Vintage Double Hose

One question survey.....How can we improve the Argonaut. 100% anonymous I did put a box in the survey for your name and E-mail address if you want to get a direct response to your comments. BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ENTER THEM TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS> Thanks for taking a moment to share your thoughts

CLICK HERE TO TAKE SURVEY

Great feedback so far! Thank you!! Even if you are not an Argonaut owner yet you are welcome to take the survey and let us know what you think.

Luis and I need more feedback......66 people looked at this post and not even 1/2 responded to the survey......It will take you 5 minutes and it's only one question....You don't have to sign in or sign up for anything....Nor do you have to give your name or email address unless you want a direct response from us.

The survey helps us determine where to take the Argonaut in the future. Your opinion matters!

So far most responses have been about the DSV mouthpiece which we know and are working diligently on getting out to you guys. Positive feedback,constructive criticism and suggestions for the future are what we are looking for.

Getting some good ideas now so please share yours if you have not already. Below are my replies to the respondents that didn't leave any contact information so Luis or I could respond to them directly.

The only thing I can think of is to make the mouthpiece design so one can use the wide range of mouthpieces out there; I've grown very fond of the mouthpiece I use on my 'regular' regulator
We have been working on a DSV style mouthpiece for sometime now and are making some great progress towards our goal. The new mouthpiece will allow you to use most any type of mouthpiece currently on the market.
Continued R&D. I for one am very happy with my Kraken. The question I have is how can you improve it?
R&D never stop and we are always looking to improve. Unfortunately this is the most costly and time consuming area so making good use of available resources and $$$ are paramount. Look for new things for the Argonaut in the future. There are no plans right now to drastically alter it's apperance or basic mechanism only ways to enhance it.
does it have a hookah port?
Not like the traditional double hose did but it does have 3 low pressure ports available for safe 2nd stages or inflators for your drysuit or BC.
Better cans- something other than plastic. Drop the cheesy "Kraken" it's so over used today. Get a logo that has an octopus with 8 legs instead of whatever is on the shirt, there's a reason it's called and OCTOpus.
Something other than plastic...Such as cardboard or granite? If you were more clear on your suggestions I could provide better replies to your comments.....The Kraken logo may not be everyone's cup of tea but the survey I did before choosing it was very positive and one of the reasons I chose it. Unfortunately my 2nd choice was Hello Kitty but the licencing fee to the Sanrino corporation for it's use was about the same cost as a new Toyota Tundra (extended cab 4X4 at MSRP) So I went with my gut on the Kraken. When you have the opportunity please look over the logo on the regulator itself and you will indeed see that it has 8 tentacles...In reality the Kraken is creature of myth so the exact number of appendages it should or should not have cannot be factually answered. As for T-shirts and other promotional items I leave the creativity up to a professional graphics designer. I realize that others have chosen to use design teams that work in clip art and MS Paint but I think the money I spend on a professional is well worth it despite the comic relief I get from looking at logo attempts by amateurs. Now if I had only sold as many Argonaut Kraken regulators as I have T-shirts with it's image on them I'd have my vacation home in the tropics
Price
Right now that's a tough one. The immense cost to get it off the ground will take a long while to recover from. I will make every effort possible to work with divers wanting an Argonaut Kraken if they can do it in conjunction with a BCD/Backplate setup as it allows me to give a little in one area and balance it out in another. Please E-mail me directly and let's see what we can work out.

I'll post more as they come in and do a final wrap up at the end of the week. Thanks again to all who shared their opinion.

AHHH yes... the GOOD and the BAD of asking for feedback! I love my #22 red-hosed Kraken regulator just the way that it is (and the T-shirts too!). Unfortunately you can't please everyone Bryan and I know that you will try within reason. I continue to get more compliments and conversation starts when I dive so I know that the word is slowly getting out there. Mike

If when Jesus walked on water I wonder if we he came ashore was he critiqued upon his style or distance or mannerisms or why did he not just levitate or do handstands whilst walking upon the water? Forgive me, carry on.

Nem

It is a product that performs very well (exceeds its predecessors), has parts readily available for maintenance and longevity, and is backed by designers/developers whom always are looking forward....

What more could one really ask for?

My only "beef" is routing hoses (exit angles off the first stage) for modern conveniences when using vintage doubles manifolds. That being said, I am more than pleased the Kraken has provisions for LPI, SPG & an octo, so "well done"!

I've had some "issues" with the hose clamps and the hose length, and found substitute ones I like better, but that's just me, and none of it detracts from the Kraken as it is currently produced.

The DSV perks my interest....

rhwestfall wrote: I've had some "issues" with the hose clamps and the hose length, and found substitute ones I like better, but that's just me, and none of it detracts from the Kraken as it is currently produced.

Please share with me what you are using as it may benifit other divers or new product ideas for the Argonaut. [email protected]

Thank you

done!

There has been some questions and comments about the number and location of ports.

Port location and quantity is one that I knew from the beginning that there was no way to please everyone or every configuration. There were also major trade-off consideration with weight and fit if I added more material to add more ports.

Keep in mind that ports take space and volume from the inside of the body. The body on the Argonaut is both the first and the second stage so it is hard to compare it to a modern first stage with several LP and HP ports.

At the end I decided that 3 LP ports and one HP port was the minimum required to meet the largest numbers of divers. But just as important was the added flexibility to add extra ports.

A lot of divers frown on the use of adapter. But most adapters are actually very reliable and I actually designed the end port so that the adapter would actually look as an intentional part of the design.

I actually always use the low profile 70 degree elbow shown below on the left LP port to route my BC inflator hose low against my shoulder. That fitting accomplisher my preferred port angle at a much lower machining cost and headaches than if I would have incorporated it into the design. To tilt the port would have made the machining much more complicated.


http://vintagedoublehose.com/index.php? ... ry=9965573




I also use the same LP swivel on the top-right port to point my drysuit inflator hose down. Not everyone needs a drysuit hose, but I knew from the beginning that I had to incorporate one and that an elbow was the best solution to keep the low profile and keep the weight down.

HP swivels are also available with one or two HP outlets. They can add an HP port or just reroute the HP hose. The swivel fits on the bottom left of the regulator. It should look like part of the regulator and it would be hard to see when it is mounted on a single or double tanks.


The drawing below shows a cross section of the Argonaut main body and some views with all the internal hidden lines (shown in light blue). The hidden lines is like a see through drawing. You can see the ports (including the threads), the volume for the first and second stage. There is virtually no unused extra volume to actually add anything without making the body bigger.