Bringing Back the Double Hose Reg

[DA Aquamaster]

Are you talking about a 2 stage double hose reg?

The DA Aquamaster is a two stage double hose reg but I don't think the design of a "new" double hose reg was discussed.

In addition to two Aquamasters I also have a single stage double hose Mistral that frankly I prefer over the DA Aquamaster. It would potentially be easier and cheaper to produce a new single stage reg than a two stage reg and performance would not neccesarily be noticeably less at recreational depths.

Like the DA Aquamaster, the Mistral was very common and there are still many of them around so a company making a newly manufactured and updated copy of either one could pick up a lot of additional parts sales supporting existing US divers regs of the same design if there were a large degree of parts commonality.

 

[quimby]

Lets see, $1000 US Navy dollars translates into how many civilian dollars, about $200?

Lets see the aquamasters used to cost me about 48 bucks new and by the late 60's I was selling used ones with new hoses and bronx cheer valves for $25-35.
Actually by 67 or so it was single hose city/seavue guages so by time the royal and the trieste came out, there was essentially a specialty market even then.
Keep talking the prices you are and your going to make me go out to the garage (taking my life in hand) and start searching for my antiquities

 

[Scubaroo]

Keep talking the prices you are and your going to make me go out to the garage (taking my life in hand) and start searching for my antiquities

Please do, and let me know in a PM what spare parts you have! I have someone in Cape Coral who can even drive over to take that junk cluttering your garage up off your hands

 

[fdog]

Would love to have one for photography. Used a friend's in the 80's and loved it! I have no clue why I didn't buy one then, besides procrastination.

Thanks, captain, for the point on who to call.

All the best, James

 

[Bob3]

I wonder how likely it would be that US Divers would actualy release the Mentor onto the public market, at half the price (preferably less). I bet if/when another new production double hose would hit the market they'd suddenly "reconsider".

I should probably mention the the "late" model Nemrod Snark IIIs came with a HP port. I've seen a LP hose hooked up to the things too, though I'd have to break out the manual to see for sure where/what it was hooked to. Might be easier to just grab one from the garage & take a look-see though...
Nemrods were noted for using button/mushroom exhaust valves instead of those darn duckbills that'd glue themselves shut after 5-6 years. They also had heavier hoses; my first Nemrod got over 15 years while the Aqua Master needed replacing at 10.

Actually by 67 or so it was single hose city ...

Being from Wisconsin, I didn't switch to a single hose 'till well into the '70s, when the Poseidon Cyklon became available. It was the first single hose reg that had anti-freeze protection.
I recall one smartypants shop owner wailing that he couldn't get $5 for his double hoses (had a couple drawers full) I promptly broke out a C-note & said I'd take all he had, even upped my offer to $25 after he walked away pouting. (darn pushy shop owners)

 

[Turtleguy9]

Sure I would want one. I like all my double hose regs. I dive my royal Aquamaster more than the others, but I also dive my voits. Having a US Divers Mentor would just fill another spot in my diving collection. How much of a purist can you be? I put new reproduction hoses on my old regs. I guess they are no longer stock models. I think its all about the diving. Aloha Turtleguy

 

[Bryan@Vintage Double Hose]

E-mail me from my site and I'll send whoever wants it a copy!
it's a large PDF file so leave a bit of room in your mailbox....I'd love to have one of these things!!

http://www.rebsparts.com/diving

Sure I would want one. I like all my double hose regs. I dive my royal Aquamaster more than the others, but I also dive my voits. Having a US Divers Mentor would just fill another spot in my diving collection. How much of a purist can you be? I put new reproduction hoses on my old regs. I guess they are no longer stock models. I think its all about the diving. Aloha Turtleguy

 

[quimby]

Being from Wisconsin, I didn't switch to a single hose 'till well into the '70s, when the Poseidon Cyklon became available. It was the first single hose reg that had anti-freeze protection

Aint that kinda like watering the lawn, and fertilizing, and all that good stuff so you can cut it again? You know the anti freeze stuff so you can use the single hose. I had ice diving types and photo guys that stuck with the doubles, and I kept one too (actually a couple, a trieste and a royal with voit seats in it) for years even after moving to Fl the first time.

 

[Scuba Shrink]

I dive my royal Aquamaster more than the others.

I bought a Royal Aquamaster in 1971 in the Philippines. I've been out of the water for 20years, and just regeared. The local LDS said they couldn't get parts for the RA. Is there a source. I can still hook up my Cobra or Vytec, since I had a little HP attachment that fit between the RA yoke and the K valve for my brass tank pressure gauge. (Interestingly, my new Titan Micra Adj has a 1/16" smaller yoke [and only one HP port], so I can't use the Cobra and Vytec as a backup on it.)

BTW, is there a way to get LP off of the hooka to run the BC from a Royal Aquamaster?

 

[scubapro50]

I have a Dacor R4 which I had rebuilt a few years ago. The old regulator been in the pool a couple of times in the last year but because of the cost and the problem of finding parts it will probably never see salt water again. Yes having the bubbles come up behind you is great but the old R4 doesn't come close to my Scubapro MK10 in breathing comfort. A totally new design would need to be figured out that not only have the HP and LP ports but would also have a high demand air flow for easy breathing that would rivel the best singlehose we have now. And like several other people pointed out it would need to be at a priced where the average diver could afford it. I would think a range of $200 to $300 for a basic model without all the gagets to start. The ports should be the same standard thread as we have now that way we could switch around gauges and octs. without having to buy additional equipment. This would make a doublehose a good choice as a 2nd or backup. I really couldn't see making it my primary regulator but it still would be great to own one.