double hose regulators...what happened?

[DaleC]

Gilldiver that's just plain cruel.

Not dunking your kid but waving all those regs in my face!

I just want one. But I have to say, another piece of the puzzle is having vintage divers around to help us new/old guys out. I was blessed with great looks and charm but shortchanged in the mechanical aptitude department so looking at the guts of things is often a lot like speaking french to me (I've only really learned to swear in our official second language). Up in Canada here it seems Vintage diving is a lot less common that down in some of those balmier climes. Oh well, that leaves a lot more pickins for me in the secondhand stores I guess.

 

[Deputy821]

L'Air Liquide, owner of the French Aqua Lung, proved to be a very effective company. When they patented the Cousteau-Gagnan double hose scuba, they left everyone else trying to find a way around it and many tried. The image of the double persisted because of Sea Hunt and Cousteau films. Additionally, L'Air Liquide often bought out their competition.

The first commercially successful single hose regulator was the Australian Porpoise. The Porpoise Universl model delivered air so fast that no double hose could hope to compete with it. While it lacked the backing of the huge French company and the huge American market, there were still 12,000 made. However, that pales to the French making as many in a month. L'Air Liquide went to Australia and bought the small company owned by struggling inventor Ted Eldred in 1960. They tried to suppress the design, but it had never been patented and the 'cat was out of the bag' already. Air Dive of Australia started making a single hose regulator, the Sea Bee in 1954. It too flowed very well. Scubmatic in Sydney followed in 1955. The Australian military contracts forced Porpoise manufacture to continue, so domestic sales also continued until about 1974. (Ted Eldred told the story of how he was forced to sell the Porpoise to a gathering of the HDS SEAP.)

Arthur C Clarke (author of 2001 a Space Odessey) went to Australia with two French Aqua Lungs. He was shown the Porpoise and immediately discarded his double hose scuba. Later double hose regulators worked better, but at that time they were still poor. Clarke, who has just passed away, wrote about it in his 1955 book Coast of Coral. Without another patent to protect them, the French had a problem.

The early double hose did not deliver air very well and the answer the French first had, was for you to just keep your breathing rate down. That doesn't work in the rough cold seas around Melbourne, especially if you are a hard working commercial diver or a military diver. The Porpoise had a flow rate of over 300 liters a minute in 1955.

The single hose regulator also lent itself to the easy addition of accessory hoses and those accessories were coming. The double hose regulators had to be redesigned to do that. Only one double hose was made with the additional ports. It was made by Sportsways and actually followed their single hose line. Aqua Lung went through about 23 design changes trying to improve it's double hose classic. Porpoise made one major change, and that was to the Universal first stage. In 1956 the Sea Bee already had a pressure gauge and double hose Aqua Lung double hose never did. Companies like Sea Bee, Porpoise and Sea Hornet were never marketed overseas, but the manufactures overseas were well aware of them.

I have a collection of French style double hose regulators and the Australian designed single hose regulators, including 7 Porpoises, a Sea Bee, a Scubmatic and a Dawsom model Sea Hornet regulator. I enjoy diving them all. Steve

 

[Deputy821]

The first compressed air scuba made in Australia was a double hose model and a copy of an Aqua Lung. Only one was made.

It was followed by another copy which was unique. It was a two stage regulator which was chest mounted to improve performance. It was called the Lawson Lung and produced in a juke box factory in Sydney. There were only 12 Lawson Lungs made. The two surviving ones are being restored to working condition at the moment. The original spare parts and unfinnished cans are being made into replicas.

The Lawson was featured in the first Australian scuba film, King of the Coral Sea, starring "Chips' Rafferty and Rod Taylor (Hitchcock's The Birds). They used military surplus cylinders and several different tank sets were made. The movie photographer, Noel Monkman also used one during the underwater filming. Steve

 

[Gilldiver]

Gilldiver that's just plain cruel.

Not dunking your kid but waving all those regs in my face!

I just want one. But I have to say, another piece of the puzzle is having vintage divers around to help us new/old guys out. I was blessed with great looks and charm but shortchanged in the mechanical aptitude department so looking at the guts of things is often a lot like speaking french to me (I've only really learned to swear in our official second language). Up in Canada here it seems Vintage diving is a lot less common that down in some of those balmier climes. Oh well, that leaves a lot more pickins for me in the secondhand stores I guess.

Then this is for you:
Double Hose Explorer Kit [Double Hose Explorer Kit] - $250.00 : Vintage Double Hose!, Your online source for all things related to vintage diving

From the page:

"Curious about diving a double hose but don't want to spend a fortune to get started? Afraid of buying a regulator you don't or won't like? Don't know what you need to get going? PROBLEM SOLVED!

