What is the oldest regulator still in production or that you own?

[Poseidon8118]

The left picture in my avatar is from the early 70’s with my 1971 round label Royal Aqua Master (I had it since 71). On the right I was using the same regulator at the Wazee vintage equipment dive two years ago.

I own some new regulators, but basically only dive vintage double hose regulators (or converted Phoenix RAM).

When I dive a single hose it is normally one of my 1970’s Scubapro MK-5. I have converted them to balanced second stages, but they are the original metal housing.

I occasionally will use one of my Poseidon Cyklon, but I am using them with an Aqua Lung Titan first stage.

I also own and dive:
Late 1950 Mistral single stage regulator.
Late 1950 Aqua Master
Late 1960 square label Royal Aqua Master
Total of three Phoenix RAM with main body and cans from several 1960 donor Aqua Master regulators.

Now a day, I mostly save my round label RAM for vintage dives.

Other regulators that need my attention for service to bring them back to dive ready:
1960 Mistral
Healthways Scuba Deluxe Double hose reg.
Voit MR-12
Voit Titan
A couple of Conshelf

Nice gear Luis H...I may have to find an older unit to restore and dive.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Nice list.

Is that a US Divers (Aqua Lung) Royal Mistral or a Spirotechnique?
Does it work well?
My understanding is that US divers Royal Mistrals in working condition are very rare? Actually USD Royal Mistrals are just rare in any condition.

Unfortunately it is a typo - It's a Royal Aquamaster with a large crown blue label.

I'd love to have a Royal Mistral.

 

[Creed]

I currently have 2 Conshelf XIVs, which are still in production. I also have an assortment of various single hose regs, including Conshelf XIs, some Healthways, Sportsways, several Voit Titans, etc.

Most of my diving, however, is now monopolized by double hose regulators. I have 2 functional DA Aquamasters(1 Warner and 1 Pico address), 1 Warner waiting for a rebuild, a couple of Healthways SCUBA(1 converted to a balanced single stage) and a Voit Titan converted to a doublehose configuration.

 

[Nemrod]

This is my 1958 Pico USD Aqua Lung DW Mistral. It was given me in 1968 by a relative. I still dive it regularly and it was recently rebuilt by myself with various parts from the vintage community. Essentially I learned to dive with this regulator and it has hundreds of dives on it and it has been rebuilt only twice:

This is the last of the line, from circa 1974, the king of regulators past and present, the heavy weight champion, the USD Aqua Lung Royal Aqua Master converted to modern specs with a Phoenix conversion (essentially a Titan first stage). This is my number one, the regulator I reach for on most every dive:

Early Voit MR12s in a semi Hog configuration:

My number two, a 1964, USD Aqua Lung DA Aqua Master liberated in sad condition from ebay and rebuilt to like new:

The DA returns from the depths:

My wife and I on our boat, she dives an Aqua Lung Legend, I have the Phoenix Royal Aqua Master:

The DW Mistral at Weeki Wachee, that is a a full 1/4 inch of gas blown sharkskin neoprene, it needs a lot of weight, I am assisted in bouyancy with an oral inflate early Nemrod BC, lol:

Don't need the plastic fantastics, I got the real deals.

N

 

[Loneranger]

Nemrod, I really like the vintage Seaquest BCD your wife has on. I took my wife on our honeymoon 12 years ago with the same model and the seams were spliting then. Cool to see some of this gear still being used. The oldest reg I still use is a Conshelf 20, everything else was sent to the scrap yard.

 

[Luis H]

Unfortunately it is a typo - It's a Royal Aquamaster with a large crown blue label.

I'd love to have a Royal Mistral.

No reason to be sad about owning a Royal Aqua Master. IMHO that is still one of the best regulators ever. The king of regulators

The USD Royal Mistral is definitely rare, but if you own one, from what I have heard, it would probably be leaking. They were only built for one or two years. They are a balanced single stage regulator with a cone shape seat. My understanding is that they discontinued them because they never got them right, they always leaked.

 

[Luis H]

Nemrod, I really like the vintage Seaquest BCD your wife has on. I took my wife on our honeymoon 12 years ago with the same model and the seams were spliting then. Cool to see some of this gear still being used. The oldest reg I still use is a Conshelf 20, everything else was sent to the scrap yard.

Nemrod doesn't consider her BC vintage... Oh boy, you just wound him up


You sent your old / vintage gear to the scrap yard... oh well... that is two black marks.

 

[herman]

What model Aqua Lung do you have?

In that time period it could be:
Mistral
Aqua Master
Royal Master (I believe, 1964 or early 1965 only)
Royal Aqua Master (1965 an up, until 1973)

It's a DA Aquamaster. I am guessing at the dates based on some research I did. From what I gathered, the label puts it after 64- blue metal label with fold over tabs holding it on- but the metal "T" yoke knob puts it before 66.
I know about Vintage Divers. I had planned on getting the Pheonix mod but heard there is a newer version coming and decided to wait on it. It is loads of fun to walk through OW classes with this gear on, the looks are pricelss.

Since the experts have gathered here, any comments on this reg? Age, exact model and the like.

 

[Greg Barlow]

The Voit/Swimaster line of regulators is the primary focus of my collection, but I enjoy servicing and diving with any type of vintage regulator. My favorite double hose model is the Voit 50 Fathom, but I love the mechanical simplicity of the US Divers DW Mistral and Voit Polaris 50 regs.

As far as vintage single hose regs go, the Voit MR12 is my choice. The ones in my collection that are used for diving are all updated with modern parts. I even had two of them tested on an ANSTI Breathing Simulator a few years back. One of them posted a great WOB score of 1.6j/l at a depth of 132fsw and 25 breaths per minute. There are a number of modern regs that would be proud to earn that score.

I still have my first reg, that being a US Divers Calpyso VI. I also have my first fins, a pair of Voit Skin Divers. I purchased those back in 1973, and they still look great.

As far as my oldest regs go, it is a tie. I have a restored DA Aquamaster and a restored Voit 50 Fathom that were produced in 1959.

When reaching for a reg to make vintage dives with, my favorite is a chromed Voit 50 Fathom. My Voit Navy also sees a lot of action.

I would love to own and restore a Voit Blue 50 Fathom double hose reg. I would prefer the VCR-5 model, which contains the Gagnan downstream valve assembly. However, I certainly wouldn't turn up my nose at a beautiful V55 version with the Mistral type mechanics. So many vintage regs, so little $$$$$.


Greg Barlow

 

[Greg Barlow]

It's a DA Aquamaster. I am guessing at the dates based on some research I did. From what I gathered, the label puts it after 64- blue metal label with fold over tabs holding it on- but the metal "T" yoke knob puts it before 66.
I know about Vintage Divers. I had planned on getting the Pheonix mod but heard there is a newer version coming and decided to wait on it. It is loads of fun to walk through OW classes with this gear on, the looks are pricelss.

Since the experts have gathered here, any comments on this reg? Age, exact model and the like.

The shiny chrome and W. Warner address indicates that it was produced in 1964 or later. The yoke screw really doesn't mean a whole lot, as they are all interchangeable. If it were in new condition, then it would very likely be from 1964-1966.

As far as a "newer version" of the Phoenix goes, I don't know of any such development. There are some new hoses and wagon wheels on their way, but the Phoenix unit is unchanged.

Greg Barlow