Diving "Modern" with "Vintage" Reg

[Turtleguy9]

Wow Luis
I really like the looks of that setup. Very well done.
Aloha
Turtleguy9

 

[Nemrod]

What are those new Titan parts doing there--and--what is that other thing there? Could that be the mythical Phoenix Royal Aqua Master nozzle assembly---nah--we are just "old gear freaks." It couldn't be anything like that. N



http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/JRWJR/DSCF0146.jpg

 

[Nemrod]

Now, leaving mythical birds of fire aside, the standard Royal Aqua Master or DA can be setup to utilize a LP inflator hose, octapus, spg via banjo bolt and one extra LP port. All it takes as mentioned along the way is a banjo adapter for the spg and a good three way LP swivel screwed into a hookah port LP adapter. Sounds complicated but it is not and it works very well. In this picture the octapus is on a 24 inch hose but it could be a 40 or even a five footer and it routes under my arm and bungees to my neck. The LP inflator goes over behind my head and down to the wings inflator. The spg goes straight down more or less on a 21 inch hose and clips to the left hip D ring. Obviously the bungeed second stage is the dontated regulator. Pretty normal except for the double hose as primary. N

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/JRWJR/DSCF0153.jpg

 

[captain]

What are those new Titan parts doing there--and--what is that other thing there? Could that be the mythical Phoenix Royal Aqua Master nozzle assembly---nah--we are just "old gear freaks." It couldn't be anything like that. N



http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/JRWJR/DSCF0146.jpg

You guys are going to kill yourselves making parts for them old regulators. It's life support equiptment you know, not something mere mortals can mess with. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Creed]

You guys are going to kill yourselves making parts for them old regulators. It's life support equiptment you know, not something mere mortals can mess with. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah, but it ain't the equipment killing me. I've got a Healthways in a machine shop to make a modification, and I'm dying to a) try it out and b) see if some sadistic shop monkey decided to ruin the body. I should have it back tomorrow.

 

[dherbman]

What's the point of all the *******ization? Doesn't the retrofitting kinda defeat the purpose?

 

[captain]

What's the point of all the *******ization? Doesn't the retrofitting kinda defeat the purpose?

It is a way to over come the restrictions of charter operators who want to dictate what equiptment you must use to dive with them.

 

[dherbman]

AH, OK. Thanks, Captain.

 

[Nemrod]

dherbman, no it does not. This thread was diving modern with vintage gear and these modifications allow a diver to do exactly that. Many parts have become very diffucult to obtain such as seats and seals for some of the older regulators. The Royal Aqua Master is an exception in that it essentially can use Titan/Conshelf parts. The new nozzle assembly---if such a things could exist---allows a modern configuration of hoses, ocatapus, inflators and drysuit hose etc WITHOUT spoiling the double hose regulator and it's many advantages that so many of us prefer. Most dive charter boats and resorts will not allow a diver to dive without octapus and BC and therrefore these "modifications" allow us to dive with those operations---have our cake and eat it to!!!! None of these modifications are such that it alters the basic assembly and all are 100% reversible.

Some people confuse vintage with just being to cheap to get new gear, we actually dive this stuff and the modern world requires certain things that did not exist in the SeaHunt era.

So, in short, no, it does not defeat the purpose and especially if diving modern with a double hose is your goal. JFYI, there are three double hose regulators that I know of that can perform on par with modern single hose stuff without all of their negatives, these are the Voit Trieste which is kinda rare, the Navy Mentor which cannot be purchased by the public and the Royal Aqua Master. The first two had/have provisions for LP and HP hoses, the Royal did not--now it does.

While we love the old gear many of us are divers first. We may dive fully vintage one day and another fully modern with a BP/wing and the works---except with a double hose. The purpose is to continue to use our favorite gear when the DM says --no--because it has no octapus or BC and also to be alble to utilize commonly available rebuild kits for the high wear areas. If it all works out, your in the Caymans and your HP seat goes bad from trash sucked in from a rental tank--no worries mate--take it to the closest AL LDS and their tech will be able to install a new seat and parts right out of their bench stock. N

 

[Creed]

What's the point of all the *******ization? Doesn't the retrofitting kinda defeat the purpose?

No. In addition to what Nemrod noted above, some of us also like to tinker and modify, and prefer to do so with vintage style equipment. I don't have the resources that Luis has, but I am slowly doing some designs of my own, too.