You will receive a DA Aqua-Master similar to the one pictured that has been 100% rebuilt and is in top working order with the very latest in new parts and features. Regulator has been setup with a hookah port adapter that will allow you to attach a safe 2nd stage/octopus or a BC inflation hose if you choose. Also included is a pressure gauge and banjo fitting so you can monitor your cylinder pressure while underwater. Now you have the basics covered to go Double Hose Diving!

Now you have two options. Keep it and dive it forever or within the 1st year you may trade it in on any IN STOCK regulator and receive a $200.00 credit towards the price of the new regulator you wish to purchase.

During the 1st year if there is any problem mechanically with the regulator I will make the necessary repairs at no charge. You will receive a copy of the trade in details and a list of maintenance tips with your regulator."

 

[DaleC]

I looked at that (saw it when Slonda linked it) and have dropped a BIG hint to my wife about it for Xmas. The perfect rig for me because I dive cold water. If I hadn't just dropped $550 for a camera and $125 for a P valve I would already have one. I hope Brian will offer that for awhile... Damn where are my priorities?

 

[Lars599]

The same thing that happened to roll up windows and non-power stearing in cars.

 

[duckbill]

The same thing that happened to roll up windows and non-power stearing in cars.

Dang, Lars! Your analogy is dead on, man!

Drive the car in the drink with roll up windows...windows still roll down. Power windows--DANGEROUS.

My power steering went out on me once and I almost got in a wreck because if you've ever tried to turn a power steered car when the steering belt breaks or the pump looses oil you know why. Power steering--DANGEROUS.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Dang, Lars! Your analogy is dead on, man!

Drive the car in the drink with roll up windows...windows still roll down. Power windows--DANGEROUS.

My power steering went out on me once and I almost got in a wreck because if you've ever tried to turn a power steered car when the steering belt breaks or the pump looses oil you know why. Power steering--DANGEROUS.

You must be psychic.
I was in the middle of posting the same exact response last night but cancelled the post to go do something.

Something else I can add for the general readership:

Why use a double hose? Why not?
Maybe people like using them for the cool factor. Like the '57 Chevy or the early 60's 409 Impala in the garage, yeah they might not be as high tech as the new car, but they sure are cool and a lot of fun to drive.

Why does DIR need a long hose, dry suit, dry gloves, doubles, stage bottles, can light, and a scooter for a 30 foot reef dive? because they enjoy it and it's fun for them.

Why do minimalists and vintage divers like to do a 30 foot reef dive with nothing more than a single reg (or double hose), and no BC? because we enjoy it and it's fun for us.

Everybody's got their own thing. As long as they're having fun and respecting each other who cares?

 

[Luis H]

The analogy between the development of technology in cars and regulators really doesn’t hold too much, IMO.

The technology on cars has changed dramatically and contrary to what some may want to believe, modern cars are safer and more reliable than older cars… even though they are way too complicated, but you can’t argue with the results. Yes, older cars are great and some are incredibly reliable due to their simplicity, but there has been some unquestionable improvements in automobile technologies… just not for the DIY mechanic.

BTW, electric windows do work underwater (fresh or salt water). After corrosion sets in they will malfunction, but passengers have plenty of time to escape from a flooded vehicle.


In any case what I really want to talk about is regulators. The only difference between a double hose and a single hose is the exterior packaging. Even the technology in the gas flow has not changed much between both… the first regulator to introduce a venturi effect was the single stage Mistral.

The mechanical parts not only share the exact same technology, they actually share the exact same parts. Most of the new Aqua Lung regulators use many of the same exact parts that were first introduced on the Royal Aqua Master in 1965. I am not talking about common parts like O-rings, I am referring about a number of specific Aqua Lung parts are shared by many (if not most) of their regulators.

Technology has not really changed much in regulator design, just the way they look and how we use them. Obviously the case makes a big difference on how they perform and it is part of the technology, but that technology has been around for a while also.

 

[halocline]

I totally agree about the technology not really changing, and in fact I would say that regulators have not really improved over the last several decades, hence the constant attempts by the dive gear industry to sell regs with lots of gimmicks and very marginal upgrades.

I'm not sure about the statement "The only difference between a double hose and a single hose is the exterior packaging."

I know that you mean that the valves of both 1st and 2nd stages are functionally the same in both single and double hose regs, and of course you're right. But, I would argue that the placement of 1st and 2nd stages in the cans, with the hoses at ambient pressure, as opposed to a single pressurized hose and a 2nd stage right at your mouth, is a more substantive difference than "exterior packaging" because it does in fact change the way the regulator acts in relation to the diver.

The fact that air is de-pressurized several inches from your mouth really changes the feel of the reg, and of course the double hose regs are much more sensitive to position. I personally don't think one is "better" than the other, but I find them to be pretty different.