DESCO Water Ski History

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After World War II there was a glut of surplus diving equipment on the market. DESCO was sold in 1946 to Alfred Dorst. Mr. Dorst decided to expand DESCO's product base and introduced products and equipment for the sports market.  DESCO developed a SCUBA regulator called the Airmaster. It featured a double hose which was common at the time. Other items included water skis, masks and fins, and spear guns. The sporting goods line only lasted about 12 years from approximately 1947 to 1960. No sporting goods items appeared on retail pricelists after 1960.

Excerpt a from DESCO history page in a mid 1950's catalog:

After the war, the company branched out from the exclusive professional, commercial and Navy designs to enter the booming craze far underwater swimming and spearfishing equipment. This growth was so successful that it expanded even out of water to include aquaplanes and water skis.

Original 1950's DESCO Water Skis

                                                                                              1952 Catalog Photo                                                                                   1954 Photo

Below are examples of the sales literature for the water skis.

                       1956                                    1957                                                1958-59

DESCO Water Skis offered in the 1950's

Ski Models

Cat. No.           Model                                               Dimension                               Binding____________

29123              Outboard                                           7” x 6’3”                                 Sportster

29124              Turn-A-Bout                                      7 ½” x 4’8”                             Supreme

29224              Supreme                                            6’ x 6’                                     Supreme

29245              Sportster                                            6’ x 6’                                     Sportster

29245              Sportster                                                                                          Universal         

29250              Pacific Flash                                       6” x 5’3”                                 Supreme

29257              Slalom                                               7” x 7’                                     Supreme + Toe

29258              Shorty                                               6 ½” x 3’                                 Supreme

29259              Four Foot Flyer                                  6 ½” x 4’                                 Supreme

29260              Five Foot Flyer                                   6 ½” x 5’                                 Supreme

30000              Copper Clipper Tapered                      7” x 6’                                     Supreme

30001              Copper Clipper Slalom                        7” x 6’                                     Supreme + Toe

DL                  Leader                                               6 ¼” x 6’                                 Sportster

Bindings

Cat. No.           Model                          Notes_________________________________________________

30002              Monopost                    Single nut adjustment w/ polished Aluminum hardware

59086              Supreme                      Anodized Aluminum w/phosphor bronze spring

59210              Sportster                      Two nut adjustment

                       Universal                     One size binding

Monopost Binding      Supreme Binding        Sportster Binding     Universal Binding

Aquaplanes and accessories offered in the 50's

Tow Ropes

DESCO Sporting Goods

If you would like to know more about DESCO Sporting Goods from the 1950's please visit our other website at http://www.descocorp.com/desco_sporting_goods.htm