Regulator of choice

[vintagefrank]

:)Hi!
Yes, I am curious..... What is your regulator of choice and why do you prefer it? Is everybody keen on doublehoses or does someone prefer vintage singlehoses?
My regulators of choice are:
> Scubapro MK 25/ S 600 with long exhaust-tee for classes as I do have to use a new reg there...

> for fundives:

Scubapro Pilot (great to breathe and looks very fine),

GSD Spinnaker (top breather, extraordinary hose configuration and interesting failsafe principle - you know this reg from the movie "The deep" with Nolte/Bisset)

Dräger Duomat doublehose reg as it is a twostage reg with top breathing (think, this one is comparable to a RAM). Disadvantage: has no port for HP, LP...

Which regs do you prefer?

regard from sunny germany
frank

[JohnA]

Ok here it goes

Regular diving - Apeks TX50/DS4 - simple and breaths like a jet engine

vintage single hose - Watergill FSDS 10 twin pistion first stage that inflates your atpac when you stop breathing

Double Hose - Round label Royal Aquamaster with the 3500 psi yoke

I do agree with you Frank that I love the Pilot/MKVII, it is a classic single hose reg, I had one for a short time.

John

[vintagefrank]

Hi John,

for a new reg the apeks are a good choice but they don´t have - like most new include the new mistral - "charme".

How did you come by the watergill? That´s a real unique part that I would also be interested in... but can´t find it anywhere....

so long
frank

[JohnA]

Frank,
Here are some shots of it, it took me about 7 years to find this regulator, and I have only seen 2 (that includes this one) Got lucky and found this one on ebay cheap! I did use the FSDS 50 which had the same 2nd stage but a clone SP MKV first stage for years and loved it

John

[RMannix]

General Use:
Later model Mk7's, (my wife has one for absent-mindedness, I use one when involved with photography/working or zero-vis) Drysuits/salty water here every bit of extra weight helps. She has my G250 and I use a 109 Balanced Adj
Used an AIR1 for years until the G250 came out.
AIR2's on all BC's

Have 3 Mk7's, a Mk 5 and a Mk 10. All becoming vintage I guess.

I also love the Conshelf, have 2 14's and a 12, 1 functional Voit MR12 c 1971

2 hosing Round label Royal, banjo fitting & LP adapter
For fun a square DA, round DA, and a Mistral


Pony/Stage bottle regs:
Any Conshelf
MARES MR12DFC/Proton. Bought in 2001 for my wife. Not happy with it. Second stage is garbage, put a SP 109 with swivel on it
Sherwood Magnum

[nemrod]

My favorite double hose is of course the Royal Aquamaster, it wins hands down and my round label is super sweet. I have more confidence in it then any modern plastic regulator.



For times when I use a single hose I might go with one of my Voit MR12, all metal, proven and tough.



or when I am feeling like causing trouble I might pull out another favorite, the mighty and untamed TEKNA T2100B!!!!!!



It produces more odd looks than any double hose and divemasters freak out---I love it. Some say they are junk but then again, I would not buy a Ferrai for going to the grocery store but when the pedal hits the metal, it shows it's stuff and you better hang on bubba! Kinda like putting a rocket in your mouth!

James

[1969ivan1]

My fave 2 hose for diving is my DA AQUAMASTER that Bryan built for me special from old junkyard parts he he. He had it powder coated black so it looks just like a NON MAG and breathes like a dream. It looks WAY COOL with my military harness and 72cf doubles...SEE THE PICS FROM GATOR DIVE 05 on vintagedoublehose.com!!!!!

[VintageDiverMN]

I will stick with my relieable vintage Mistral.

[vintagefrank]

What I really enjoy about all off you:

No-one says: Mine is the best and forget about the rest ... or: Beware of this or that brand... That seems to be not usual and is therefore very valued by me!

Go on like that and tell me more about your favourite Regulator...

[Deleted]

My favorites are the Healthways double hose (era 1967) Tekna 2100B and the Royal Aqua Master.

