Just bought my first old regs - need some info
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My first regulator was a Healthways Scubair. Breathed like a pig by today's standards. It currently occupies space in my collection, but isn't suitable for anything deeper than a pool these days.
The US Divers Jet Airs are double hose goodness. Really they are best of all worlds as in they are single stage double hose regulators with US Divers Mistral internals (also shared with the J.C. Higgins Mistral, Voit Polaris and Voit Blue 50 Fathom), and therefore can be restored to 100% dive ready condition due to parts availability. I have one and it is one of my favorite regulators, I dive it all the time.
Don't know much about the Ibiza, other than Nemrod made quality equipment up until they went bankrupt in 1998. Parts, if available, would be best sourced from Spain.
The US Divers Jet Airs are double hose goodness. Really they are best of all worlds as in they are single stage double hose regulators with US Divers Mistral internals (also shared with the J.C. Higgins Mistral, Voit Polaris and Voit Blue 50 Fathom), and therefore can be restored to 100% dive ready condition due to parts availability. I have one and it is one of my favorite regulators, I dive it all the time.
Don't know much about the Ibiza, other than Nemrod made quality equipment up until they went bankrupt in 1998. Parts, if available, would be best sourced from Spain.
It is a common misconception that the Jet Air has the same internal parts as the Mistral. Actually, everything is the same except the orifice, which is the same as the Stream Air (metal case, same regulator internally). The difference is that the venturi is somewhat too good, and so these regulators had to aim it slightly to the side, and not straight down the intake tube. This creates enough internal turbulence to not have the air flow through to the exhaust. The Stream Air accomplished this with the pin through the case, and because that pin hole can be moved, could accept the Mistral orifice. However, the Jet Air doesn't use the pin system to ensure where the orifice is aimed. Instead it uses the plastic formed into a diamond to hold everything in the same place. That means that the Mistral orifice should not be substituted into the Jet Air, as it won't be aimed directly down the intake hose as it was designed to be. But the positive side is that the Jet Air breathes really great with that second generation orifice, so no change really needs to be made. I just wanted to clarify this with readers who may not be familiar with the two and the slight differences between them.
The Healthways Scubair you have is a first generation, and looks to have a diaphragm first stage rather than a piston first stage. It actually is a fairly good regulator, but because it uses the neoprene-impregnated nylon diaphragm, breathes hard. Replacing the diaphragm with a modern one greatly decreases the inhalation resistance. But it still has a small-diameter exhaust, which makes exhalation harder than newer regulators. I have a Hearthways ScubaStar with the tilt valve, and replacing the diaphragm made a very noticeable difference in its inhalation characteristics. Because it is a tilt valve, the overpressure relief valve must not be removed, which limits its ability to accept any low pressure accessories (inflator hose, octopus, etc.); I don't think it has a second LP outlet. You can probably put a pressure gauge on it, but that's about it.
SeaRat
The Healthways Scubair you have is a first generation, and looks to have a diaphragm first stage rather than a piston first stage. It actually is a fairly good regulator, but because it uses the neoprene-impregnated nylon diaphragm, breathes hard. Replacing the diaphragm with a modern one greatly decreases the inhalation resistance. But it still has a small-diameter exhaust, which makes exhalation harder than newer regulators. I have a Hearthways ScubaStar with the tilt valve, and replacing the diaphragm made a very noticeable difference in its inhalation characteristics. Because it is a tilt valve, the overpressure relief valve must not be removed, which limits its ability to accept any low pressure accessories (inflator hose, octopus, etc.); I don't think it has a second LP outlet. You can probably put a pressure gauge on it, but that's about it.
SeaRat
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