First Double Hose Dive In THIRTY YEARS!!!

[duckbill]

You are holding them to a quality standard that was not always in place in those days, even for a major manufacturing business, which US Divers was not.

Dang! I guess U.S. divers must have expected every dive shop to have a machine shop too, and the reg tuners to be machine shop trained as well in order to make necessary modifications to their mismatched parts. Well, I learn something new every day if I'm not careful! And this is "life support equipment"?! I guess I should thank my lucky stars that all the spare parts I've gotten so far have been drop-in replacements. Jeesh! Knock on wood.

 

[captain]

Dang! I guess U.S. divers must have expected every dive shop to have a machine shop too, and the reg tuners to be machine shop trained as well in order to make necessary modifications to their mismatched parts. Well, I learn something new every day if I'm not careful! And this is "life support equipment"?! I guess I should thank my lucky stars that all the spare parts I've gotten so far have been drop-in replacements. Jeesh! Knock on wood.

Consider that a regulatoris not be a very precise mechanism compared to say an engine. The tolerances in most instances can be measured in hundereds of an inch rather than thousanths of an inch.
In the beginning when Rene' Bussoz began importing parts rather than whole regulators because of the import regulations, the janitor at his sporting goods store was the one who assempled them.

 

[duckbill]

I really don't think I was holding them to a "quality standard". I mean, we're talking about a completely different position for a drilled hole (not just shifted by mere hundredths of an inch, if I picture this correctly), yet the same part number! That's unheard of. I still find it hard to believe. Maybe USD did just switch in mid-stream, and any "later-style" top box used as a replacement on a Stream Air would have just given the added advantage of properly aligning the venturi? I guess I can accept that. Since I don't have a Stream Air, it seems I have to! I find this all interesting and informative. Thanks. (Drake, sorry about the side track.)

 

[captain]

I really don't think I was holding them to a "quality standard". I mean, we're talking about a completely different position for a drilled hole (not just shifted by mere hundredths of an inch, if I picture this correctly), yet the same part number! That's unheard of. I still find it hard to believe. Maybe USD did just switch in mid-stream, and any "later-style" top box used as a replacement on a Stream Air would have just given the added advantage of properly aligning the venturi? I guess I can accept that. Since I don't have a Stream Air, it seems I have to! I find this all interesting and informative. Thanks. (Drake, sorry about the side track.)

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There are situations in automotive and other areas where a replacement part is multi fit over a range of models or years. There are usually instructions as such as to useage. This is quite common in carburator repair kits, one kit will service many different models. Sometimes mounting holes on a generis part will allow it to be used on several different machines. Such is probably the case with the regulator, a later design superceded the earlier design but rather than make two different parts the later part can be retrofitted to the earlier model. This is not that rare.

 

[Stu S.]

Hey, Drake. Where did you get a mask with the metal "nose squeezer". I forgot about those things, but I forget a lot these days. I believe the three window Aqua Lung mask is still available, does that still have it.

Congratulations on a great dive.

 

[DrakeAndrews]

Hey, Drake. Where did you get a mask with the metal "nose squeezer". I forgot about those things, but I forget a lot these days. I believe the three window Aqua Lung mask is still available, does that still have it.

Congratulations on a great dive.

Thanx for the post! I was lucky enough to find it on Ebay.. the mask was shown as worn by the divers on "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" regularly.... the only other mask which I believe had the nose levers was the Nemrod three window mask which I also own which I bought back in 72....I love to dive the vintage gear.. I've got a brand new NOS "fenzy" BC still in the bag as well as a Nemrod BC still in its box... both units operate off their own air bottle instead of off an LP port like most others making it independent of your main air supply. They also function as a back-up air supply YEARS before Scubapro's AIR2. I keep all my gear like new by rinsing and using SILICONE spray. I'll try to post some pix of my vintage gear... my 1962 Aqua lung back pack with yellow harness straps may be the RAREST piece of gear I own.. I've never again seen one on EBAY after findinf mine... I don't know why they stopped making it in 1964... its the most ergonomic back back I've ever dived with! Talk to you soon happy vintage diving...

 

[captain]

Voit made a single window oval mask in the 60's with the metal nose pinchers.

 

[DrakeAndrews]

Voit made a single window oval mask in the 60's with the metal nose pinchers.

Thats the one I have. The Polaris is the one featured in the 62 or 63 Voit catalog. I also have the Nemrod 3 window one with the nose levers which is more frequently found on Ebay.

 

[Stu S.]

I used that Nemrod with the nose pincher once or twice, as my buddy had one. We used to trade stuff around. John liked it, but he really had to strap it on tight. That left a red ring on his face after dives, and a suntan ring followed.

It is great that your masks remain usable at that age. Some rubber blends last longer than others. Most of my old Healthways stuff hardened up after about 20 or so years. I'll never buy that brand again!

I'd be interested in seeing pictures of your gear.

 

[DrakeAndrews]

The Nemrod mask is also very HEAVY out of water!!!!