The healthways cause it was the very first reg. I ever used, taking class at the YMCA in Ft. Worth in 67. Don't remember much about it, was borrowed, had green hoses and "I could breath under water"!!!!!....don't remember any diffculty. The borrowed tank was empty (also Healthways) so the instructor (Ray JetoÑ) loaned me his steel yellow USD tank, a 90 cubic foot job. I weighed 115 approx back then, seemed the tank weighed half that. Stepped off the deep end of the pool and sank like a rock.....think I cracked a couple of tiles on the bottom.

The Tekna served me well for years, still does. Can't overbreath it no matter how I try.

Love my RAM, light on the gums, no noise around the ears, breaths great. Used the first in Okinawa, wonder what happened to all those doubles on those military bases overseas?

Michael

[nemrod]

"No-one says: Mine is the best and forget about the rest ... "

Of course not, we are all obsolete, passed by the sands of time and forgotten, discarded by progress and the ever onward march of technology (plastic) --uh--wait--we are talking regulators here I think! lol.
Oh, we should not leave out the Calypso and the Conshelf, I blame those two hombres in crime for obsoleteing double hose regulators!!!!! They are truely classics.
James

[SeaRat]

Okay, here I go:

For underwater photography:

USD Overpressure Breathing (DX) with long hoses, it breaths very easily, and has long hoses (I've added), which better position it on my back. Equally, the Trieste II, with an MR-12 octopus--easiest breathing of all my regulators. Then I have a Hydro-Twin by Sportsways that is almost the equal of the Trieste II, a Nemrod Snark III which has a very low cracking pressure, and the Mistral and DA Aquamaster. It's pretty much in that order too, without much real reason why.

For performance:

I have a UDS-1 system that I've modified, and use a A.I.R. I from Scubapro on it, with two hoses going to the regulator (a two-hose single-hose regulator, if you will). The hoses both come off the UDS-1 manifold, so the main restriction is the HP valve itself. This makes a wonderful air breathing machine. For the octopus, I'm using a Dacor Pacer XL, as it will not free-flow, and has very good breathing characteristics too. I also use the A.I.R. I with a Scubapro first stage (Mark 8, I think, but I'll have to look it up), a Calypso, and a Pacer regulator. My safe second regulator for my twin 42s is a Sherwood Magnum Blizzard, which is protected against freezing (although in summer I usually take out the heating vanes for better performance).

All of these regulators have withstood the test of time, and are great regulators. Here's a photo of me using the DX primary and Blizzard as the backup reg:


Here's a photo of the twin 42 setup, with the Sportsways Hydro-Twin and the Sherwood Blizzard as a backup:



John

[Creed]

nemrod said:

"No-one says: Mine is the best and forget about the rest ... "

Of course not, we are all obsolete, passed by the sands of time and forgotten, discarded by progress and the ever onward march of technology (plastic) --uh--wait--we are talking regulators here I think! lol.
Oh, we should not leave out the Calypso and the Conshelf, I blame those two hombres in crime for obsoleteing double hose regulators!!!!! They are truely classics.
James

Well, I am a young 'un. Today is my 30th birthday. I feel somewhat obsolete, but that may be the left over Budweiser and Modela Especial left in my system from last night. But I have fallen in love with classic diving.

I dive what I got, which consists of a pile of Conshelfs(2 XIVs and 2 XIs). I should soon be the proud owner of a XII, as well. I did briefly own an almost immaculate Dacor Olympic 200, but I traded that for some Aqualung 2nds. It's now on display in Adventure Sports(Wichita, KS).

[Broxton Carol]

Hi youngster. Dump the modelo especuial. The only thing youll get from that is heartburn fuego rapido! There is no vintage classic single hose unless it was made before 1864. I used my usd hydro lung for years. In the dive shop I hate to report that in 1972 I dont remember one guy using a double hoser. there were banjos on the pegboard, and a royal in the yellow box on the top shelf, but I cant remember anyone buying it. I could kick myself. heres an idea, ;D you do it, with your churchill fin!

[Buzz]

For a double hoser.....my Nemrod Snark III Silvers (black label and red/blue label) are what I'm partial to.......
For Single hose ......my Nemrod Aries gives unbeatable breathing.

Buzz