Aloha from Hawaii

[artc]

Hi everyone, new guy here. My name is Art and I enjoy using my vintage diving gear here on Oahu. I hope to participate in discussions regarding repairing and restoring vintage regulators, especially US Divers and Scubapro brands. I’m looking forward to meeting you all.

[nikeajax]

Hi Art, and welcome from the San Francisco Bay Area Can you tell us about your gear? We have a whole lot of knowledgeable folks here to help!

Jaybird

[artc]

Hi Nikeajax, thanks for the warm welcome. My go to double hose regulator is a RAM and single hose is a Calypso J and Scubapro Mk7. I have some early Conshelfs and Calypsos that I like alot. I just acquired a Dacor Olympic 400 and an 800 that are in great condition. The Dacors are a little out of my lane, but I love the high quality of their construction and am enjoying learning about them.

[james1979]

Welcome to this side of the internet, Art! I'm assuming you're the same Art that I know (electronically) from Scubaboard?

Best,

James

[artc]

Hi James, great to hear from you. Yup, it’s me. I figured I could learn more about vintage regulators from you and all the other knowledgeable experts by coming over to this site. 

[nikeajax]

Hi Art, yeah, those USD regs breathe great, but the Olympic series breathes just as good in my opinion: I have a 400 that is my go-to. They are big and brutal, but like an old Studebaker-truck, they just won't quit!

My drug of choice though, is anything Healthways:



JB

[artc]

 Wow nikeajax, those regs are sweet! 

[nikeajax]

Thank you: as a fine as well as a graphic artist, everything has to be aesthetically pleasing! Here's a self-portrait I painted while back:



Most of my other stuff would get me banned from this site

"You... you can't show things like that on here!"

Jaybird

[artc]

Nikeajax, Mike Nelson has nothing on you. Cool portrait!

[artc]

I’m trying to attach some photos, but I’m getting a message that the forum has exceeded the limits.

[nikeajax]

Read this:

vintagescuba.proboards.com/thread/5261/using-flickr-host-site-posting?page=1&scrollTo=46832

[artc]

Still not getting photos attached 

[james1979]

Art,

I use Imgur (made the free account just for this forum!). I make a hidden (private) post on Imgur with all the pics I want to share here on a given subject. Then, at the top corner of the post are 3 dots next to the "copy link" button (only shows when the mouse is over the picture). Click the 3 dots button, and you'll get a dropdown menu:



Select get share links, and you'll get a pop-up menu:



Click the "Copy Link" button next to BBCode (forums), it will be the 3rd one down. That puts in in the computer's scratchpad, so that in the your post here you just hit "ctrl+v" to paste it in. While you write your post it will show in raw BBCode (just the code, no image), but the image will show when you post it.

Best,

James

[artc]

Thanks James, I’ll give it a try. 👍

[SeaRat]

Hi Art. This is John Ratliff, "SeaRat" on the ScubaBoard. I've been diving continuously since 1959, and was a USAF Pararescueman from 1967-1977. I have a whole collection of different regulators, and also am interested in underwater swimming techniques and different fins. I've had fun with U.S. Divers Company regulators, and have a DIR regulator that will blow the minds of some of the DIR divers.

IMG_1829 by John Ratliff, on Flickr
This is an original Calypso which has been rebuilt, and the first stage is a second generation Calypso. I have a second generation Calypso as the octopus too. Here's what it looks like:

IMG_1824 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

IMG_1830 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

I didn't dive it this year, but I do regularly put it in the Clackamas River. I dive locally here in the Portland, Oregon area.

My favorite double hose regulator is one that was never manufactured. I called it my Healthways Hybrid Scuba regulator.

IMG_1778 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

You can see that the Healthways Hybrid Scuba regulator has the original Healthways box and exhalation, with a Healthways Gold Label innards. It breathes fantastically, better than a USD Mistral with that Healthways exhalation diaphragm and a very rebust venturi.

Healthways Scuba Hybrid3 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

Along with that, I have two sets of doubles with a twin post manifold, allowing me to use both a double hose, single stage regulator without LP and HP ports, with a single hose regulator which incorporates those ports. This one above is the Scubapro manifold (kinda rare). The other type as my Sherwood duel post manifold.

IMG_1696 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

IMG_1456 by John Ratliff, on Flickr
Here is my Sherwood manifold, with a set of twin 45 cubic foot steel tanks.

Great to see you here, and hope to have some interesting discussions. I love Hawaii, and right now in Oregon we don't have much diving going on as we have snow on the ground.

John