Calypso Aqualung

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Ghost95

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Afternoon all.

I recently received an old Red Label Calypso Aqualung and was wondering if it was worth messing with or if I can scavenge parts for a double hose from it.

It's pretty beat up and was worked on with the obligatory tech pipe wrench and bench vise. Any thoughts?
 

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@Ghost95

Red Label? Has no meaning

The regulator appears to be the first model Calypso released by U S Divers in 1961 -- 60 years ago!
In 60 years of use I would expect it to be "beat up.' I also suspect it is considerably older than you- or maybe even your parents

See US Divers Catalog-- Page 5 -- part number 1030-- $70.00


A 60-year-old regulator deserves a a rest in a place of honor= clean it up- find a comfortable resting place and leave it be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A bit of sage advice I recently gave to a poster who indicated old old valve was JUNK


"I am concerned with your title
"Vintage or Junk ?"

Just a little over 70 years ago recreational SCUBA diving was introduced the US, in the December 1948, article in the now defunct magazine Science Illustrated by the late great James Dougan via an article titled "First of the menfish"

All diving equipment will age- it becomes old but it never becomes JUNK

It is so important - mandatory- that we in the present preserve what remains of the present for the future generations. You SCUBA Pro valve is old but not JUNK !


SDM


 
Thanks for the reply Sam.

Red label was my addition because, well, it has a red label.

Anyhow, there may be someone interested in this piece of history that can give it a better home than I can.

Thanks again for the history lesson.

Have a good day.
 
Sam, I have one other person who has expressed interest. If he decides he doesn't want it i will contact you.
 
I have one of these that I have rebuilt and occasionally dive. It's actually a pretty good regulator, and Cousteau himself is shown in the book, World Without Sun, using one. If it were mine, I'd keep it and work on it to get it in diving condition.

You can replace the non-return valve on the diaphragm with a silicone one from one of several snorkels with purges on them (Goodwill has these snorkels all the time for under $5).

If the diaphragm needs replacing, then you need to get creative. I have taken a new silicone diaphragms for an Aqualung regulator (same size), peeled off the stainless steel plate that interacts with the low pressure lever, and put the older plate from the Calypso onto the new diaphragm using an adhesive. It seems to be working too, as it is still on the diaphragm.

SeaRat
 

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Not junk, just a project. If you restore it, you’ll have a pretty cool bit of dive history you can take in the pool. If you want learn how regulators work, the old ones are pretty cool because they are so ridiculously simple.
 
I have rebuilt one of those and dove it a couple of times. Work of breathing was kinda **** though. (Compared to modern regulators) The diaphragm could just have gotten too stiff as well..
I stopped bothering trying to dive it, cleaned it up and put it in my 'vintage' cabinet.
 

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