New to this site

[Nemrod]

http://vintagescuba.proboards2.com/

dbg40, the site above if I have not already told you is the main vintage diving board though this one is fairly active as well. Welcome back to vintage diving. As I said, there was a thread a while back, in the archives, of the forum linked above about a gold commerorative AquaMaster. I think only about 100 were made so it is rare.

About the BCs and all that, I suspect we vintage divers will never be recognized by the mainstream or tech elite as being legitimate. Oh well. N

 

[ScoobieDooo]

Nemrod,
I'm curious about the buoyancy-characteristics of your twin 40's rig and pondering building one on my Hammerhead SS BP. I dive wet. What can I expect for buoyancy with twin alum tanks?

 

[Nemrod]

You can go to the Luxfer site and they list bouyancy characteristics of all their tanks. Mine are 50s so just double the numbers from their chart. I am using a Hammerhead aluminum plate, the stainless is to heavy for a warm water diver like me. That Sherwood manifold itself weighs over 4 lbs, the plate is about 4 and then plus the tanks so you see it is fairly negative. Not unusually so, not nearly as much as some of these modern tech rigs but still to heavy not to use a BC, negative I should be saying. Any horsecollar type BC should do fine. The advantage of the Sherwood manifold is being able to run multiple regulators and the posts caqn be flipped for eliminating clearene and hose issues when combining a double hose and single hose. N

 

[OldDiverGuy@yahoo.com]

I have a set of US Divers 50cf aluminum doubles. They get a little light at the end of the dive but not too bad. It has the standard J valve manifold. I use it with one of those Cam Ez Packs. I've used them with the Scubapro horsecollar I was talking about but only for safety not for buoyancy control.

 

[Mike Matthews]

Hello all. I'm an old double hose diver from years ago and I'm kinda looking around at getting back into diving with some of my original gear. I see plenty of it for sale on auctions but I don't know anyone who can repair or get me parts for it? This looks like a good place to start. If anyone cares to E-mail me with advice on where to look or who I can contact I would appreciate it.

Welcome to those of us who reject the commercial, gadget driven portion of our sport. May your bubble be many and your ear squeeze tolerable.

Happy Diving

 

[Nemrod]

This is an odd statement I am sure but consider on it. We "old guys" and vintage divers are the leading edge of a NEW wave in diving. We represent a return to simplicity, to sanity, a return to local diving, a dislike for being told how to do everything, we are a fresh approach, a new wind in diving. We rely on training, skill, mastering our environment and becoming one with it--not invading it with thousands of gizmos strapped to our bodies and then proclaiming simplicity--no---we avoid all that is complicated while critically considering what is needed for each dive mission. We are three dimensional divers--swimming/flying through the water--not bobbing and sinking like a toy bathtub submarine--lol. The past is the future and we are back, back to the future fellow Frogmen. N

 

[ScoobieDooo]

"back to the future..."

Sounds like a movie I once saw with Michael J. Fox. Funny movie as I recall...

I used to dive a drysuit, tech regulators, computer, bla, bla, bla. It 'got the job done' but wasn't as 'cool' as using a double hoser like the Navy Frogmen did/still do. Maybe I never grew up - which is what my wife always says...no fun being 'old.'

With my double hoser I can act out episodes of Mike Nelson saving the day or cutting the hoses of the bad guys reg! <ha ha>

 

[captain]

Nemrod, you nailed it in your last post. I give you a 10.0

Captain

 

[Creed]

This is an odd statement I am sure but consider on it. We "old guys" and vintage divers are the leading edge of a NEW wave in diving. We represent a return to simplicity, to sanity, a return to local diving, a dislike for being told how to do everything, we are a fresh approach, a new wind in diving. We rely on training, skill, mastering our environment and becoming one with it--not invading it with thousands of gizmos strapped to our bodies and then proclaiming simplicity--no---we avoid all that is complicated while critically considering what is needed for each dive mission. We are three dimensional divers--swimming/flying through the water--not bobbing and sinking like a toy bathtub submarine--lol. The past is the future and we are back, back to the future fellow Frogmen. N

The only problem is that there are a lot of us "young guys" who went through a generic OW certification who want to learn the old style way, but have noone to teach us. Granted, Nemrod, you are just a hop, skip and a jump away, so I plan on bugging the hell out of you if possible.
Are there any certification organizations that teach in the older style?

 

[simonbeans]

Unfortunately Creed is right. Noone is "teaching" the old way. Sort of like driving an old truck that you have to double clutch. I began when there were no BCs and single hose regs were just beginning. So to be able to dive again the "old" way is a real pleasure. My suggestion to divers who want to enjoy vintage diving is to come to the scheduled events of this board and the "mother ship" Vintage Scuba Supply. Ask questions and be willing to learn. Be honest with your abilities and desires. Read and research anything you can find on diving in the 1950's amd 1960's. Contact the two equipment providers and repair companies of the vintage diving world. Like driving a '57 Chevy, vintage diving is different and exciting. It brings back a world of simplicity and ease.