DA Navy Approved

[Sharkinabus]

Hi there,

What are the differences between the DA Navy Approved Blue Labels and a DA Aquamaster?

How hard are the DA Navy's to restore?

Did the DA Navy's ever come fitted with a band clamp or was that a modification?

Cheers!

[Bryan]

Hi there,

What are the differences between the DA Navy Approved Blue Labels and a DA Aquamaster?

The DA Navy Approved regulators retained the horseshoe lever systems of the original regulators. DA Aqua-Masters were the 1st to use the updated system with the venturi assist.

How hard are the DA Navy's to restore?

If you mean "restore" as in hang on the wall it really does not matter if it works at all....If you mean to rebuild/service and make dive-able then I would say that most people find that working with the early horseshoe lever regulators difficult at best and disappointing in their results. As with anything, you will find varying opinions on this as well. Manuals for servicing, setting up and using the horseshoe regulators can be found in the download section. Look under USD manuals and Scripps Manual

Did the DA Navy's ever come fitted with a band clamp or was that a modification?

No.....Nor did any USD regulators until late 66 or 67 best of my knowledge.

Cheers!

[YankDownUnder]

I am not the expert that Bryan is, but I have a 1953-4 Green label Aqua Lung. That is the first year of 100% US production. It appears to have never been dived and in perfect condition. It has blue 'one piece' hoses and Tinnerman clips. It has a band clamp that matches exactly and there are no marks to indicate clips have ever been on it. It is a bit hard to see, but is on my avatar. It seems the band clamps go back a long way, but they must not have been too common in the early years. I found it in an old dive shop in Utah about 7 years ago. It came with stock from a shop they bought out years before that.

I was once told that early Aqua Lungs were offered to the US Navy with band clamps when they first came out. The Navy declined as they didn't want the sailors opening them. That may account for the Navy Approved model not having a band clamp. How accurate that is, I don't know, but it sounds logical. Steve

[Bryan]

Here is a link to some updated/experimental work that seems to have a positive effect on improving the ease of breathing on the early regulators.

http://www.vintagedoublehose.com/forum3 ... y+Approved


C-clips are the scourge of the double hose world...

[Ron]

I forget which catalog it is, but I have one from Aqualung from 54-57 that shows a band clamp for sale as an accessory, so they were around back then. Voit sold them in 1957 or 58 (Capn Tucker will know for sure). I'll have to dig my catalogs up. I use band clamps on every double hose I have except for my broxton. Anyone who had access to them back then and serviced regs would have used one in my opinion. I keep a set of clips on my broxton, but I hate them and secretly plot against them like the CIA did against Diem

[capn_tucker]

Voit started using band clamps in '59 with the debut of the 50 Fathom. Up until then they also used the infernal C-clips..

[1969ivan1]

I have retrofitted all my divers with VDH band clamps. C clips are like neoprene hoses.

[Greg Barlow]

All of my double hose regs have band clamps installed. I wouldn't consider going back to C-clips.

Greg