Difficulty of vintage diving

[dbg40]

I use a steel 72, (bought new from NE divers supply in 71?). 1/4" USD shark skin II, suit and the weight belt I made when I was 14, from the seatbelt from my uncles Studebaker golden hawk. If im above 20' I have to go weight on, any deeper I tie the belt off after 25' and im pretty good to go. at depth I tend to "bump" on the bottom a little but can usually stop that with a deeper breath every 3rd or so breath which pops me up a little. (and no, I wasen't tought that in a class!) by the end, im a little light on the way up so to make it a little easier I pick up the belt on the way up, And I have to admit, most times just throw it over my shoulder till I hit the boat. Getting lazy I guess. Any way it seems to work for me.
D.

 

[dbg40]

Just wanted to add this note,
I dive much of the time with modern gear, but with an "old timers" attitude.
But I have to tell you, or anyone else that hasen't gone "vintage", that the experience is like nothing you will find in any other dive, no matter where it is and no matter how many dives you have made. The freedom and simplicity Can't be put to words, It's diving in its purest form. and after having been armoured in modern gear, its almost like skinny dipping! The gear just melts away, not to mention the more soothing sound of that old double hose behind you, I can't imagine anyone who loves to dive for the sake of diving, not falling in love with it first time out. And don't worry about wowing the crowds with more hoses, tanks, scissors computers, guages, gadgets and diplomas than most divers need. Just enjoying the dive is what its all about, at least for me anyway!

 

[pescador775]

I have an old wetsuit from the late 60's... it was my dad's for taking out the pier so I finally got certified and got some vintage equipment because someone gave it to me. Tried everything out in the pool with about 15lbs of lead and a slightly boyant "floater" tank from the 70's. Couldn't even get kicking to get down to the bottom. did these same techniques apply? In my open water, with a light wetsuit, bcd etc, I only carried 12 lbs. can't imagine how this is going to work when the wetsuit loses boyancy at 30' and I have twice the weight. how do you set that up without a BC?

I cheat, hand over hand down the anchor line while kicking like h*ll.

 

[ScoobieDooo]

Amer-Sea makes a nice modern vsrsion of the horsecollar BC for around $115! (Web site shows a $189 MSRP but they sell it for $115 actually). Quality is exceptional and it is avail in black, yellow, orange, and pink. See: http://www.amer-sea.com/Merchant2/m...ode=AS&Product_Code=1550&Category_Code=BC-Jkt

 

[wdm]

I have a couple of these regs and would like to rebuild them. Does anyone know of a source for parts. They seem to work great in shallow water, I have yet to go beyond 60ft with them. I'm currently using the 2nd stage on a 70s vintage UDS 1st stage. It's one of the best breathing rigs I've used. Any suggestions? I keep being told how dangerous it is to dive with these older systems. It seems that if they are rebuilt properly, they should work just fine.

 

[scubapro50]

I have a couple of these regs and would like to rebuild them. Does anyone know of a source for parts. They seem to work great in shallow water, I have yet to go beyond 60ft with them. I'm currently using the 2nd stage on a 70s vintage UDS 1st stage. It's one of the best breathing rigs I've used. Any suggestions? I keep being told how dangerous it is to dive with these older systems. It seems that if they are rebuilt properly, they should work just fine.

I had my 1968 Voit Titan II J rebuilt by my local LDS (Texas Divers Den) last January for $80 (parts & labor). The parts are out there but you must have a shop owner willing to make a few calls to other shops to locate them .....

 

[justleesa]

They do! Roger has used them down to 120' (I'm too chicken!, the thought of no octo at that depth...nope, not for me). Just like any other reg, get it serviced and dive safe.

 

[rgbmatt]

Nice read on this old thread My 2c on the subject - apologies for reviving it if it was considered dead:

Diving without BCs is very common here among local divers. Although recreational divers and those in the tourist business tend to use standard BC setups, most everyone else who dives for a living (fishermen, aquarium collectors, black coral divers, etc) uses a backpack. Some divers use plastic backpacks with straps, but there's also the ubiquitous "Hawaiian backpack": a metal plate with a waist strap and two curved bars on top that hook over your shoulders.

Partly it's tradition, but there's a practical side also - diving with simple gear is a lot more energy-efficient and you're less prone to entanglement. I enjoy catching aquarium fish myself, for which a backpack is perfect. It's great not having to haul an air bladder through the water when chasing fish, and it's a lot nicer setting up nets when there's no inflator to get tangled up.

As long as your wetsuit is thin enough and your tank isn't too large, buoyancy really isn't a problem. I dive a 4/3 full suit with a hood and a 2mil vest underneath. The buoyancy change is maybe 2 pounds at most and is barely noticeable. I've taken this suit to 150' with no BC, and have had no problems staying neutral. Even in 10' with an empty tank I'm a little floaty but not uncontrollably so.

72s and smaller are perfect tanks for backback diving - the weight change is small enough that if you're weighted right you can be perfectly neutral for a whole dive. Aluminum 80s are manageable but you'll be a little heavy for a few minutes at the start.

Diving backpack is far more simple and comfortable than with a BC. I own a very nice BP/wing setup which is I love, but I try to only use it when situations warrant (and I'll be the first to admit that BCs are beneficial if not necessary for a lot of things).

 

[spectrum]

Hey what a hoot to see this thread of mine revived almost a year latter!

Since I started it my wife and I became certified divers. Dive #46 was a treat, a dive buddy let me try a DA Aquamaster, double hose regulator, I dove with all my other usual gear but it was sure a dive I never thought I'd get to make. It was a gentle breather and asside from not being the gear I was accustomed to it was as totally enjoyable dive. I didn't appreciate the lack of bubbles up front or the quieter operation until I went back to my single hose.

Maybe next summer when I can minimize the exposure protection I'll work on making some dives that don't rely on the BC bladder for buoyancy control.

Pete

 

[veggiedog]

On Sunday, I took my newly purchased and restored DW Mistral diving in Lake Travis outside Austin TX. I cheated by going with a pony and BC, but it was all early 70's stuff: Seatec STAB with plastic backplate. I harnessed up the backplate hogarthian style with a crotch strap and I was able to keep the tank low on my back even with a BC. D-rings in the harness provided attachments for the pony slung in front, even hooked up a power inflate.

Truly spectacular experience. Having rebuilt the Mistral myself, pondering its simplicity while diving almost had me giggling. I finished off the tank without problem (well, my single stage did start to partially free flow at around 600psi, but I suspect that is not uncommon given the design). As time goes, I plan on experimenting without a BC in the shallows. I dove a 5mil farmer john without the jacket, 72 cf steel (j-valve no less). Dove to 50' and had no bouyancy issues that I feel required the BC. The cove I dove bottoms out at about 60' so I plan on trying out no BC there: first I'll start by bringing the BC but fully deflated and not use it, later I'll just leave it behind. I'll descend and ascend with the assistance of a drop line until I get the hang of it.

Yipee!!!