Not a Sea-Hunter but love the gear

[Walter]

My dear, what does this:

sadly...it's feature

mean?

 

[Nemrod]

A sugestion on purchasing vintage and traditional dive gear. Go to every dive shop you pass, visit older friends and relatives who were divers and see if you can get their gear. Vintage is usually considered to be gear made before 1975 or of the same type, form, function and style.
Anyways, I tell you this as an alternative to ebay where you will find that prices have gone quite high as of recent. I have as a result layed out of ebay and am finding my treasures other places--mostly. Traditional gear is easy to diveactually and the links given you can help you service the regulators.
I loved Flipper also as a child. Look for either Voit or USD doble hose regs. They have good parts supply and perform well--that is if you intend to dive them. From a collector poit, the field is wide open, collect what you like but just keep in mind that other than Voit and USD parts can be problematic though not impossible. Good luck fellow Flipper friend.

PS- Let me add, several folks in the vintage community are manufacturing things like vintage dive harness for single tanks and other items such as neat vintage t-shirts. You can find links to both on the VDH we site. The VSS site will also be very useful to you. Hoses, diaphrams, rebuild kits, fins, masks, harness, new and improved parts are being made, yes it is a resurgence, a renassaince. The future of diving is traditional.
N

 

[justleesa]

My dear, what does this mean?

PM Sent .

 

[David Wilson]

You mentioned "vintage style gear", classic gear, equipment whose design has stood the test of time and doesn't need improving upon. Some gear is still in production, but you need to know where to look. The problem is often the distribution rather than the manufacture of such products. For instance, some wonderful classic gear is still made in Japan, but it's unobtainable here in the West. Emails to the Japanese diving equipment company and its outlets receive no reply.

Here are a few potential online sources:

Classic full-foot fins
http://www.onlinescuba.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=4112

Classic oval masks
http://www.beuchat.fr/catalogue/index.cfm?action=voir_produit&scat=16&idp=247&a=1
http://www.onlinescuba.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=4066

Classic snorkel
http://www.diverssupplies.com.au/ca...09?PHPSESSID=cmvfq11t8ao5xc4hb2jppdxfibi4sxli

Classic drysuits
http://www.hydroglove.com
http://www.aquala.com/

Meanwhile, if you prefer equipment that is no longer in production, then ebay and Vintage Scuba Supply are always options.

 

[Walter]

The 15 character minimum on all posts is a bug. Pete calls it a feature, but features are, by design, helpful and useful. This is a PITA and therefore a bug.

 

[novicediver]

On the note of manufacturing and distribution, I have noticed that US Navy special forces units still use the double hose, twin tank configuration. I wonder where they get their gear.

 

[captain]

The double hose regulator the Navy uses is the Mentor. It is made by Aqua Lung under a spcial contract for the Navy and is not available to civilians. The Navy uses it to prepare divers for rebreathers.

 

[novicediver]

That is good to know, I guess I am going to have to start trolling the shops, online, etc and see about putting together a vintage rig. I am looking forward to the strange stares that I will get at our local sites since I have not seen anyone use them here.

 

[Walter]

You do know you need to learn how to use a double hose? It's not exactly the same - no purge etc.

 

[novicediver]

Yeah, I know, there is a shop here in town where the tech likes to collect vintage gear for his own use. He said when I find a reg that he will service it and then get in the pool with me. It doesn't look hard just different and have to throw away habits with traditional gear.