Vintage Double Hose

Hey all,

I remember a few years ago VDH had a couple of special edition phoenix royal aquamaster regulators for sale. I saw a picture of one the other day on Facebook. Would someone mind going over the specs for those? I thought I remembered a few peculiarities in them that were worth discussing. Didn't they have a fancy label and a DSV mouthpiece maybe? Bryan or Luis?

It had a DSV mouthpiece that Alan and Luis thought up and a whole lot more! I'll try and write something up about it this weekend and post more.

In May of 2009 I was looking for a way to do a unique Christmas sale....I dreamed up the idea to find the best variety of original regulators I could find and have them rebuilt and restored and as close to perfect as I could. I also had an idea to build a special Phoenix regulator that had the features of the original style regulators with the modern performance updates....

In 2008 we had over 100 Phoenix first stages out in the field and moved to the slightly updated Generation II version. The duckbill eliminator was going out with great feedback and Allan and Luis had devised a DSV style mouthpiece utilizing existing parts from two straight USD mouthpieces. We needed to make inroads into this area because with all the new updates there were more and more people diving double hose and when one is properly placed on the back and the mouthpiece higher than the cans the freeflow was quite noticeable

I enlisted the help of Dave to get all the chrome work done and to tap into his specialty skills in metal work and some other areas. The effort was monumental on his part because I sent him more than a dozen regulators that needed chrome plus tasked him with the Special Edition Phoenix regulators I wanted to make.
My idea was to make the SE look like it could have been part of the original “Aqua Lung “ lineup. Brushed or satin finish was a must and along with that the corners of the Phoenix first stage were trimmed down slightly to give it more of an oval shape rather than squared.
Originally I wanted to have a metal duckbill eliminator made for the exhaust and have it built as part of the regulator. I believe Dave came up with the idea of attaching the metal fabricated duckbill eliminator to one of the early can types with the removable exhaust horn. The task of making the new metal pieces was no less difficult but attaching them permanently to the regulator was a bit easier. We used an exhaust valve from a late model Conshelf in the new DBE simply to be different.
After the new re-designed duckbill eliminator cans were made he decided that the regulators should come with TWO exhaust side cans in the event the owner wanted a traditional style duckbill exhaust as well.
After seeing the beautiful metal work that was done there was no way I was going to put on a silk screen can label....The label you see in the pictures is a work of art in itself and is even held on in original style by rivets.
I asked Luis and Allan to help me make 3 DSV style mouthpieces for the SE regulators as they fit perfectly with the idea. The straight mouthpiece looked period correct but had the modern performance aspect of being able to shutoff when the diver was on the surface.
We would have pushed this mouthpiece idea further but it was costly cutting up one mouthpiece to make another. Plus the straight mouthpiece leaves a bit to be desired strictly from comfort and line of sight standpoint. We had/have several other ideas since that we are working with.
When all was said and done we were only able to complete 3 SE Phoenix regulators and I say without any reservations the are stunning and in my biased opinion are 3 of the best looking double hose regulators ever made. Many times in a project I'm the one who comes up with the idea then keeps the ball rolling puts out fires, sources parts and works with the machine shops and fabricators. The SE never would have happened if it were not for the skills and determination of Dave Ali what he did to make it happen I could not source anywhere.
SE #1 lives in the UK.......SE#2 lives with me............and SE#3 lives on Long Island NY
From Black Friday in November 2009 to February 2010 I was able to send out 23 other very special regulators to new divers. I'm fortunate that I get to see some of them from time to time while on trips and in pictures.

Goldfinger is a whole other story......

These are a work of art. Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
Mark.

That's awesome Bryan. I really like the artisanry that went on in producing these regulators. You should do another one of these types of stories as you have time.

That was actually a really fun project. I made a special rig to put the right indents in the rivets as closely matching the originals I could study. Good times.

Those regulators were literally art pieces. Dave has refinished a number of single and double hose models for me over the past five years. Each and every one is a thing of beauty. No one, I repeat, no one, can match his attention to meticulous detail.

Greg

Dave, we should do a write up on that NONMAG that you helped me with. That was another great one.


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Dude, that yoke was a nightmare! I'm trying to forget it.
Yeah that would be fun to do. I did a Nonmag analysis early on in the forum history. I think it survived the upgrades and moves. If not I think I still have it somewhere.

PS-and Greg is being waaay too kind. Thanks

Does Vintage Double Hose plan to offer a DSV mouthpiece anytime soon?

We are working on it but still a lot left to do. My goal is to have one ready for primetime in 2015.