233 - Vintage scuba diving ensemble featuring a two-piece neoprene wetsuit and assorted gear. The wetsuit, branded Fathom, consists of a sleeveless Farmer John style jumpsuit and a matching long-sleeve shorty jacket with a front-entry zipper. The jacket includes zippers at the wrists, while the pants contain a thigh pocket and an integrated knife mounting point on the lower right leg. Included are blue neoprene gloves with matching triple-color stripes and a printed mark on the cuffs reading SEA STYLE. The air delivery system includes a U.S. Divers regulator set. The chrome-plated brass first stage is a yoke-style mount stamped 3000 PSI SERVICE and 191830. The primary second stage features a black housing with a center medallion reading U.S. DIVERS SEA4, and the alternate air source is a yellow housing medallion reading U.S. DIVERS OCTO. The console by Princeton Tectonics features a top yellow-face depth gauge marked to 160 feet and a bottom white-face pressure gauge marked to 5000 PSIG, marked UWATEC SWITZERLAND. The equipment is completed by a U.S. Divers yellow-framed Pacifica mask and a Wenoka stainless steel diving knife with a serrated blade and line cutter. The knife handle is embossed with wenoka and the blade is stamped 8438 STAINLESS JAPAN. Fathom suit: 57" L, shoulders 20", waist 14 1/2", sleeves 22".

Vintage scuba diving ensemble featuring a two-piece neoprene wetsuit and assorted gear. The wetsuit, branded Fathom, consists of a sleeveless Farmer John style jumpsuit and a matching long-sleeve shorty jacket with a front-entry zipper. The jacket includes zippers at the wrists, while the pants contain a thigh pocket and an integrated knife mounting point on the lower right leg. Included are blue neoprene gloves with matching triple-color stripes and a printed mark on the cuffs reading SEA STYLE. The air delivery system includes a U.S. Divers regulator set. The chrome-plated brass first stage is a yoke-style mount stamped 3000 PSI SERVICE and 191830. The primary second stage features a black housing with a center medallion reading U.S. DIVERS SEA4, and the alternate air source is a yellow housing medallion reading U.S. DIVERS OCTO. The console by Princeton Tectonics features a top yellow-face depth gauge marked to 160 feet and a bottom white-face pressure gauge marked to 5000 PSIG, marked UWATEC SWITZERLAND. The equipment is completed by a U.S. Divers yellow-framed Pacifica mask and a Wenoka stainless steel diving knife with a serrated blade and line cutter. The knife handle is embossed with wenoka and the blade is stamped 8438 STAINLESS JAPAN. Fathom suit: 57" L, shoulders 20", waist 14 1/2", sleeves 22". A personal note from Wendy Benchley: “Peter loved being in the underwater world and spent hundreds of hours there, making documentaries, uncovering wrecks with the esteemed Bermudian explorer Teddy Tucker, and just coasting along with the currents, admiring the fascinating flora and fauna. He used this wetsuit, regulator and mask for many years and almost wore them out with hundreds of dives.” Provenance: Exhibited in "From the White House to the Deep Ocean: LBJ, Jaws and Conservation, " held at the LBJ Presidential Library, Austin, Texas, from April 19 through October 19, 2025. From the personal collection of Peter Benchley (American, 1940-2006), acclaimed author of Jaws, accomplished diver, and prominent advocate for ocean and shark conservation. Proceeds from the Peter Benchley Collection will benefit five ocean conservation organizations: Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, WildAid, Beneath the Waves, Blue Frontier and Environmental Defense Fund. CONDITION: The wetsuit displays significant pilling and creasing throughout the neoprene. The gloves are in poor condition with holes worn through the fingertips and fraying at the stitched seams. The diving mask silicone skirt and strap have turned yellow with age, and the metal band shows surface scratches. The regulator first stage and various hose fittings exhibit heavy green oxidation and corrosion to the chrome plating. The diving knife shows heavy red rust and pitting on the metal pommel and the base of the blade near the hilt. The rubber mouthpieces on the regulator stages are discolored and show signs of perishing. NOTICE TO BIDDERS: The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition. Photos are considered part of the condition report. Complete condition information is available by request, please request no later than 24 hours prior to the auction. All lots are offered and sold "as is", and Willow Auctions will not provide refunds based on condition. Timepiece movements, lighting and electrics have not been tested, and art has not been examined out of the frame unless otherwise stated.