Aqualung Mistral

[Mark Goodchild]

Any of you guys seen or used anything like this?

http://www.zerovisibility.co.uk/New%20products/AqualungMistral.htm

Can't believe it can be as good as the normal regulator style and it looks cumbersome.

Any comments?

 

[Brandon]

In the 60s, the Mistral was one of the most popular regulators. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's based off of Jacques Cousteau's original Aqualung design. The regulator has a proud history, and is still being used by some vintage divers today.

The one you linked has been redesigned to be a modern version of a classic regulator. It's essentially a double hosed Aqualung Titan regulator.

I don't know what all the benefits / cons of a double hose regulator are.. but it's a neat idea. Retro styling is always interesting, even if not always practical.

If you want an old Mistral.. they're still out there and running strong. Check out www.vintagescubasupply.com for some great blasts from the past.

-Brandon.

 

[fmw625]

The one you linked to, does look like a titan first stage with a diffrent second stage.

 

[Diver0001]

Any of you guys seen or used anything like this?

http://www.zerovisibility.co.uk/New%20products/AqualungMistral.htm

Can't believe it can be as good as the normal regulator style and it looks cumbersome.

Any comments?

This is not a vintage mistral. It looks like a Titan with a double hose. I wonder where they put the 2nd stage valve assembly.... hmmm.

I have no idea how it would feel but most of these cute looking things don't impress. Maybe it has a niche market for photographers and the like. You never know.

R..

 

[brucebowker]

This is not a vintage mistral. It looks like a Titan with a double hose. I wonder where they put the 2nd stage valve assembly.... hmmm.

I have no idea how it would feel but most of these cute looking things don't impress. Maybe it has a niche market for photographers and the like. You never know.

R..

Search back and there is a thread all about this regulator. Also not cheap!!! It is bascially an udated version of the old double hose but not really that similar to the original designs. Yes it is a Titan 1st stage.

Bruce Bowker
Bonaire

 

[Mark Goodchild]

The new regulator is very expensive in the UK. Unless the performance is exceptional I cannot believe it will sell well. Might have to try and get one for review!

 

[captain]

The new Mistral should be aviable in the US this month at about $700 to $800. It is not the same two hose regulator that Aqua Lung is making for the Navy, that one is called the Mentor. I own and dive with several original two hose regulators including an old Mistral. Most of the old regulators did not have ports for SPG, BC inflator or octo where as the new one does. Two of the advantages of the two hose is the bubbles are behind you and being the hoses are bouyant it removes the weight of the normal single hose second stage mouthpiece. Here is a thread about it in the vintage forum.

http://www.scubaboard.com/t70275-blending-of-new-and-old.html


Captain

 

[ScoobieDooo]

Aqua Lung announced to their distributors they will market 500 of these new double hosers with a hefty retail price of $900. I'm also curious how they made the 2nd stage and how well these are gonna breathe. My guess is perhaps since they put the diaphragm in the newly-designed 2nd stage in the mouthpiece (I hope) - that it should breathe fairly well. The problem I have experienced with the original Aqua Master double hosers from the 60's-70's was it took a lot of vacuum pressure to overcome the large diaphragm which was mounted in the box behind the divers head. My experience is that MY Aqua Master's took a lot of suction to breathe and even though I rebuilt MY Aqua Master DA's with all new parts and tuned them as sensitive as I could - they still left ME hypoxic and O2 starved. But I'm a Newbie with double hosers and have only been diving several yrs.

Some experienced Vintage Divers state that their Vintage Aqua Masters breathe quite well. However, one cannot and should not expect them to breathe as well as today's single hose regs and they sure won't breathe like a modern Poseidon or Apek's does.

On the flip side - there are many vintage divers who love the historical nature of the 'older times' and many photographers and metal detector toting divers love them since they exhaust the bubbles to their rear. That is a nice feature I must admit.

I was hoping that Aqua Lung was releasing the Mentor that they have been making exclusively for the US Navy instead - but that doesn't seem to be the case right now.

If the actual selling price drops I'd be tempted to buy one - but not at $900!

 

[StSomewhere]

The WOB is on the order of 1.7 j/l, which isn't bad until you consider a standard Aqualung Titan LX has a WOB of something like 0.74, and that's the same first stage. I guess now I know why most companies don't make double hose regs anymore.

 

[ScoobieDooo]

Wob?