Vintage Depth Gauge

[jiveturkey]

I've been looking on Ebay for sometime now to find a decent depth gauge. I dont' have one on my console. I use my computer for depth info. Lately I've been thinking that I should have an analog depth gauge in case my battteries die or I forget my computer. Are these old gauges functional? Are they dependable? There are quite a few on ebay for pretty cheap.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Generally if they have not been abused they work fine.

One alternative for a backup depth gauge is a capillary deopth guage. There are no mehcanicals to go wrong, they are very thin and are very accurate at shallower depths where deco and saftey stops occur.

 

[jiveturkey]

Generally if they have not been abused they work fine.

One alternative for a backup depth gauge is a capillary deopth guage. There are no mehcanicals to go wrong, they are very thin and are very accurate at shallower depths where deco and saftey stops occur.

That's a good idea. Those are cheap too. Still, I may end up going with the vintage because they look so cool. As you know, that's really what diving is all about.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Yep, I have a Scubapro depth gauge I bought new old stock from a going out of business dive shop. It goes to 500' just in case I ever need that capability.

 

[John Fox]

I've been looking on Ebay for sometime now to find a decent depth gauge. I dont' have one on my console. I use my computer for depth info. Lately I've been thinking that I should have an analog depth gauge in case my battteries die or I forget my computer. Are these old gauges functional? Are they dependable? There are quite a few on ebay for pretty cheap.

I have several and they work perfectly. I usually carry a digital bottom timer for other functions and the depth gauge is always right on the same depth as the digital. I had a really old one recently that did not register at first, but when I got to 50 ft. it sprang to life and has been right on since. I always dive with redundant everything and everything has a backup. John

 

[JES]

Be careful with some of the older guages. Age can make some of the components brittle.

I always make my vintage dives with a dive computer module as a backup.

On my most recent dive with my vintage Aqua-Lung SPG/Depth Gauge combo the depth gauge worked perfectly down to 109ft. However, on my ascent it ceased to function and displayed a constant 60ft (glad I had my backup).

After the dive I examined it closely and found that the plastic housing of the gauge was very brittle and on the dive to 109ft it finally gave up the ghost.

Just something to watch out for.

 

[Nemrod]

What would be considered vintage? How old, what era. I note a Aqualung plastic combo was mentioned. I di not think that to be vintage. In my mind I have considered things pre-1970 to be vintage and most stuff made before then was brass. N

 

[BigJetDriver]

What would be considered vintage? How old, what era. I note a Aqualung plastic combo was mentioned. I di not think that to be vintage. In my mind I have considered things pre-1970 to be vintage and most stuff made before then was brass. N

I have a U.S. Divers chromed-brass oil-filled gauge from 1972. It works like a champ, and sure does look "Classic"!

 

[JES]

What would be considered vintage? How old, what era. I note a Aqualung plastic combo was mentioned. I di not think that to be vintage. In my mind I have considered things pre-1970 to be vintage and most stuff made before then was brass. N

A friend of mine (Tom) said it best on another website: "I would consider anything pre-1975 as vintage. Usually once something is 30 years old it is considered to be antique or vintage."

 

[Bob3]

The capillary depth gauges are indeed vintage items, they were in use in the early 50's.