Today was a great day of diving. I got to dive my old Poseidon doubles with my new DIN Phoenix Royal Aqua Master. 
I have own this tanks since the early 70s. They are the most comfortable set of tanks I can think of diving, but I actually havent dove them in close to 30 years. I just hydro tested them last week for the first time since 1988.
But, first the bad news I had to fail (probably I should say condemned) my other set of double Drager tanks due to pits on the bottom. It was very sad for me to do that. :depressed: I have own both sets of tanks for a long time. The Drager tanks were built in 1957 and they have been great tanks (I think the Poseidon are just a bit younger).
From the early 70s I have to be in contact with European dive companies to get parts and at the time I could only dive them with the Poseidon Cyklon 300 since there was no other regulator available in the US with the 5/8threaded European connection (now known as a DIN connection). In 1977 I tried to contact Scubapro about a conversion kit for the threaded connection and they didnt have a clue of what I was talking about.
In the 70s I had a local machine shop make me an adapter so I could hydro them. The two sets of tanks have been in many ways a lot of hassle, but I could never get rid of them since I remember hoe much fun it was diving them when I was a lot younger.
The tapered pipe threads on the neck is actually a bit smaller than the US 1/2 NPT, which also makes them more of a hassle to deal with.
But all those issues were totally forgotten when I put them on. These are definitely the coolest set of tanks. :cool2: Even though they are heavy I could walk much further with them that with any single tank. In the water they are a dream. It is the closest to free diving with a tank on my back.
To wrap up the rig I got to use my DIN Phoenix Royal Aqua Master and it was perfect. The DIN adapter does make the regulator stick out some more than usual, but in this situation it is actually a great advantage. The flat part of the regulator just touches my back which makes it into the best breathing double hose ever (well OK chest mounted can breath better in some positions).
Those that have seen my regulators know how I keep them tune to the max, but lowering the regulator to just touch my back gave it an extra advantage. This configuration would not work with a back plate, but I would never use a back plate with double tanks. IMHO, double tanks are way too comfortable with a plain harness for me to put any plate between them and me.
This type of DIN adapter adds an extra inch to any regulator that it is used on so that will always be an issue even with a Conshelf or Titan, but in this situation it has actually enhanced the use of my Poseidon tanks with my double hose regulator. These tanks are on 5 1/4 inch in diameter, therefore at first it does seem like the regulator was going to stick out too far, but under real use it was perfect.
I was diving with my laminate dry suit (it is fall in Maine) and I was using my Zeagle wing which works great with any of my double tanks and a harness.
This may turn out to be my favorite set of tanks. I have to make a few adjustments to the harness, but that will be easy. These tanks are heavy enough that I was able to take 6 lbs off my weight belt. I test the buoyancy of all my tanks (and some of my other gear) in a water barrel with a digital fish scale I bought for $20.
The only two issues I have with them is the lack of a boot that will allow them to stand up and that at their weight I dont know if I dare to put them over my head the way I do my single tanks. Either issue by themselves is not a big deal, but the combination of both makes it harder for me to put on my own rig by myself. The use of a heavy wet suit or dry suit compounds being self sufficient with this rig.
Of course the maintenance of these tanks is also going to be an issue during visual inspection, etc. But, at least for a year I am not going to worry about that.
From this angle the regulator looks in a decent position, but I am going to lower the tanks a bit the next time.
Diving with this wing I can totally forget that I have a BC. It is like if it is not even there if I dont feel like using it. The rig has the least drag of any rig I have ever dived.
I like most of my pressure hoses pointing down and out of the way.
The lever in the center of the manifold is the reserve and yes, it is down, I dont use it. I actually have a special rod that it came with, but I am not even sure where it is.
Oh, a very interesting thing of this harness is that there is no top band (the back and white bands are only for the wing). The shoulder harness attaches to this rubber block with two plates (shown in this picture). The bolt with the plates just squeezes the rubber to try to expand it and push out against the tanks. It is actually very secure.
You can see the regulator barely touching my back. When I lower the tanks more it will be perfect.
You can see the old hydro stamps. I have done every one of those in different shops on different states (the 1978 was in Puerto Rico).
This manifold is very cool. It has a female DIN in the center with male DIN on both sides. The two valves are totally independent and I can separate the tanks when they are full.
I added a crotch strap to the rig since I am using a wing. The last time I used them it was with a horse collar.
