Villy (Willy) Arp was the largest and the only manufacturer of diving equipment in Denmark.

Villy Arp was born in october 22, 1923. He was 12 years old when he became enthusiastic about the underwater world after he had had the opportunity to see it when he was in a fishing boat. The next step was to get himself a diving mask and to dive in the sea. Quickly he became interested in different diving equipments and starded to design and built breathing apparatus.

He has obtained his license as a professional diver and starded to work as an independent diver in Copenhagem during the II World War.

Villy Arp was one of the first swimmers in Denmark, and his dives were regular headlines in the press. In 1948, he also started practicing skin diving. In the early 50's he founded his Diving School in Skaktøen. He acquired a compressed air diving device Divator from AGA and became representative of AGA in Denmark.

In 1955, he started training new rescue divers and to offer his rescue company service.

Villy Arp with the AGA Divator device - diving service for  "Zone-Redningskorpset" in
Sønderborg - 1956 (Photo by Zone-Redningskorpsets Venner)

In 1958, a new law determined that the training for rescue divers was transfered to the diving school of the Navy. Villy Arp continued his scuba diving school in Skaktøen.

Later, the school moved to the Helgoland. The school was closed like the whole company in 1972. Villy Arps's production of diving equipment included full-face mask, two stage regulators and single stage regulators, sets of cylinders with 1x7 l, 2x7 l and 3x7 l, cylinder valves, etc. In 1968, the company name was changed to "Marine Sports". The company was completely discontinued in 1972.

Villy Arp died at the age of 60 on February 11, 1984.

                                                                        The interior of the single-stage regulator        Upper shell of the single-stage regulator

Villy Arp"s two stage regulator 

Villy Arp at the 10th anniversary of the diving club Helgoländer - 1979

Reference:

1.Villy Arp (1923-1984) - ein dänischer Tauchpionier und seine Tauchtechnik - (zuerst veröffentlicht in „Dykkehistorisk Tidsskrift“ Nr.52 und 53) - Von Sven Erik Jørgensen.

2. Villy Arp - Sven Erik Jorgensen.

3. Niels Sejr Oxenvad.