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Bryan
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Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:42 pm

Reply to the post with the rig you would recommend to a diver who wants to get started diving Vintage Gear.......


US Divers Mistral or DA Aqua-Master
Steel 72 with J valve
Harness by Allan
Oval Mask
Churchills, Duckfeet or Jet Fins
Horsecollar (if you need one)

Simple Brass and glass pressure gauge with banjo if you have a long yoke on the regulator.....Later you can update the DA to a Cyclone or Phoenix first stage.

If a DA, use a hookah port adaptor if you need to attach an LP hose for horsecollar.
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

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Creed
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:43 pm

I would say that it depends on two things:
1) The comfort level of the diver
2) Whether they are shooting for a classic diving experience or a hybrid approach

For the classic experience, I think your rig sounds perfect, especially for a diver experienced in tailoring their rig. I would generally recommend a tank with an HP port built in to allow for an HP gauge even with a single stage.

For someone more comfortable with modern rigs, I would recommend the following:
Kraken regulator w/pressure gauge and 2nd stage
XS Scuba companion or a similar BC which is largely compatible with the can size of the Kraken
As short a tank as possible for the planned dive(to facilitate getting the cans between the shoulder blades without being too low)

That's my go-to hybrid configuration at this time for cold water diving. For shallow warm water dives, I prefer a minimalist set up with no BC and a thin shorty wetsuit. I alternate between some generic Aqualung fins for diving with boots and a pair of classic Force Fins when I'm barefoot.
"Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind that our
forefathers harnessed before us
Hear the bells ring as the tide rigging sings.
It's a son of a gun of a chorus" - Jimmy Buffet

swimjim
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Mon Feb 08, 2016 2:57 pm

Bryan wrote:Reply to the post with the rig you would recommend to a diver who wants to get started diving Vintage Gear.......


US Divers Mistral or DA Aqua-Master
Steel 72 with J valve
Harness by Allan
Oval Mask
Churchills, Duckfeet or Jet Fins
Horsecollar (if you need one)

Simple Brass and glass pressure gauge with banjo if you have a long yoke on the regulator.....Later you can update the DA to a Cyclone or Phoenix first stage.

If a DA, use a hookah port adaptor if you need to attach an LP hose for horsecollar.
It's hard to beat this list. The above mentioned regs are fairly easy to come by and thanks to Bryan, all the parts + support is easy to come by. I would add but one thing to the list. That would be the book, "Basic Scuba" by Fred Roberts.

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Ron
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Mon Feb 08, 2016 7:26 pm

Mine would be:

-US Divers DW Mistral

-Steel 72 with j valve, no SPG

-harness by Allan

-Cressi Pinocchio mask

-UDT duck feet fins

-a good watch

-a working depth gauge, with a maximum depth indicator

-an unlined wetsuit if you need one, with unlined fin socks and hood as needed.

- a weight belt with the classic USD "boba fett" buckle.

-a snorkel and a big dive knife on the weight belt.


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captain
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:46 am

To me you have to separate vintage diving from vintage equipment diving. Vintage diving to me is about a method of diving not necessarily the equipment. It's basics, regulator, tank mask and fins plus what ever else might be needed for a particular dive such as exposure protection and weights. Some might call it minimalist diving.
Captain

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Britmarine
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Wed Feb 10, 2016 6:55 am

Speaking as a snorkelling Brit, I'd choose full-foot fins, which were the serious adult choice in Europe for underwater swimming in the 1960s after childhood open-heel fins with adjustable straps; most likely a pair of Cressi Rondines or one of their many clones. The adult mask would be an oval with ear-clearing bosses after plain childhood masks. The snorkel would be "J"- or "L"-shaped with an open top, following on from a child's "S"-shaped breathing tube with a ping-pong valve. The suit would be a lined beavertail wetsuit or an unlined drysuit worn with underclothing.

I think you have to start with a geographical area and a historical period in mind when deciding what to adopt for vintage diving. Inevitably our own situation and experience colour our judgement here, in my case the late 1950s to the mid-1970s in the UK, when many European countries had their traditions in underwater swimming and their own diving equipment manufacturers.

I also agree with Captain that vintage diving isn't just about gear. One thing in particular I recall was the long and rigorous training to be completed in basic snorkelling skills before breathing equipment ever appeared on the scene, or at least that was my experience in a British university sub-aqua club in the late 1960s.

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Bryan
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:14 pm

Another route you could go is

Conshelf, Calypso, Aquarius, Scubapro MK2, MK5, MKVII......Parts are available for all of them .....All great regulators.
Steel 72 with a backpack of your choice
Pressure gauge
Depth gauge
Oval Mask or many others from the period
Horsecollar
Jetfins.

Another simple minimalist rig
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

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Ron
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Wed Feb 10, 2016 8:22 pm

For a basic open water rig I second most of Bryan's recommendations. My fun single hose setup is:

-US Divers Aquarius regulator, no octo, SPG, or BC hose.

-The oval mask Bryan sells here.

-US Divers cam EZ pack, with a steel 72, a j valve, and a pull rod.

-Old Jet Fins without the Lightning bolt.

-depth gauge and watch.

That's about as simple as it gets.




