Late 60's early '70s? Dacor Dart Reg Worth Holding on To?

[jim T.]

I had and used this reg in the mid '70's and mid eighties.
It still works but probably needs upgraded parts to be truly safe.

I know about Mares trade in policy regarding old Dacor stuff but I wondered if my Dart might become an even more valuable vintage collectible now that the old Dacor molds and parts are being destroyed by Mares?

Should I trade it in for a pony tank reg (Mares) or keep it and reap better financial rewards in a few more years?

Thanks, Jim

 

[justleesa]

Aloha Jim

I don't know if there is a following for that reg or not - but if it is one of those, you could get a bit for it. Things that will make the price go up are low serial numbers, good working condition, over all good shape (visual) and demand.

I would suggest that you check out ebay and see if anyone is selling something simular and then watch how high the bids go.

Aloha,
Lisa

 

[SwimJim]

Single hose regs for some reason are not in demand. At least thats what I've seen watching ebay. Even Dacor two hose Diving lungs and Clippers don't bring that much when compared to thier US Divers and Voit cousins. That being said if the reg's been with you for a long time it may be worth something to you and in a few few years who know's. Personally I'd hang on to it, but I'm into vintage stuff anyway. I started with Dacor Olyimpic regs back in the '70s so I have a soft spot for them too.

Jim

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have dived with the Dacor Dart, and decided to collect one because I had destroyed the first's hose. I felt at that time that it was unsafe to dive, and so cut off the hose. That was a mistake, as there were at least two different versions of the Dart regulator, and two different hoses, neither of which are standard hoses. I would keep it, as I ended up picking up a Dacor Dart for about $35. It was the second model, which initiated the Dacor Olympic series, and it was a "honker." Every inhalation created a bad vibration. Treat this as an experiment in single hose regulators, at a time when Dacor was established as a double hose manufacturer. The Dart also has a unique diaphragm, and there are not comparable ones on the market. I had to drill holes in an off-brand diaphragm to get mine to work. It is a great regulator for demonstrating how the single hose regs evolved, but it is not really up to today's standards for diving. For instance, its exhaust diameter is too small to pass enough air to meet US Navy standards.

SeaRat

 

[Nemrod]

The thing is that USD double hose regulators perform really well, some equal to modern high preformance stuff or very close, I am speaking of course of a well tuned Royal Aqua-Master and the Mistral and DA are darn fine units as well. Parts are available and they are easily rebuilt good as new. Another thing, they were built over a long period of time with virtually no significant changes in style, function or internal parts. This is why they demand decent prices on ebay and other places. The single hose units with some exception are more problematic, the early ones mostly are poor performers, parts are much more challenging to come by and just don't have a vintage look. Exceptions, yes, Voit Titans, MR12s, Conshelfs etc are nice regulators and some early ScubaPro units as well and had long histories. I would say that if there is something about that regulator that intrigues you or with which you have fond memories then by all means collect it, restore it if possible and even dive it within it's limitations of course. I doubt it will ever have any real value, especialy post 1975 single hose stuff, dime a dozen. When itcomes to truely vintage regulators, only Voit and USD double hose regulators and some few units from Europe have solid value for both collecting and actual diving use.
I did have a nice old red label Calypso single hose, the one with the exhaust valve in the diaphram. I made mention of it somewhere, maybe here, anyways, I got an email from a Japanese fellow that I found hard to refuse so never say never about value--lol. That is a design by the way I think should be revisited
N

 

[SwimJim]

I did have a nice old red label Calypso single hose, the one with the exhaust valve in the diaphram.

Interesting, wouldn't that route your exhast right into your mask in a normal swimming position? Just curious.

Jim

 

[james croft]

I have two old Dacor Darts regulators. My dad bought one second hand when we were stationed in the Philippines in the 60's. I was given the second one. I have heard that the Dart was Dacor's first single hose regulator. Can anybody confirm this? I have them both as mementos but have thought about trying to dive them.

 

[Creed]

I doubt it will ever have any real value, especialy post 1975 single hose stuff, dime a dozen.
N

The way I look at it, people around here are into collecting ANYTHING antique. I mean, you should see what rusty old farm equipment and household tools go for at auction sometimes. Give it some time, and single hoses will become collectable as the people who grew up on them get older.

 

[Nemrod]

"Give it some time, and single hoses will become collectable as the people who grew up on them get older"

That may be but without parts they are just wall hangers. I am not going to tell what I got for that red label, it was quite significant. The gentleman really wanted it and it was a working unit, not totally mint but clean and original. He kept bugging me to buy it and I finally gave in. I rejected his final offer because it was outlandish and sold it to him for something a touch more reasonable but still way -- way beyond what I would have ever expected had I actually put it up for sale.


"Interesting, wouldn't that route your exhast right into your mask in a normal swimming position? Just curious."

No, not really, both USD and Voit had this design. The front cover had two metal wings much like an exhaust tee on a rear exhaust second stage. These were about as effective as many of the modern micro mini exhaust tees at directing the exhaust to the side.
A modern rendition would perhaps allow the lower half of the main diaphram to unseat for exhaust purposes, a small manifold would collect the exhaust directing it rearward. Why do this, to combine functions allows a possibly smaller and lighter second stage and thinner as well. N

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Well, that Dacor Dart is still available, for a little over a day. Here's the ebay address:

http://cgi.ebay.com/vintage-Dacor-s...ryZ16056QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It is a fair-breathing regulator, with a unique double lever system in the second stage. According to Fred Roberts, in his book Basic Scuba, (page 83) it was first manufactured in 1961, and probably went until the Olympic series was released in the late 1960s. So far as parts goes, the HP seat is probably the same as the Dacor Dial-a-Breath, and the diaphragm the same. The hard part to get would be a LP diaphragm, but one of those could be used from another type of reg.

John