A good start to my vintage rig...(I think)!!

[Slonda828]

Jimmer,

Nice score man, I know you've been looking for stuff for a bit, and that's a great find. I broke into two hose diving with a mistral from VDH, and it's my favorite two hose. You can take it apart and repair it with a leatherman, and the only O-ring in the system is the one that goes between the yoke and tank. I would recommend that if you could only ever have one double hose reg, that it be a mistral. Besides, they have YELLOW hoses, you have to dig that.

 

[Nemrod]

Yellow hoses and an orange tank, the evil PadI may revoke your merit badges.

"Healthways was a firm which made scuba gear. Dick Klein founded it. It went bankrupt in 1963; its successor company is Scubapro. It was one of the five original USA diving gear makers: U.S. Divers, Healthways, Voit, Dacor, Swimaster."

Just back in the day when we actually made stuff in the USA.

N, fair trade, OK, free trade, hell no. Oh, BTW, the earth is cooling, now what you gonna do?

 

[Luis H]

Hi Jimmer

Nice tank.

One suggestion:
That little metal cap on the valve knob, serves only one real purpose, hold water to cause corrosion on the valve nut and stem. In salt water diving, the corrosion can be so bad that I have seen the stainless steel spring rust apart, since the cap makes it impossible to rinse.

When you take it of you will probably see some rust on the inside of that "cosmetic" cap. IMO, that little cap belongs in the trash.

You could save it and put it back on when you are not diving, but most divers got rid of them a long time ago. Healthways only used them for a short while.

IMHO, this is one of those cosmetic vintage items that would be OK to keep in a display item (to show what a bad idea looked like ), but it doesn't really belong in a diving unit.


Well... I think I made it clear how I feel about it.

 

[pescador775]

I don't think Healthways went away in "1963". That pack is from about 1971. It's the short pack and the right stuff for a Phoenix. You may wish to replace the harness with a Scubapro type with metal buckle. I don't trust the snaps on the Healthways. At bottom of the pack there is a slot for a 1 inch crotch strap. Any soft nylon can be used to make the strap. Any marine hardware store has strapping, slides and snaps (think Bimini top). If the regulator knocks the back of your head, do this; lengthen the shoulder straps a bit and adjust the crotch strap to pull the pack down. Luis attaches the strap to the weight belt with a hook, I think. That should work with anything other than a rubber belt. Healthways tanks were zinc galvanized, even the painted ones. However, the area under the boot should be checked now and then. The old boots trapped water.

 

[Jimmer]

Good call on the age Pesky, the tank is a 1973. I was planning on re-stringing the harness since this one isn't quite long enough for me, and I'm not too sure of those shoulder snaps either. I'll likely just restring it to match my backplates as close as possible. Thanks for the tip on the positioning with a double hose, I'm sure I'll have some time getting used to it.

 

[Gilldiver]

Well I got two steel 72's with 3/4" necks back from Hydro that I picked up for $20 each. Both passed no problem.

But when I stripped one of them I found that the 1965 hydro I thought was the original was the first re-hydro. It is a 1960 made tank. So, after seeing my buddy for a gloss white paint job (aircraft chromated epoxy primer and aircraft poly topcoat), I'll put a Voit sticker on it and hang my Voit Polaris off of it.

Now where are all those back packs I had around here?

 

[Jimmer]

Well I got two steel 72's with 3/4" necks back from Hydro that I picked up for $20 each. Both passed no problem.

But when I stripped one of them I found that the 1965 hydro I thought was the original was the first re-hydro. It is a 1960 made tank. So, after seeing my buddy for a gloss white paint job (aircraft chromated epoxy primer and aircraft poly topcoat), I'll put a Voit sticker on it and hang my Voit Polaris off of it.

Now where are all those back packs I had around here?

When did they make the switch to the current 3/4" necks? My double 72's are 1963 and 1966, and they both have the 3/4" NPSM necks.

 

[Nemrod]

No, that was from a resource page, the 1963, I purchased Healthways gear into the 70s.

N

 

[Luis H]

Healthways was around into the early 70's, but I think they were operating under chapter 11 for a long time. I don't know any of the details (I read this a while back), but I think they re-organized at least once (maybe more). IIRC during at least one of their reorganization, it did involve closing down and reopening, but again I am not positive.

During one of their financial reorganizations (in 1963 or around that time) is when they sold Scubapro to build some cash. Scubapro was supposed to be Healthways professional division.

Luis attaches the strap to the weight belt with a hook, I think.

I just make a loop with the 1 inch webbing around the front of the weight belt. I snap closed the loop with a 1 inch Fastex side release type buckles. When I get out of the water (shore diving), I often drop the weight belt right away and it never gets tangled with anything.

 

[pescador775]

I believe Sportsways was the first, in about 1960. USD started selling tanks with 3/4 necks in 1963. Dacor and Healthways followed somewhat later. Voit made the change over fairly early, at least by 1963. White Stag and one other company sold tanks with 1/2 NPS necks for a short period during the same time. There was one guy who started the change over to large tank necks with straight thread and O rings, and what were called "lo-boy" valves. I think he was the pres of Sportsways. It caused quite a controversy as it was a new idea. The justifications were that the valves could be removed without special equipment and that it made internal inspections easier. That was a long time ago and I don't read diving history books so don't take it as gospel.

When did they make the switch to the current 3/4" necks? My double 72's are 1963 and 1966, and they both have the 3/4" NPSM necks.