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Bronze06
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:09 pm

:( T-shirt (It gets cold here in the Red Sea, water temperatures get as low as 74 degrees Fahrenheit in the dead of winter, can you believe that?)
Swim Trucks
USD Depth master gauge
USD/Aqualung Professional three pane mask (made since the late 50s and still being manufactured) or a nice single seal round mask with built in purge valve in the glass, see my avatar picture. It's a nice early 70s Dacor in great shape.
USD 1961 metal tank pack designed for DH regs. (I love theses things)
USD Steel 72 with tapered J valve and pull rod.
USD weight belt with metal Bobba Fett type buckle and 7 lbs. of weight. Your lungs are your BC!
A late 50s-early 60s style full foots (see Britmarine's postings), or Jet fins.
USD/Aqualung "Professional" Rambo" style knife, semi-serrated with 1 inch thick SS pommel, strapped to your dominant leg. No wimpy girlie knives please.
A working analog diving watch that is 200m water resistant or better, with tritium numerical indicators and a one way bezel.
A classic Scuba Pro flex snorkel.
AND EITHER a DW Mistral, Stream Air, or Overpressure, DA Navy, any good old Broxton before 1958, early DA Aquamaster, Voit Lung, 50 Fathom, Jet Air, etc. / regs ad nauseum made before 1971 and in good working condition.

I pretty much dive variations ofthe above.
"Where'd ya get that ol' thang, don't cha' know them thare things ill kill ya!"

Live From the Red Sea,

Russ

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georgeaustin
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Sun Feb 28, 2016 4:14 pm

If the candidate is comfortable or at least not offended by the idea of diving without a BC device :
Steel 72 with J valve and rod coupled to a single tank harness from Allan (or doubles)
Must have DH or SH reg that still can be addressed with parts and service - MUST.
USD DA or Mistral (Comparable Voit regs) - the RAM borders on "modern"
USD Calypso balanced reg (SH) I think the 61 and 62 models have an HP fitting on the first stage - kind of nice. . . not sure though.
Scubapro Mk1-V - great little regs - with a 108 or 109 but I think the 109 almost borders on "modern" as does the 2nd and 3rd gen MkV. - JMO
Wetsuit if needed? Find a pattern, some smooth skin sheet neoprene, neoprene cement and make your own.
(VDH store should really add these items) hint, hint.

---------------------------------------------------

For a kit that is adaptable and can be used as a platform to progress toward more minimalism(i'm biased):
PRAM with HPR and DBE. - AL Conshelf 14 with AMF Swimmaster MR12 or SP 108 safe second. SPG.
VDH Plate with a little wing if desired. Wings? more wasted breathing gas :) Blown plastic pack with 2" rubber harness and quik release buckles from Trident
for SH use. .
The above is more of a "vintage inspired" set up

The rest of the outfit should be what I call period correct -
AL Pacifica or 3 window mask - Modern silicone beats hardened rubber in my opinion but this could be called cheating.
I dislike high volume masks as a personal preference as they tend to suck the eyeballs out of my head and they waste breathing gas - yes, they do!
I use a set of Malay sourced UDT fins - the Gooey's snicker at them but oh well. Period Correct.
I use an SPG and I console myself with the fact that every thinking frogman would have used one if he had a fitting for it and they didn't tend to blow out frequently - I like hard data - I want numbers with regard to how much air is in my tank - especially with a steel 72 at 130fsw.
Depth gauge + working timer - NO COMPUTERS.
I also cheat with the weight belt - rubber free diver style with quick release from Trident - but use the uncoated lead.
Last but not least - Go to the nearest Army Navy and get the Mk 10 USMC KaBar fighting knife with the leather handle and leather sheath - treat all leather with that boot waterproofing compound from the outdoor store. Attach knife to waist band of harness from Allan.

Now go hunting SPECTRE combat swimmers or big sharks

Cubflyer50
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Mon Jun 24, 2019 8:37 pm

I just received my new Argonaut regulator. Looks great! Had a couple questions. Should there be o rings on the Argonaut octopus hose ends. Should I use any thread lock when attaching to the hose? The octopus is set up to come over my left side...can it be reversed to run like a single hose regulator octopus over my right shoulder? My wing inflator and pressure gauge come over my left shoulder. Also, is the set screw on the mouthpiece front supposed to be removed to be able to close off the mouthpiece? Looking forward to diving with my new rig!! Thanks. Greg

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rhwestfall
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:55 pm

In regard to the octo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/91tujpnjfvilh ... e.pdf?dl=0

In regard to the DSV: https://vintagedoublehose.com/store/#!/ ... p/57129018 You might want to check out some of the video shorts there too...
Bob

No Longer Awaiting my Kraken.....

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Bryan
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:04 pm

Never put threadlock on anything Argonaut Kraken.
The left handed 2nd stage was made intentionally as in my opinion the best port for it is the one on the bottom and run it up under your right arm. When you present the 2nd stage to an out of air diver it will be facing the correct way with no big bend or kink in the hose.

DSV video highly recommend but don't remove the stop. That lets you know by feel when it is fully open or fully closed.

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Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

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Herman
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Wed Jun 26, 2019 6:22 am

I typically use the lower port as well, a slightly longer lp hose routed under my right arm. A 45 deg angle adapter also helps. Never use thread lock on any reg port but I do use a slight amount of silicone grease (just make it shiny) on the hose or port orings. The screw in the DSV remains in place unless you are dissembling it. It rotates about a quarter of a turn but it may be a little stiff, esp when new.
Herman

Cubflyer50
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Re: Recommend first vintage dive rig.

Wed Jun 26, 2019 12:11 pm

Thanks for the info guys...it’s a big help!

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