Question for Nemrod or DA Aquamaster

[Texas_Aggie06]

I was searching through ebay looking at regs, and I came across a Royal Aquamaster. I noticed there is only one connection for hoses. So, I assume that is a high pressure port for your spg. I realize they were invented when people didn't use bcd's. So, what do you guys do nowadays to inflate your bcd/wing? Do you just manually inflate your bcd or what?

This is purely for my own knowledge.

 

[Walter]

When I dive vintage, I don't use a BC. If I wanted to use one, I would orally inflate it.

 

[Texas_Aggie06]

thanks walter. i figured that was probably the case.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The port is a hookah port which was designed to allow the reg to operate off surface supplied air.

There are however both hoses and adapters available to utilize the hookah port to operate a power inflator or octo.

The use of an SPG was normally accomplished in one of two ways:

1. A 3/8" HP port on the tank valve. These were designed so that the gas to the port was shut off when the valve was closed you you could move the SPG from tank to tank if you owned more than one. These valves still show up from time to tiome on e-bay - just look for the small hex shaped port plug on the valve stem below the knob.

2. A banjo fitting that was placed between the regulator and tank valve. It was called a banjo fitting as it looked more or less like a banjo in general shape. Using one of these required a "long" yoke which provided the extra room to use the fitting. Later USD regs had long yokes.

Currently, you can get reproduction banjo fittings as well as the hookah port adapters fopr reasonable money. Original banjo fittings were going for about $100 due to short supplies before they started producing new ones.

Best of all, Luis here on the board designed a new inlet fitting for the DA Aquamaster and Royal Aquamaster that uses Titan first stage parts and creates a balanced first stage in the DA Aquamaster but more importantly provides 3 LP ports and 3 HP ports to allow the normal use of modern regulator accessories. These are available from time to time from Brian at vintagedoublehose.com and one would probably cost around $185-$200.

This is called the Phoenix conversion and both Royal Aquamasters and DA Aquamasters so converted are called Phoenix Royal Aquamasters or PRAM's. Two valuable upgrades for a DA, RAM or Pram are a new production silicone diaphragm which will greatly improve performance and a compression ring to hold the cans together (like the late production DA Aquamaster and Royal Aquamaster) as it is easier to use and les likely to over or under clamp the two halves of the case together and distort the diaphragm.

You can get by orally inflating, but you have to clear the mouthpiece after each breath is blown into the BC and that can be a pain. Also, the lack of an octo can be an issue on most dive boats, so the PRAM is not a bad way to go if you really want to use a doublehse reg in real world diving.

 

[chip104]

do you mean the hookah port? that's actually a low pressure port intended for a hose attached to a compressor on the boat. Can also be used for an alternate air source or attachment to the BCD.

The SPG can be attached separately to the setup using a banjo. The banjo is sandwiched between the tank and the regulator 1st stage.

ninja edit: doh, sniped by DA aquamaster!

 

[Texas_Aggie06]

cool. thanks for the info.

 

[Luis H]

Thanks DA AquaMaster for the write up.

I just notice that you moved to Arlington, VA. Your are not too far away now. Maybe you can join us for one of the vintage equipment diving gatherings here on the east.


Below are some pictures of one of my early Phoenix.

Here is a prototype during some of the early bench testing:

The nozzle/ first stage Phoenix body that is not chromed was the first experimental. It had no LP ports, I was testing the dimensions and machining accuracy requirements.

This is an example of the kind of pluming we were doing before the Phoenix to get an octopus, an LP inflator, an a dry suit inflator. In this case I am showing with the pre-Phoenix experimental prototype (no LP ports). The hookah adapter shown just give you access to the LP chamber. You can feed into it with a hookah compressor or use it as an LP source.

I was looking for a picture of a regulator with a banjo fitting, but I don't seem to have one in my photobucket. I am sure Nemrod will post some pictures later.


Here is a picture of a banjo fitting on the right and a hookah adapter on the left, thanks to VintageDoubleHose.com.

If you want more info the Sea Hunt section of ScubaBoard or the vintage boards are also very helpful: VintageDoubleHose.com and VintageScubaSupply.com

 

[Luis H]

When I dive true vintage, I often use my Fenzy horse-collar which doesn’t have a LP air inflator, it has it own small air cylinder. In warm water I use it mostly for surface flotation, not much of a need for a BC.

Here in Maine, diving with a dry suit or heavy neoprene (7+7mm) suit, the use of a BC with inflator makes diving a lot easier.

 

[Nemrod]

Like DA and Luis when I dive minimalist or vintage I don't use a BC. When I dive in places that demand a BC and octapus and other equipment then I use a OxyCheq wing and a Phoenix converted Aqua Master or a Voit MR single hose or --shhhhhhhhhh--- a new Titan. In other configurations I use a SeaTec horsecollar with a DA Aqua Master that uses a splitter to provide LP air for a SeaTurtle second (or standard octapus) and the BC. For an HP source for non-Phoenix converted double hose regulators you would use a banjo adapter which fits in the yoke with the regulator--sandwiched. They work very well and I have had no problems with mine though it is a potential failure point but then I ain't in a cave either.

Banjo adapter for SPG:

Pre Phoenix method:

The hookah port is adpated with a simple adapter to support low pressure devices with a three way splitter.

Phoenix rig:

Many of us are pre BC, we learned how to dive without equipment crutches so it is not unusual to see vintage or minimalist divers with no BC, no SPG (J -valve reserve) and no octapus.

Strictly speaking the use of a double hose regulator alone does not mean vintage, some just prefer them for ALL diving:

As a minimalist diver I don't use anything that I don't need, I don't carry extras or carry redundancy when I can instead use a robust system that does not have a high failure possibility, when I do use redundant systems they too are minimalist. I see the Titan first stage Phoenix or classic Aqua Master as a more robust system than some fidgity modern plastic regulators as an example--therefore I can susbstitute system robustness for redundancy/complexity, just a different approach. Probably not explained very well.

N

 

[Alex777]

Vintage or non-vintage, minimalist diving without a BC can be very refreshing - closest thing to freediving without the need to surface repeatedly.