007: Reviewed significant progress with our engineering
team. May 1, 2008: Officially began the prototype phase of the project
having completed every engineering benchmark required for the final design including: October 20,2008: Testing prototype parts:
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