1956 DivAir (Model F) Rebuild

[Danny D]

Beautiful job to say the least.

 

[AfterDark]

Thank you. Just trying to do my little part to preserve the history of our chosen sport. While I was by no means part of the first generation of scuba divers, I was taught by them and dove with them and learned things from them that will likely never be taught in another scuba class. That first generation is dwindling in number as the years too rapidly pass. I am forever grateful for their willingness to pass on their knowledge base and restoration of early gear is one way to keep the stories alive. Standing down from soapbox now.

Me too, I have fond memories of those kind of people!

 

[abnfrog]

cool beans im going to look for mine tommorrow, but mine doesnt have the hope page mouthpiece

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Scuba Lawyer

Interesting comments ...

Interesting the lack of interest by the vintage regulator enthusiast
BUT
After a review and consideration of dive history the answer is obvious

US recreational diving began in the 1920s in SoCal- Sturgil -Bottom Scratchers etc
The first recreationally dive company Sea Net was established in SoCal
Rene Sports (US Divers -Aqua Lung) was established in SoCal
The majority of the major companies were as follows:- Voit, Sea Tec, Inflatable systems, JBL, Mares, Spearfisherman, Mark V, Newport divers, Sea Quest, Del Mar, Sea Suits, Water Wear, Kettenhofen Wet suits, Sampson, Sea Pro, Riffe International, Alexander Spear guns, and of course Healthways the distributor of Bill Arpins pride the DivAir Regulator And many more lessor known and now forgotten manufactures. Only JBL, Mares and Riffe have survived the passage of time .

The worlds first magazine devoted to diving Skin Diver Magazine , A magazine for Skin divers and Spear Fishermen was assembled on a kitchen table in Compton California a placed on the market in December 1951-- only a precious few have survived 69 years-- (but my two mint copies have survived !)

As you recall at the last ( and the way thing are progressing it may be the last ) Professional Dive Con I presented Way before Amazon - Sears, Wards and Pennys
This presentation was the accumulation of almost 20 years of intensive research on the migration of recreational diving into the hinterlands via the American retailers.
Sears was the first, publishing their 1956 catalog. Initially featuring US Diver and later the German Drager equipment and regulators
Followed a year later by Wards who primarily marketed Nemrod equipment and regulators
And finally in 1971 Pennys entered the Dive Catalog fray late with Voit equipment and regulators which they only marketed for three years to 1974.

One must also not omit the association of Dive instruction with the expansion of diving during that same time frame. Established in 1954 LA Co was well known as the first and foremost dive instruction program, which established NAUI in August 1960 at the USA convention in Houston Texas. Almost ten years later PADI in Downers Grove Illinois- which was moved almost immediately to SoCal with the promotion of John Cronin as GM Of US Divers.

It is apparent that ALL diving was concentrated on the west coast primarily in SoCal. therefore the DivAir regulator did not reach the hinterlands in adequate numbers to make an impact on the dive market. Those that did were not adequately supported with instructions for maintenance and repairs and were soon discarded as dive junk many years ago.

That is a summary as to why there has been little interest in this very rare regulator and superb museum quality restoration

Now direct your attention to the SCUBA Pro MK VI

Keep up the good work

Samuel Miller, 111

@abnfrog --- I question IF Alex has a DivAir ??????
@AfterDark

@Marie13 CE

@tursiops FYI

 

[abnfrog]

sam i really dont know.......... , he has most of everything so i would be surprised if he doesn't

 

[abnfrog]

heres my divair it was in rougher shape than i remember BUT IT HAS THE HOPE PAGE !!!! i didn't r ember that ! but with over 80 dble hose regs its hard to remember all of them ...thx guys for making me look

i try to keep my little museum going and showing students as much history as i can , like others have said we are losing the oldtimers (who did that and have the t shirt ) so i take it on my self to educate the newer guys were we came from

 

[Sam Miller III]

@abnfrog

Yep that one -- and complete !
How did your DivAir migrate to Canada ? Do you know the history ?

