AquaLung's first single hose regulator appeared in 1957 as a very simple and inexpensive alternative to the double hose. Competitors had already offered other single hose options earlier in the 50's.
The Deluxe Aqua-Matic was first offered 60 years ago in 1959 as a unique sister product to the previously introduced Aqua-Matic, utilizing most of the same parts.... plus a built-in snorkel. A cartridge valve built into the rubber outer housing allowed the diver to choose air from the snorkel to save tank air while cruising to the dive site or watching for the proper fish to appear below. A half-turn of the valve switched to compressed air. For more details check out the 1957 and 59 USD catalog collection on this website.
My Deluxe was acquired about 10 or 12 years ago:
Cosmetically very nice, but like every one of my 4 standard Aqua-Matics (and probably every other one still around) it was rendered unusable by a deteriorated 2nd stage diaphragm. They were thin and delicate, and I had never seen an original one that was still functional, so I set about to build a mold and make some out of latex. I was determined to have functional Aqua-Matics.
Photos and additional details to follow soon. Meanwhile, if anyone has one that is still functional with the original diaphragm I would like to hear about it.