You know you're vintage when----

[John C. Ratliff]

You know you are a vintage diver when...you go to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and see an exhibit of vintage diving gear. Then you realize that you have owned and dived a majority of the regulators shown (8 regs: including the DA Aquamaster, Dacor Clipper, Healthways Scuba, a real vintage one I cannot remember; several single hose including the USD Calypso (orginial) Dacor Dart; all of which I've owned and dived). You know that the DA Aquamaster regulators that are on display are on the scuba tank upside down, and you want not only to turn them over, but to dust them off, turn on the air, and see how they have been maintained over the years by breathing off them. Then you see it...an exhibit of a diver's gear, in this case one Paul Baguslouski from California, and realize that he was only born one year before you, and died in 2002. His equipment and log book sheets, dating from 12-2-62, are on display as museum pieces. Here is a list of his dive buddies: Bob Meinecke, Iran Burch (Club Dive--YMCA Checkout on 6-10-62), Tom Irvine and "The English Man," Bob Hayes and Betty Dahler (Special Student from SISC), Peg and Bob Guevana, Rich Mirigan, and Jack Monestiebz. It kinda makes you think...Oh my...

SeaRat

 

[Danny D]

You know you are a vintage diver when you are 22 years old everything you own was made 10 to 15 years before you were born. Your father (who was certified in 62) sees no need to upgrade his Decor Dart 1 and you use a double hose that he says is outta date

 

[BigboyDan]

You still have your YMCA C-card.

Anchor tatoos were only worn by the "old Navy guy" at your LDS.

You recognise that the Conshelf 14 that is sold today is exactly like the one you bought back in 1974, except it that it now retails for $150 more.

You snicker at DIR. Zombies.

You wear thirty-year old t-shirts because you're a pack rat and won't throw anything away.

The smell of a US Divers Pacifica mask hits you every once in a while.

In 1974 you asked your LDS, "BC? Before Christ, or do you mean the comic strip??

You awaited the next Jacques Cousteau Special; always shown in the summer on ABC, Monday night.

 

[Diver0001]

OK, I have a couple:

- You know you're vintage when you think a snorkel is for pushing off the bottom

- You know you're vintage when you try on a BCD for the first time, pump it up, feel the air in it with your arms by moving them like chicken wings and say "WEEEEELLLL, aint this cool.... I betcha anybody can dive with one of these"

- You know you're vintage when you see an SPG for the first time and think "oooh, that could come in handy".

R..

 

[Nemrod]

"- You know you're vintage when you see an SPG for the first time and think "oooh, that could come in handy". "

I seen one of those once, some DIR guy had it all clipped and bungeed and it sure was purty. N

 

[drbill]

You know you are vintage when your first dive was inside a water heater that had been modified with a glass panel for viewing.

You know you are vintage when your first "SCUBA tank" was a modified fire extinguisher.

You know you are vintage when all of your early dive buddies are in nursing homes.

Dr. Bill

 

[BigJetDriver]

You are on a cattle boat and some "dude" with a tongue ring tells you that your "old" gear is "like" way cool and asks you if your related to that "guy" in the old TV show that plays on ancient rerun channels. Now, normaly I would think you would have figured that I would have considered that as a compliment as well you fellows certainly would --- huh? Then he yells over to his gf, I assume, and tells her to look at all the old guages with needles. Thing is, I did not have my vintage gear on, in fact I was in my finest and most modern rig!!! It was about that time that I considered that the newest piece of gear on my person was bought in 1988 and that I was the only one without a computer. Hmmm, maybe it is time for some new gear--nah. I was gonna ask him if he was a DIR guy and if he wouldn't mind if I clipped my bug bag to his tongue D-ring but his lady friend seemed awfully pleasent so I decided to let him live, you know, for her. N (all in jest and teasing--no actual "dudes" were harmed in the stated ocurrence above)

Jeez, ain't life grand sometimes??? :rock_band

:cwmddd:

Rob Davie

 

[BigJetDriver]

You know you're a vintage diver when......

You're standing in your local dive hang-out, taking with your bud's (the owners), and a young guy brings in a White Stag reg with skinny hoses and one little tiny SPG hanging on it, and says: "Hey, I found this in my dad's closet. Can I get it repaired and use it?"

After everyone stops laughing, you buy it for ten bucks to hang on the wall. But WAIT.....as they say.....there's more!

Some time later, you are showing your "find" to a friend who is in the manufacturing end of the business, and he says: "Hey, I helped design and build this very regulator"!

You realize he is the same age as you are!! :bandsmlz:

Rob Davie

 

[BigJetDriver]

You know you are vintage when your first dive was inside a water heater that had been modified with a glass panel for viewing.

You know you are vintage when your first "SCUBA tank" was a modified fire extinguisher.

Dr. Bill

Bill,

Okay, we have to hear more about both of those stories!!

Rob

 

[drbill]

Bill,

Okay, we have to hear more about both of those stories!!

Rob

They are true stories about early divers here on Catalina Island, but not my own. I did my first dive in the Chicago area (61-62) and here ('69) with a real reg, backpack and tank.

We have had more than our share of vintage divers out in Catalina waters!

Dr. Bill