Just acquired more vintage gear, please take a look.

[Eric Sedletzky]

I visited a friend today up on the coast and he had some more gear to give me.
He got the set of doubles from Dive & Surf in Redondo Beach, CA. several years ago. The owner had them since the 50's. The tanks are WWII oxygen bottles with adapters. One of the cylinders is stamped 1944 and a service pressure of 1800 PSI. The harness is original.
The mask he got in Hawaii somewhere, it's a Healthways probably from the 60's sometime. All the rubber is in prisine condition and it fits my face very well. I'm going to use it.

I also got another 1960 steel 72 - 1/2" valve in great shape (yawn).

Please tell me if these are worth getting hydroed and using.

Pop quiz for you vintage and dive history experts (Sam, I know you know so keep your mouth shut):
Who were the two guys that started Dive & Surf in Redondo Beach, CA. and what was their big contribution to the dive world?
Who else were they involved with that had a huge impact on diving starting in 1958?

 

[Ed Palma]

Was it the 2 twin brothers Bob and Bill Meistrell, who went on to create the Body Glove wetsuit?

(as paraphrased and lifted from the internet )

 

[vshearer]

You will be arrested for having those tanks in your possession. Please PM me for proper disposal location.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Was it the 2 twin brothers Bob and Bill Meistrell, who went on to create the Body Glove wetsuit?

(as paraphrased and lifted from the internet )

Yes! (ding ding ding)
...and what's the second part??

 

[Fish&beer]

hey Eric-
Those doubles look identical to the set I got some time ago. I believe they are 38's and are the holy grail of vintage tanks. They have 1" necks and the bushings are 1" to 3/4" so reg valves can be used. My tanks were stamped 1952, 1800 psi, and passed hydro with flying colors. The only neg thing is that they are very buoyant when the air is low. IMO I would get them hydroed for sure.

Nice find my friend.

 

[DaleC]

I need to get some different friends.
Nice score!

 

[elmer fudd]

The problem you're going to have with the doubles is getting them filled. The bushings are going to scare most shops.

 

[captain]

The problem you're going to have with the doubles is getting them filled. The bushings are going to scare most shops.

True, I am afraid finding a shop that will fill them will be hard but there is a silver lining to this. Since they are only 1800 psi get a transfill whip and cascade a few 80's or what ever other tanks into them.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

True, I am afraid finding a shop that will fill them will be hard but there is a silver lining to this. Since they are only 1800 psi get a transfill whip and cascade a few 80's or what ever other tanks into them.

We are on the exact same wavelength with the trans fill whip.
I'm going to use my HP120 to fill them.

My LDS already said they would charge me for two tanks if I brought them in even though there's only one fill point and the total CF is only around 80.
I gave them a heads up I was getting these, but since I know now that they have adapters I'll bet you a beer they won't fill them at all.

 

[Akimbo]

I scrapped three sets of these before moving from San Diego to Mendocino in 2003. I had been lugging them around, had not dove them since the late 1960s, and nobody wanted them. They had ½” CGA threads instead of the ¾” straight NPT O-ring sealed threads though. Photo shows them, the black doubles in the background. Sorry guys.