That makes three
Marks
yours
and mine

I wonder who many more ???
SDM

 

[HKGuns]

Not questioning your work in the least, but are those screw on hose clamps reliable and safe?

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

Not questioning your work in the least, but are those screw on hose clamps reliable and safe?

Good question. All I can tell you is that those hose clamps are the actual original clamps that came with the later model DivAir. I just cleaned and reused them. I do know that some DivAir's came with tinnerman clamps instead; however, the silver hose clamps were standard issue on many later Healthways regulators such as the SCUBA and the DELUXE. All that said, they seem pretty rock solid to me. I've never had one come loose. In fact, looking at these, they seem to have a raised ratcheting system that prevents unscrewing without application of a screwdriver. I had never noticed that before. I don't plan on doing multi-stage cave dives with it anyway so if all else fails, I'll fall back on the old standby "blow and go" technique of self-rescue.

 

[AfterDark]

@Scuba Lawyer

Interesting comments ...

Interesting the lack of interest by the vintage regulator enthusiast
BUT
After a review and consideration of dive history the answer is obvious

US recreational diving began in the 1920s in SoCal- Sturgil -Bottom Scratchers etc
The first recreationally dive company Sea Net was established in SoCal
Rene Sports (US Divers -Aqua Lung) was established in SoCal
The majority of the major companies were as follows:- Voit, Sea Tec, Inflatable systems, JBL, Mares, Spearfisherman, Mark V, Newport divers, Sea Quest, Del Mar, Sea Suits, Water Wear, Kettenhofen Wet suits, Sampson, Sea Pro, Riffe International, Alexander Spear guns, and of course Healthways the distributor of Bill Arpins pride the DivAir Regulator And many more lessor known and now forgotten manufactures. Only JBL, Mares and Riffe have survived the passage of time .

The worlds first magazine devoted to diving Skin Diver Magazine , A magazine for Skin divers and Spear Fishermen was assembled on a kitchen table in Compton California a placed on the market in December 1951-- only a precious few have survived 69 years-- (but my two mint copies have survived !)

As you recall at the last ( and the way thing are progressing it may be the last ) Professional Dive Con I presented Way before Amazon - Sears, Wards and Pennys
This presentation was the accumulation of almost 20 years of intensive research on the migration of recreational diving into the hinterlands via the American retailers.
Sears was the first, publishing their 1956 catalog. Initially featuring US Diver and later the German Drager equipment and regulators
Followed a year later by Wards who primarily marketed Nemrod equipment and regulators
And finally in 1971 Pennys entered the Dive Catalog fray late with Voit equipment and regulators which they only marketed for three years to 1974.

One must also not omit the association of Dive instruction with the expansion of diving during that same time frame. Established in 1954 LA Co was well known as the first and foremost dive instruction program, which established NAUI in August 1960 at the USA convention in Houston Texas. Almost ten years later PADI in Downers Grove Illinois- which was moved almost immediately to SoCal with the promotion of John Cronin as GM Of US Divers.

It is apparent that ALL diving was concentrated on the west coast primarily in SoCal. therefore the DivAir regulator did not reach the hinterlands in adequate numbers to make an impact on the dive market. Those that did were not adequately supported with instructions for maintenance and repairs and were soon discarded as dive junk many years ago.

That is a summary as to why there has been little interest in this very rare regulator and superb museum quality restoration

Now direct your attention to the SCUBA Pro MK VI

Keep up the good work

Samuel Miller, 111

@abnfrog --- I question IF Alex has a DivAir ??????
@AfterDark

@Marie13 CE

@tursiops FYI

@Sam Miller III I have no doubt you are correct, I've only seen the Divair regs in pictures. My interest in diving began in 1959-60 or whenever it was I saw my 1st SeaHunt program. From that time on I'd examine every piece of gear I spotted, most were USD double hose regs. If I had seen a DivAir I might not have known what it was but I think I would have remembered. To see a diver anywhere in the 1960's around where I lived was an event!

There was a sporting goods wholesaler in the city I used to bicycle to when Mom wasn't looking and walk around his store ogling the dive gear until the owner threw me out! Little PITA I was!