New from the Carolinas

[Tusker]

Hi all!

My name is Jacob and I am a 21-year-old diver from South Carolina finishing up my undergrad in North Carolina.

I’m currently in the process of assembling my vintage kit, with the main components being:

- What I estimate to be a 1959-60 DA Aquamaster that I need to rebuild, bought off eBay for the princely sum of $87
- A recently thrifted Dacor Olympic 400 that I also need to rebuild
- A Seatec Horsecollar

I’ve also got a few odds and ends like a (snug) Voit jacket, which is actually part of a whole wetsuit though the pants must be for a 26-inch waist; a Healthways J-valve and backpack; and a US Divers adjustable backpack. The operator of my LDS has pulled a couple of 72s from his basement to VIP and hydro for me. I’d also like to source a pair of UDT Duck Feet, but I’ve yet to figure out what size would be best.

I typically dive Lakes Jocassee and Keowee in Upstate South Carolina, but I would also like to start diving in some of the lakes near where I’m at school — Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, Lake Norman, and so on, somewhere near the Triad and Triangle in North Carolina. There are also a few nearby quarries I’ve dived before. If anyone is in the area it would be great to dive with some of you!

Tusker

[broxton coalition]

Welcome Jake! You found a great community of divers on this site.

[nikeajax]

Ahoy Jacob, welcome to our humble commode! Ask any question you want--WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! I'll let someone else tell you about the DA, but your Olympic is an amazing reg, and breathes as well as a modern one, seriously... oh, and they're built like a pickup-truck.

Jaybird

[scubalawyer]

Hi Jacob, welcome.

Many of us have rebuilt too many DA Aquamasters to count. If you need any advice on the rebuild and/or sourcing parts let us know.

[tomcatpc]

Welcome aboard!
Mark

[DavidRitchieWilson]

Welcome, Jacob. Good to have you join us. As a non-scuba-diving but vintage snorkeller, my own interest lies mainly in historical basic gear, e.g. masks, snorkels, fins and suits, so make sure your equipment collection extends to such items too!

DRW

[herman]

Welcome Jacob!
Are you at Moo U ?
If so, you need to drop me a PM, I'm in Raleigh and can help you with most of that. There are 4 of us in the area that dive vintage, most of the time at Rolesville Quarry. Old coots but always welcome more to the dive with us.

[Tusker]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I’ve spent a lot of time reading the forum and decided it was past time to join.

Jaybird, thanks for your encouragement — I’ve read through many of the Dacor Olympic threads here and your advice in them has been very helpful.

Thank you scubalawyer, I’ve read through the owners manual as well as several threads on here and on VDH to prepare. I haven’t worked on a regulator before, so it will be a fun challenge to clean and service it. When I (inevitably) have questions I will be sure to ask here.

DRW, this is without a doubt my weakest area. I do have a reproduction oval mask and a period Voit suit, but the latter only fits as a jacket. If anyone has any wetsuit suggestions I would be very glad to hear them; something which could pull double-duty would be especially nice as my main wetsuit is falling apart.

Fins are something I’ve been looking into lately as well. I have been trying to decide between a pair of UDTs, pre-lightning jets, and A6 Vikings (for right now). The Vikings I’m fairly confident on the sizing, but the other two have posed problems — it feels wrong to use a modern neoprene boot, so this then introduces the complications of finding both the right foot protection and the subsequent correct size. If anyone has any ideas, I measure a 10 D on the Brannock device, sometimes wear a 10.5 in sneakers, and for whatever reason am an 11 in a 5mm boot.

Herman, I’ve sent you a PM. Thank you!

[tomcatpc]

As for fins... Scuba Pro makes a full foot fin that looks similar to Cressi "Rondine" fins that Healthways marketed. There is another company that makes a very close copy, but I can't find a link.  
I wear neoprene socks with my full foot fins.  

I have a modern pair of Voit UDT Duck Feet, but they are a green/brown colour.  I like them just wish they were black or I think I've seen original in a brownish tint as well?

Great to see someone getting into vintage Scuba who wants to get details right. 
Somethings to check out.
Mark

www.divers-supply.com/scubapro-rubber-full-foot-fin.html

[tomcatpc]

Here is the "other company"....Oceanways... These are a decent copy of the Cressi made and Healthways (and Scuba Pro as well?) marketed Rondine fins. I have a pair and really love them. Most of my diving is from a rocky coast line on Lake Erie, so getting to the water involves walking over large rocks. In that case I normally wear Dacor Turbo II or Scuba-Pro Jet fins and have full boots, which makes for an easier entry into the water. If I have a sandy entry (rare in my case). I might use my Duck Feet or Rondine copies and neoprene socks.

My next vintage fins are going to be 1960's Dacro Turbo fins. These are open heeled and can be worn in boots, but are vintage too.
Mark

Line to the Oceanways fins.
www.houseofscuba.com/products/fin229

[Aquala1]

Tusker, like the others have said, welcome aboard. As you assemble your rig, are you wanting it to be correct to a certain period, almost like a “living history”? Or do you want it to be more retro, using vintage components but with modern pieces that fit the aesthetic? There’s also the third category where everything is vintage, just not to one specific era.

[tomcatpc]

I just re-read your first post (I have dyslexia and tend to miss out the first 59 times I read something)... Did you say that your local Dive Shop Owner dug out vintage items for you?, and did not try to stop you from diving them? If I read that correctly...HOLD ONTO THAT SHOP...THAT IS A TRESSURE!!! LOL! No, seriously...places like that are a great resource! There are two shops around here that support me, they might think I'm a weirdo, but have been a great help.

As for what to wear with full foot fins, I found a decent pair of neoprene socks at a Cabelas store. One place to look.
Mark

[Aquala1]

Aug 30, 2022 0:04:06 GMT -8 DavidRitchieWilson said:

Welcome, Jacob. Good to have you join us. As a non-scuba-diving but vintage snorkeller, my own interest lies mainly in historical basic gear, e.g. masks, snorkels, fins and suits, so make sure your equipment collection extends to such items too!

DRW

That’s good advice. It’s neither right or wrong, but I often see pics of double hose divers and everything but their reg is brand new from the local dive shop. At that point I’d say they’re just a double hose diver and not a vintage/retro diver.

[tomcatpc]

Bingo!!! DRW and Ty just nailed it!!!
Mark

[tomcatpc]

Seeing how this topic is turning out really makes me think we need to start a topic or a separate section about "getting a new vintage Diver kitted out properly". Just and idea.
Mark

Ty...how is the oval mask project coming along?

As for other masks from the vintage era.  Not all were oval, in the early 1950's Cressi debuted the renowned "Pinocchio" mask.  It was marketed in the US by Healthways,  Scuba Pro and probably others?  And it is still in production, although it has a plastic lens frame.  Not easy to find in the US, but can be ordered.  I have one that I love and got about 4 years ago.  

www.amazon.com/Cressi-Pinocchio-Scuba-Snorkeling-Fashioned/dp/B001BBU2E6