Mixed Modern/Vintage Diving. Am I Nuts?

[rhwestfall]

even got my buddy to try a DH (Kraken)

 

[Shotmaster]

Why do you limit yourself to 50 feet?

It's not a limit, it just seems like when I decide to go minimalist, it always a shallow water dive

 

[boat sju]

It seemed like at least a couple of times a year we'd visit someone's cottage here in Michigan or rent a place. It was too much of a hassle to lug all my gear just to play around solo along the dropoff. So my wife said anyway. So I got into the habit of taking just the basics: mask, snorkel, fins, computer, reg with pg, flag, 4/3 wetsuit and a pony or AL63 with a plastic backplate. Fairly minimal. It's a blast.

Oh, and always a knife - fishing line is waiting for you.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Dave,

If you are serious about going to a double hose regulator, and twin 63s with a K-valve, be sure to either use a Phoenix-modified Aquamaster, or get a Kraken regulator so you can have access to a dive computer/SPG. Putting a vintage double hose regulator such as a Royal Aquamaster, while a nice regulator, without access to a computer/SPG, sacrifices safety for the "look" of being vintage.

Even us vintage divers use these tools today, unless diving in a known area at shallow depths. I got out of the Clackamas River today, and was using only a Scubair single hose regulator with its "auto-reserve" feature, which is a restrictor orifice that tells me through the lag in the breathing cycle that I'm getting low on air.

Safety is more important than the "look" of being vintage, and I've heard some very good things about the Kraken regulator from both Luis and Herman. However, if you decide to go to an actual vintage double hose regulator, such as a Mistral or DA Aquamaster, I would recommend at a minimum having a J-reserve on the twins, with a spring set to 500 psig.

SeaRat

 

[trapezus]

We dove 26 m vintage diving in Turkey and all regulators are vintage doublehose. La Spirotechnique,Royal Mistral Nemrod,MEDI and Aqua Lung DA Aqua Master.. Non of us has spare tank and single hose regulator. Only cameraman has modern equipments. Our twin La Spiro tanks have J reserve. We took great pleasure.

 

[Nemrod]

I have never had an issue using the banjo HP adapters for driving an spg with my old Mistral. These DIN insert valves might be problematic but I hate those valves anyways.

N

 

[Dave Mann]

Dave,

If you are serious about going to a double hose regulator, and twin 63s with a K-valve, be sure to either use a Phoenix-modified Aquamaster, or get a Kraken regulator so you can have access to a dive computer/SPG. Putting a vintage double hose regulator such as a Royal Aquamaster, while a nice regulator, without access to a computer/SPG, sacrifices safety for the "look" of being vintage.

Even us vintage divers use these tools today, unless diving in a known area at shallow depths. I got out of the Clackamas River today, and was using only a Scubair single hose regulator with its "auto-reserve" feature, which is a restrictor orifice that tells me through the lag in the breathing cycle that I'm getting low on air.

Safety is more important than the "look" of being vintage, and I've heard some very good things about the Kraken regulator from both Luis and Herman. However, if you decide to go to an actual vintage double hose regulator, such as a Mistral or DA Aquamaster, I would recommend at a minimum having a J-reserve on the twins, with a spring set to 500 psig.

SeaRat

I've done much research since my original post and I'm now in the camp of the Phoenix and HPR modified vintage regs with SPG. I wouldn't mind a Kraken at all, it's just beyond my budget.

 

[rhwestfall]

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have never had an issue using the banjo HP adapters for driving an spg with my old Mistral. These DIN insert valves might be problematic but I hate those valves anyways.

N

I must be getting older; I forgot about the option of using the banjo adaptor, even though I currently have one on my DX Overpressure Breathing regulator. Maybe I was in a hurry too. I simply did not want him diving a vintage double hose regulator without any type of reserve or SPG option. The photo below shows me using the DX Overpressure Breathing regulator (the first U.S. Divers Company single stage regulator, and predecessor to the Mistral) with a SPG on a banjo fitting, and also a reversed J-valve on my tanks.

SeaRat

 

[rhwestfall]

I have a DA Aquamaster and a Royal Aquamaster that have the "long yoke" allowing me to use a banjo to run an SPG.