The dry suit is not vintage, but the Chuck Taylor (Converse All Star) type are vintage style.
I have own this tanks since the early 70s. They are the most comfortable set of tanks I can think of diving, but I actually havent dove them in close to 30 years. I just hydro tested them last week for the first time since 1988.
But, first the bad news I had to fail (probably I should say condemned) my other set of double Drager tanks due to pits on the bottom. It was very sad for me to do that. :depressed: I have own both sets of tanks for a long time. The Drager tanks were built in 1957 and they have been great tanks (I think the Poseidon are just a bit younger).
From the early 70s I have to be in contact with European dive companies to get parts and at the time I could only dive them with the Poseidon Cyklon 300 since there was no other regulator available in the US with the 5/8threaded European connection (now known as a DIN connection). In 1977 I tried to contact Scubapro about a conversion kit for the threaded connection and they didnt have a clue of what I was talking about.
In the 70s I had a local machine shop make me an adapter so I could hydro them. The two sets of tanks have been in many ways a lot of hassle, but I could never get rid of them since I remember hoe much fun it was diving them when I was a lot younger.
The tapered pipe threads on the neck is actually a bit smaller than the US 1/2 NPT, which also makes them more of a hassle to deal with.
But all those issues were totally forgotten when I put them on. These are definitely the coolest set of tanks. :cool2: Even though they are heavy I could walk much further with them that with any single tank. In the water they are a dream. It is the closest to free diving with a tank on my back.
To wrap up the rig I got to use my DIN Phoenix Royal Aqua Master and it was perfect. The DIN adapter does make the regulator stick out some more than usual, but in this situation it is actually a great advantage. The flat part of the regulator just touches my back which makes it into the best breathing double hose ever (well OK chest mounted can breath better in some positions).
Those that have seen my regulators know how I keep them tune to the max, but lowering the regulator to just touch my back gave it an extra advantage. This configuration would not work with a back plate, but I would never use a back plate with double tanks. IMHO, double tanks are way too comfortable with a plain harness for me to put any plate between them and me.
This type of DIN adapter adds an extra inch to any regulator that it is used on so that will always be an issue even with a Conshelf or Titan, but in this situation it has actually enhanced the use of my Poseidon tanks with my double hose regulator. These tanks are on 5 1/4 inch in diameter, therefore at first it does seem like the regulator was going to stick out too far, but under real use it was perfect.
I was diving with my laminate dry suit (it is fall in Maine) and I was using my Zeagle wing which works great with any of my double tanks and a harness.
This may turn out to be my favorite set of tanks. I have to make a few adjustments to the harness, but that will be easy. These tanks are heavy enough that I was able to take 6 lbs off my weight belt. I test the buoyancy of all my tanks (and some of my other gear) in a water barrel with a digital fish scale I bought for $20.
The only two issues I have with them is the lack of a boot that will allow them to stand up and that at their weight I dont know if I dare to put them over my head the way I do my single tanks. Either issue by themselves is not a big deal, but the combination of both makes it harder for me to put on my own rig by myself. The use of a heavy wet suit or dry suit compounds being self sufficient with this rig.
Of course the maintenance of these tanks is also going to be an issue during visual inspection, etc. But, at least for a year I am not going to worry about that.
From this angle the regulator looks in a decent position, but I am going to lower the tanks a bit the next time.
Diving with this wing I can totally forget that I have a BC. It is like if it is not even there if I dont feel like using it. The rig has the least drag of any rig I have ever dived.
I like most of my pressure hoses pointing down and out of the way.
The lever in the center of the manifold is the reserve and yes, it is down, I dont use it. I actually have a special rod that it came with, but I am not even sure where it is.
Oh, a very interesting thing of this harness is that there is no top band (the back and white bands are only for the wing). The shoulder harness attaches to this rubber block with two plates (shown in this picture). The bolt with the plates just squeezes the rubber to try to expand it and push out against the tanks. It is actually very secure.
You can see the regulator barely touching my back. When I lower the tanks more it will be perfect.
You can see the old hydro stamps. I have done every one of those in different shops on different states (the 1978 was in Puerto Rico).
This manifold is very cool. It has a female DIN in the center with male DIN on both sides. The two valves are totally independent and I can separate the tanks when they are full.
I added a crotch strap to the rig since I am using a wing. The last time I used them it was with a horse collar.
The dry suit is not vintage, but the Chuck Taylor (Converse All Star) type are vintage style.
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