Older Dacor & Beuchat Regs

[ams511]

I actually met the person that ran the distribution center at a dive show in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in the 1990s. I may still have his card somewhere. Are you sure they moved the distribution center somewhere else? My understanding was the left over parts were sold to a local scuba shop who sells them now and again on eBay. Here in the US, Beuchat products are usually sold through shops specializing in free diving than scuba diving.

If I remember correctly the black version of the BC came after the grey version.

 

[widget]

The Owner who ran the distribution out of Cypress Creek Ft Lauderdale was a Mr Francois Alvarez, his brother Marc Alverez ran the French side. The manager they employed was a Mr Robert Quintana who was very good for the brand I thought and did a tremendous job of getting it into the shops.

You are correct though, they later stopped distribution out of Ft Lauderdale and Mr Quintana took over the distribution completely from a dive store in Miami which he was involved in. I cant for the life of me remember the stores name, but I know it has struggled to get recognition in the USA.

Yes, the spearfishing side is very well known as well, unfortunately the scuba side lacked the modern "aesthetics" of the then well known big brands but there has been a lot of product improvements by the French Factory over say the last 5 -8 years and now I believe they are on a par aesthetic wise (I believe they were always up there quality wise) with any other brand out there.

Yup, the Black Masterlift was the upgraded "back pack" version. Beuchat often changed colours of products when they upgraded something as it was a good way of tracking problems, but unless you knew the colour sequences they used and what they meant upgrade wise, people often just thought it was a cosmetic change, but in reality it was an upgrade they did.

I will try and do the photo this weekend, just havent had time yet.

 

[Rich Keller]

I have seen the same model Dacor regs that sold for between $55-$65 + shipping on ebay so I will probable put them up for bid there. I have seen a few Beuchat regs on ebay but none are the same model that I have. Any idea where to start the bidding on the Beuchat reg?

 

[widget]

Been scratching around for that Bc I promised to post, eventually found it in one of my old bags, along with a few old Beuchat regs, all of which work perfectly as I jumped into the pool to check, not bad for laying in a bag for a few years. Just thought I would add a set of Beuchat period Contact fins and a TRX snorkel.

The VS 3 reg which was their bottom of the range unbalanced piston has the updated cover face plate as can be seen by the different purge button, and the VS10 was their first balanced dia. regulator. Excellent breather and I think I'll use it this week again, just for fun. :cool3:

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Wasn't the VS 10 a rebranded Apeks?

I have recently acquired a vx evolution 2nd that I am impressed with.


Sent from my iPhone from my momma's basement

 

[widget]

Wasn't the VS 10 a rebranded Apeks?

I have recently acquired a vx evolution 2nd that I am impressed with.


Sent from my iPhone from my momma's basement

Aah,...Yes, you are correct, the very first versions were mostly re-branded Apeks, a few small cosmetic changes but, Yeah, correct.

The VX versions however moved away from the Apeks relationship and was largely an in house designed Beuchat reg. One of their better units as well, as you say, its an impressive product.

 

[ams511]

I am looking at the 1999 repair manual and from the looks of it both VTR8 and VX10 used Apeks seconds. It shows something different for a VS10, but I think I have seen Apeks-made VS10s on eBay. I have VX10's and the second stage is an Apeks, the first stage does not appear to be. I have never disassembled the first stage because I am unsure of the parts kit required.

 

[widget]

I am looking at the 1999 repair manual and from the looks of it both VTR8 and VX10 used Apeks seconds. It shows something different for a VS10, but I think I have seen Apeks-made VS10s on eBay. I have VX10's and the second stage is an Apeks, the first stage does not appear to be. I have never disassembled the first stage because I am unsure of the parts kit required.

The VS first stage is mostly an Apeks, the demand valve uses Apeks parts but is a Beuchat design, some small differences. The VX first is definitely a Beuchat design, they had stopped using Apeks designs by then, they did however continue using some Apeks soft parts, this however is common in regulator design, you would have to look far and wide to find a complete reg set up using only proprietary parts, 99% of the time there is a cross in parts, its simply economies of scale.

The VTR code range referred to a different 1st stage to the VS or VX turret system and was usually just a balanced dia reg without a swivel, coupled with usually a VX demand valve, but they did mix and match 1st stages and demand valves depending on what sold best in the country it was going to, especially often the USA wanted a different mix to customers in Europe, so occasionally a VX10 in the USA may not be the same combination of first and demand stages as say a VX10 in Germany. Made life interesting.

I am not sure the VX seconds are Apeks, I would need to go back and check, they may still have used Apeks internal parts, but the design was their own. Beuchat by then had invested huge capital into specialized regulator test bench's and in house design engineers, and were tweaking and designing their own regulators, I would need to check my records on design changes at the time, but from recollection they were really only just using a few internal soft parts from Apeks (plus a few other manufacturers) which as I say is not unusual, but the actual design was their own.

 

[Diver0001]

Looking for a little advice. I picked up a lot of cheap regs, some that I have no first hand experience with, so I want to figure out what to keep and what to sell. A Dacor 1st marked 950, with two 2nd marked XL Pacer. A Beuchat 1st with 2 HP & 4 LP ports but no other markings, with a 2nd marked VS. The Beuchat also had gauges from Sierra Scuba that I have never heard of before that were made in the USA.

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The Dacor is as good as junk. Mares bought Dacor some years ago and twisted it's neck. You can't get Dacor parts. You may be able to trade it for a small discount on a new Mares reg.

Don't know anything about Beuchat except that it's French, like, Citroen (meaning lemon), Peugeot and Renault, which are some of the cheapest and most unreliable cars you can buy in Europe. Don't forget, the French make Airbus, which, if you know anything about airplanes you won't fly on, and they made concord, which has killed more Germans than the entire French military since 1940.

Just saying. Personally I have my doubts, as you can see I think there's a good reason why you got them cheap.

R..

 

[emoreira]

The Dacor is as good as junk. Mares bought Dacor some years ago and twisted it's neck. You can't get Dacor parts. You may be able to trade it for a small discount on a new Mares reg.

Don't know anything about Beuchat except that it's French, like, Citroen (meaning lemon), Peugeot and Renault, which are some of the cheapest and most unreliable cars you can buy in Europe. Don't forget, the French make Airbus, which, if you know anything about airplanes you won't fly on, and they made concord, which has killed more Germans than the entire French military since 1940.

Just saying. Personally I have my doubts, as you can see I think there's a good reason why you got them cheap.

R..

Too many misconceptions.