Healthways and Nemrod

[Tommymac]

One of my old dive buddies gave me his first regulator, a Nemrod Snark II Deluxe from the early 60's. Hooked it to a tank and it breathes much easier than any other vintage tilt valve I have tried. I noticed that it seems to share a lot in common with a newer Healthways Scuba Star TDQK. The metal exhaust T appears identical as does the purge button. The first stages also appear to be identical except the end cap on them is shaped differently, the Healthways does not have or need a relief valve because it has down stream lever second stage. The yoke screws looked identical except for the name on them. Second stage housings are different. Just wondering if Nemrod at one time made Healthways regulators and if there is a replacement diaphram available for the down stream Scuba Star?

 

[superstar]

Nemrod was made in Spain, Healthways was USA. I dove with a old Nemrod Delta a few years ago and it breathed great. I dont know if the two are related but looking at the pics they look very similar. I dont know of any aftermarket replacement diaphrams for it. I have a case and diaphram for a Healthways if you want it you can have it. The diaphram seems a bit stiff like its a rubber coated fabric. You have a couple of very nice regs.

 

[Tommymac]

Thanks for your offer and your response. It was an oversight on my part but the Nemrod doesn't actually say Nemrod on it, only Seamless. I just connected the two together. I think Seamless bought Nemrod but posibly Seamless made scuba before they bought Nemrod. I have a Nemrod Delta with the triangular diaphram. Odd thing but it works. Too bad Nemrod went out of business, I think they made some good gear and sorry to see them go. Thanks but will pass on the parts, sounds like the same thing that I already have.

 

[herman]

I have been looking for diaphgrams for the old HW and Sportways regs and so far I have not found any modern ones that will fit. The first stage on the other hand is quite easy to service - 2 orings and a common seat. It makes a great little compact reg when paired with a good second stage. With the OPV removed, you even have a second LP port....although I am not sure what you need it for...

 

[Nemrod]

I do not think, could be wrong, that there was any real connection between Nemrod/Seamless and Healthways. There was of course some evolution of Healthways into Scuba Pro, wasn't there, having brain cloud. N

 

[mdb]

Nemrod: Yep, I remember the Healthway catalog that stated: "Scubapro, a division of Healthway Industries". Gustav Dalla Valle and Dick Bonin founded the company and then affiliated with NASDS and John Gaffney to bring a price protected brand to market-it worked, still does. I was fortunate enough to know them.


Dick Bonin: Founder of ScubaPro - History of SCUBA Diving

John Gaffney: Undercurrent 04/1997

Gustav Dalla Valle: Spearfisherman and SCUBAPRO Co-founder

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod: Yep, I remember the Healthway catalog that stated: "Scubapro, a division of Healthway Industries". Gustav Dalla Valle and Dick Bonin founded the company and then affiliated with NASDS and John Gaffney to bring a price protected brand to market-it worked, still does. I was fortunate enough to know them.


Dick Bonin: Founder of ScubaPro - History of SCUBA Diving

John Gaffney: Undercurrent 04/1997

Gustav Dalla Valle: Spearfisherman and SCUBAPRO Co-founder

All I know, , when I was in college, all of the cool kids had Scuba Pro and I could not afford it so I did not. I think it caused me some sort of gear envy syndrome and not sure I have gotten over it yet. That could explain a lot of things about collecting old junk scuba gear.

I recall Healthways being sold at K Mart and JC Pennys had Nemrod, at least about my local. When I working at a dive gear store during college they were a Scuba Pro dealer. I think the Scuba Pro model worked because they made good stuff and it came to be known that it was good. Then, the stiff price sort of added to the panache or mystique and , in my case, gear envy syndrome.

N

 

[Sam Miller III]

The first and only "SCUBA Pro a division of Heathways" catalog was published in 1962.

SCUBA Pro as a seperate comany with a seperate catalog was in 1963.


John Gaffney had worked for SDM as an advertising salesman for a number of years. He split off published "Dive," went broke, obtained $$$ reestablished the "Dive," which went broke. He then published "Aquariuous" magazine and it went broke. Both magaznes were seperate from SCUBA Pro, but SCUBA Pro advertised in them.

Glad you are back Nemrod..where have you been?

SDM

 

[Nemrod]

Glad you are back Nemrod..where have you been?

SDM

Hello Mr. Sam, I am still around, after the broken leg incident I got kind of side tracked being as I was forbidden from diving by my doctors and she who tells me what to do . Problem now is that I cannot stay focused on one thing anymore, bouncing from here to there and then somewhere else. But as to diving, I have no restrictions anymore for nearly a year now. The focus part, maybe I just need to eat my Wheaties or perhaps keep a list of what I am supposedly wanting to do.

Nem

 

[Bob DBF]

Actually they both may have been manufactured by Sherwood. Sherwood was in the compressed gas industries since the '30's and made valves and fittings for HP gas (still do) and provided parts that were used in SCUBA equipment.

[ Diving Pioneers: An Oral History Of Diving In America By Eric Hanauer ]
1958 - Sherwood Manufacturing purchases the patent for the piston regulator. (The price asked and received by the inventor is that he be taken to lunch once a year.) Sherwood engineers modify the regulator for use in scuba equipment, as a replacement for the diaphragm regulator originally created by Rouquayrol and Denayrouze in 1864. Sherwood will manufacture pistonvalved regulators in various configurations for sale by U. S. Divers, Voit, Healthways, Swimaster, Scubapro, Dacor, Nemrod-Seamless Rubber, and others, for many years. Various versions of the device are still widely used throughout the industry.

In '72 they marketed their own regulator (SRB-2000), and I believe they were the first to market a regulator for 4000# service back in the '70's.




Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.