Newbie here . . .

[spectrum]

olkev

That's quite an initial post!

Luis,SimonBeans, Nemrod and Duckbill have you going in the right direction with your Aquamaster. I enjoy my Phoenix RAM and it's a project well worth doing.

What will others say about your minimalist gear? Some will certainly give you flack. If it's a dive boat situation you may not be allowed. The same may true for a closely managed shop dive with training taking place. Regardless of your training other divers will not be able to rely on your for an air sharing situation. That will apply to your wife unless you practice accordingly. At best you will be adding stress to a stressful situation that admittedly may never happen. A banjo fitting can provide for an SPG and with a horse collar buoyancy can be maintained orally if anything is needed at all.

As for diving without a BC or horse collar that's great fun when it works. I would not be so quick to badge Buoyancy Compensators as crutches to make up for poor training. There comes a point where the buoyancy change with depth of exposure protection, air consumption, and the dive profile will vary more than anyone can manage by finessing lung volume. If you make the right dive with the right gear I agree it's a liberating experience but as you state it is a carefully planned dive.

As for J valves they are no panacea. The world is full of stories of preactivated valves.

The forums mentioned above will get you into a circle of really swell vintage gear divers. They deal with the gear, the techniques as well as relating to the scuba community in general. In time you will find than many prefer to mix and match the best elements of all eras for many of their dives.

Pete

 

[Nemrod]

You asked what is safe and what isn't. Obviously you already have a Aqua Master you have been diving in the past--correct? Well, what I do a lot and always do with new to me equipment is spend time in the pool with it before venturing into the ocean or even lake. As to diving without a BC you could go half way and get a SeaTec horsecollar BC or even find a functional early Mae West. The idea being you have emergency floatation (trainin wheels) but otherwise would dive as if there were no BC. In this way you could develop you balance and bouyancy skills before dumping the stupid BC/horsecollar all together. There are times when a BC is needed or at least useful. The Seatec horsecollar is a good unit if you can find one.

I borrowed the idea from Allen (Simonbeans), I like to recreate an era with my gear, actually several including myself in circa 1968/70 era. I put together a collection of gear that a diver would have had and used, it is kinda fun, like a time warp.

Join the boards at VSS and VDH, that is where most of the vintage discussions--er--arguments--lol--ocurr. Each of the two boards has a slightly different flavor and their own cast of characters and of course some who float between them. So again welcome, come to Portage Ohio in a few months for some vintage diving---it will likely be a large vintage rally.

N

 

[olkev]

As for diving without a BC or horse collar that's great fun when it works. I would not be so quick to badge Buoyancy Compensators as crutches to make up for poor training.

As for J valves they are no panacea. The world is full of stories of preactivated valves.

Pete

THANKS FOR ALL OF THE RESPONSES!

I guess as far as my training remark goes, I recently saw some ads in some SCUBA mags talking about getting certified in 2 days. Around here it looks like 2 classroom sessions, 2 pool sessions, and the open water dives. Doesn't seem like much to me.

I know J-valves are no panacea but, I like the added extra in case I want to utilize it.

I think I am going to save my pennies and dimes for the Phoenix conversion.

 

[Luis H]

The proper use of a J-valve requires checking every once in a while that the lever is in the up position, just like the proper use of a SPG requires that the diver checks it every once in a while. That being said I have always preferred a SPG since it allows for on the spot planning.

You can easily locate good used J-valves, but most people are not aware that you can still buy new ones (new ones are probably expensive). I believe Mar-Vel sales them and I fairly certain that Aqua Lung still makes them. My understanding is that OSHA and the Navy still requires them for low/ zero visibility dives where a SPG is close to useless.


olkev

I think most every one in the vintage forums will agree that the level of training offered today has been spread out into several classes or watered (eliminated) all together. When I took my original certification (in 1971) we did a lot of “training” not just took a class.
Part of the training involved a lot of swimming and the classes actually covered diving physics, equipment maintenance, and how to deal with the environment, among several other subjects.

 

[olkev]

Good points Luis,

I have a couple of extra J-valves in my SCUBA toolbox. I have always used them in conjuction with an SPG.

I think the classes have been split out in order to make money on specialty "certifications". I wonder if anyone has done a study to see if this trend has compromised overall safety.

 

[JES]

Diving vintage or eclectic (combination of modern and vintage) is a matter of preference. .... So as you can see, vintage means many things to many divers. Just do your thing. Allan

Allan,

Nicely stated, and excellent advice!


olkev,

Dive what you feel comfortable with and above all else enjoy your vintage dives. :14:


Regards,

JES

 

[Nemrod]

This is vintage, vintage outboard, vintage boat, vintage gear, what more could you need. Notice the blue fins, mask and no BC. Things used to be simple and then they got complicated. Before there were recreational divers and technical divers and PaDI vacation divers in poodle jackets, there were FROGMEN (and women)!

N

 

[Eris Lucan7*]

--?!--

 

[Eris Lucan7*]

That Mercury outboarder looks good,id never seen one of those.Outboarder is best at

all,better to fix ,burns notso fast....

 

[BSea]

This is vintage, vintage outboard, vintage boat, vintage gear, what more could you need. Notice the blue fins, mask and no BC. Things used to be simple and then they got complicated. Before there were recreational divers and technical divers and PaDI vacation divers in poodle jackets, there were FROGMEN (and women)!

N

I think you just like the picture because she wears her mask on her forehead.

Speaking of others give you flake about diving vintage, I just got back from the lake where I dove my vintage mistral. There were only 3 of us on the boat, and 1 was a student getting his open water. He couldn't believe I would TRUST MY LIFE to that old antique (especially after I explained how to clear the mouthpiece). Not to mention dive without a BC. I didn't have my Phoenix with me. Otherwise he might have been a little more receptive to the idea if all the required life support equipment was connected.