To rebuild or not to rebuild?

[ROMO DIVER]

I was sitting around swapping stories with an old navy diver the other day and he went and dug in his shed for a little while and came out with an old canvas bag of gear. In it were two aqualung aqua-master regulators. From my research I have determined that they are circa 1967-8 models. The hoses are shot but everything else is there.

My question is what needs to be done to get them back in working order and how much would it cost?

Also, where would I get parts?

Thanks for the help!!

 

[Paladin]

All the parts you need to rebuild these wonderful regulators can be obtained from VintageDoubleHose.com. You can do the overhaul yourself or you can send them to Bryam ath VDH and have him do it. If Bryan does it, you'll get them back breathing better than when they were new and they will last you many years.

I have a DA AquaMaster that I converted to a Phoenix Royal AquaMaster using a Phoenix nozzle I bought from VDH. I love this reg and dive with it more often than any of my others.

 

[ROMO DIVER]

Thanks Paladin954!

Do you have any idea about cost? (me doing vs. VDH)

 

[Paladin]

Check the VDH online store for DA Aquamaster overhaul kit with HP seat, new hoses, duckbill, mouthpiece check valves, main diaphragm (if needed), hose clamps and replace the little can "c" clamps with a band clamp. Just a guess, but I believe you could do it yourself with all new parts for less than $200. Or, add $70 and let Bryan do it for you.

 

[herman]

I highly suggest you don't rebuild the regs and quickly get rid of them. .....otherwise you will get the vintage bug which is uncureable and expensive.........I know 10 regs and many many dollars later with no sign of it stopping.

Seriously, I love the old regs and dive them most of the time. Like Paladin said, somewhere in the $175-200 range in parts and another $70 if Bryan does the job. Vintage Scuba - Vintage Scuba Gear at Vintage Double Hose For your first one, it's not a bad idea to let him do it just so you know what a properly tuned DA dives like. You can get by with less but the old hoses tend to be a bit stiff to suit me and def replace the diaphram with a new one. They are made of better material and worth the cost. Some things like the band clamp are optional but the C clips are a pita if you don't have the correct tools (I do and still remove them first thing). From there the sky is the limit, you can have it totally rechromed, new labels and a Phoenix mode....now that is a pretty reg.

There are several other items you need to consider as well. Since there is no HP port on a DA, you will at a minimum want a tank with a J valve on it along with the rod. A better idea, esp for the new vintage diver.....that is kind of a strange idea...new vintage, anyway......is to get a banjo fitting. Basically a banjo installs between the tank outlet and the reg inlet to allow you to tap off HP for a gauge. You should also consider a vintage back pack.... which requires you to learn no BC diving, another vintage skill not taught today. New BCs are not designed with DH regs in mind and do not allow the proper positioning of the reg and tend to allow the tank to seperate from the divers back. You can dive a DH reg with a new BC but don't expect the best preformance if you do.

Once you get the old reg restored, find someone local who dives the old regs to mentor you. They are different beast and require a slightly different diving style and proper body positioning to dive their best. If you are unfamilure with them the odds are you will not like them without some guidance. You won't die as you will no doubt be told but you will also likely not be happy with the reg. At an absolute minimum, before diving a DH reg, come back here and get some guidance from the members of the vintage section.
There are some excellent vintage divers here and on Vintage Double Hose who are more than willing to help in any way. Some of us can be a bit crusty but having dove with a lot of them, once you get past the exterior, you will dive with no finer bunch of guys and gals. Get the regs restored and come dive the way Mike and Jacque intended us to.

Hurry up Sand Dog VIII !!!

 

[duckbill]

You should also consider a vintage back pack.... which requires you to learn no BC diving, another vintage skill not taught today.

I dive my vintage double hoses with horsecollar BCs quite often, so "no BC diving" is not a requirement with a vintage backpack and double hose regulator. And, if one is interested in going all the way in their experience of diving like in the early vintage days by diving with no BC, dispense with buying a Phoenix as it is not a vintage piece of kit.

 

[ROMO DIVER]

IMHO if you are diving any gear (modern or vintage) properly it is no BC diving. It should be used only as a life vest on the surface if you are weighted properly and know how to breathe right underwater it is not necessary but is only there in case of an emergency (and to retrieve anchors).

 

[Paladin]

IMHO if you are diving any gear (modern or vintage) properly it is no BC diving. It should be used only as a life vest on the surface if you are weighted properly and know how to breathe right underwater it is not necessary but is only there in case of an emergency (and to retrieve anchors).

Now that's refreshing! It's been a long time since I heard wisdom like that! (Except from old f***s like me!)

 

[ROMO DIVER]

I will hijack my own thread for a minute and get on my soapbox.

Proper bouyancy control is not hard it just takes a little effort. It comes to some better than others (my wife was in the lotus position doing safety stop on her OW checkout dives) but anybody can do it. The problem is that society has gotten too damn lazy and wants instant gratification. I explain to my students that not using their BC is one of the easiest physical skills (all your doing is breathing) and hardest mental skills to master. IT JUST TAKES TIME IN THE WATER!!! However, with 2-3 week OW courses and no desire to improve the vast majority of divers today SUCK underwater (DM and Instructors included). It is pitiful!!

I wonder if we went back to certifying everyone in vintage gear what kind of improvement on the diving community it would be. Wouldn't it be better for the student to have to master the skill instead of just getting by like they do now. I believe that all the modern accruments are nothing but a crutch for not learning skills properly.

That all being said I am also a hypocrite in that I teach 3 week courses in modern gear. I do my best to turn out the best divers possible and sometimes it works better than others. I might just go to certifying in vintage gear and see what the improvement is.

Hijack Over!!

 

[duckbill]

IMHO if you are diving any gear (modern or vintage) properly it is no BC diving. It should be used only as a life vest on the surface if you are weighted properly and know how to breathe right underwater it is not necessary but is only there in case of an emergency (and to retrieve anchors).

Well said, and I agree.

I do plenty of my diving sans BC. But, I was addressing the point that you could not use a BC with a backpack.

BC-less diving is fine and dandy for those in warm water or diving a known square profile, but not practical for cold water diving where you may be visiting various depths. Keep in mind that those who were diving without BCs on the west coast were wise enough to haul around floats. I find that equally impractical, especially in kelp. That's why the horsecollar came to be in the first place. No person has the lung capacity to adjust for neutral buoyancy wearing a 1/4" farmer John at various depths throughout the buoyancy shift of even a steel 72. Anyone who says they do is kidding himself.