Vintage style?

[kiwidiver]

Picked up an interesting set of tanks brand new in the box. the tanks are 2008 manufacture. i had no idea Aqualung were still selling the solid manifold and the plastic backpack so late.

[captain]

Military and commercial divers still use them.

[8dust]

Purdy!

The prevailing sentiment seems to be to rag on the hollow plastic packs, but I really like mine. There's something about the straps and the geometry of it all that just fits me perfect. Super comfortable and no problem staying put. I like the material too. The top handle gets in the way of my Phoenix because it's so deep, but my single-stagers work just fine with one and don't conflict at all. I was thinking about cutting the top loop out of one of the several I have to see how that would work out, but it's a project I haven't gotten around to.

Congratulations on the find.

Not technically "Vintage," but I wouldn't let that stop you! Personally, I've been pursuing more of an early-70's vibe with my useable double hose gear anyway, probably because I'm in my mid-40's, and not my mid-60's like some of the old farts around here . Less World Without Sun and more Tunderball, at least for my daily-diver kit anyway. The old crusties are cool and beautiful, but for me are more of a novelty as opposed to my later stuff, not because I don't trust it, but because I don't have the time & money to get most of it up and running to the point it can be consistently dependable. All I have time for is new rubber and a basic clean & tune, but I envy and admire some of the 50's jazz our various talented members have gotten working.

Who made the tanks?

[kiwidiver]

The tanks are Luxfer and have that horrible new Aqualung "first to dive" logo on the other side (I remember almost crying when they dropped the old logo and relegated the US divers brand to representing the cheap mask and fin line). I am also not exactly sure why I bought them (man i have to stop doing that). I will probably put new valves on them and move them on but keep the bands solid manifold and backpack for a future project. unfortunately it is not cost effective to have too many tanks here as for some inexplicable reason Australia requires a Hydro every 12 months!
Freddo i am more of a 70s guy too, for some reason i find the round labels so much cooler than the squares. Although if i were to nostalgically re create my early diving days (cert 1987) it would be all plastic regs, stab jackets, fluro wet-suits and tons of accessories! and that would be just sad