Alec thank you for all your videos, I have been watching you for years now. Honestly, the first person I started watching while I was deployed in the military and i started diving, your videos have taught me so much. Just wanted to take the time and say we really apriciate your content. Wishing you all the best from New York. Stay strong....
My two tanks from 1979 have J valves ! The best part about having them is that if you decide to empty your tank… you still have 300 psi in your tank when you go for a refill ! My local dive shop will charge you for a visual inspection if you show up with an empty tank and then they will refill it $$$$
I like the built in necklace to keep the reg from getting lost. That's how I have my primary second stage, on a bungee necklace. There's no downside and it's nice to know your air supply is leashed.
the old design have nothing to envy to the newer ones, metal usually resists better the time as usually, the plastic loses its plastifiers and becomes brittle and non repairable. An old all metal regulator is always repairable, you can always remachine, replate, reweld to make a safe and reliable repair, it is not the case with plastic components. I think to the double hose Us Divers, it can modified to have a very performant and safe regulator simply by screwing a modern first stage and a revised second stage valve with a modern silicon diaphragm We just need to be fair in our comparizons, if you compare an old low cost regualtor to a new top of the range one, the comparizon is not that fair , the reverse case is also true very good topic excellent video
I use my Sherwood SR² which I absolutely love. But I use my second regulator more often, which is DACOR. I use the Quantum first stage with first generation (Chrome) PACERs 2nd and Octopus. Those second stages are still really good to this day. DACOR had many innovations, and just with their second stages, the PACER has many innovations, which no regulators today have. 1. is the Venturamatic Flow Vane (VFV) DACOR was very clever when designing their second stages, this came out with the Olympics and continued with it. The (VFV) is in an integral part of the lever that directs the air flow to your mouth directly. That automatic venturi really helps and is really effective. 2. Is the Anti-Free Flow Device (AFD). Is another clever and unique solution to stop a free flow from happening. There is a special water chamber that balances the ambient water pressure on the internal side of the diaphragm and stops air flow within 4 or 6 seconds maximum, similar to the (AFC) Automatic Flow Control from Atomic Aquatics second stages. 3. It is another innovative solution, and that is a free turning hose nut that permits a very easy adjustability for the IP. Absolutely no tools needed. Just use your hands, and you're ready to go. 4. A small but noticeable feature is their Dual Exhaust System (DES), which eliminates exhalation resistance, I noticed the difference compared to other regulators in the market. The PACER is really good, and no one can have a second thought about it. It breathes amazingly, and the best thing is the measuring effort to breathe with the Magnehelic gauge, it can do 0.5 with air flows. Still consider it top among todays market. Too bad DACOR is gone due to the bad administration after Sam Davison's cancer battle in 1987. If there was a Titanium model with the Moisture Retention Vanes from Sherwood. That would had being the best of the best. I still have dozens of original kits and 3rd party O-rings to service them as I work in a dive shop. -H
If you have Dacor parts to sell, maybe post it on www.scubaboard.com for others to share around. I loved my Dacor and sold hundreds over the years. Sadly I'm no longer able to service them as my last parts, tools and books were sold to someone who really wanted them. Thanks for watching and sharing the great history of Dacor with others. A
How was it that divers weren't dropping dead constantly from running out of air? I know people who have run out of air when their computer is screaming at them they are low. Were people just more cautious in the "stone age"?
It started with our 'stone age' open water class that lasted, for me, 16 weeks every Tuesday night (a lot of hours). We had to figure out air consumption, pre/post dive pressures and depths. Also a deep dive for me was 30 to 40 feet, not like todays 130 ft max. We also did very close buddy diving, calculated bottom times and stuck to it as there were few decompression chambers around. We were not any smarter but did think about our actions and consequences. I'm still here so we must have done a few things right. A
Dives back then were 30 to 40 ft usually, not the 130 ft of today. No pressure gauge, BCD, safe second so it was simple but fun. If you want to see vintage diving search my vintage scuba for Sea Hunt Forever diving in Silver Springs Fl. Each of us dove for 30 minutes at 30' with steel 72's at 2250 psi. Still came up with air. A
how heavier was the chrome on the 2nd stage as it is today. i'm just thinking of the fatigue because of the weight. i wish they still had some sort of reserve warning on regs. don't like the internal screw to attach reg to tank you can't get a lot of torque.
Hi Alec, thanks for your videos, it's content that's very difficult to get elsewhere! I have a question regarding water in the 1st stage... I know that you recommend to blow air from a tank to dry the hose and 1st stage, but I don't have access to a tank now... Would it work to take off all the hoses from the 1st stage, and use gravity for the hoses and then let hoses and 1st stage dry while disconnected? Also, what would be the worse case scenario of clean bathwater in the 1st stage for a month or so? Thanks!! (Soaked my G260 with the purge button in the storage option, while having the hoses and 1st stage at the same height in a tub, so some water could have gotten inside)
Oh! Oh! Your regulator is ruined. Throw it away & buy a new one!! Kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your ideas are good. If you know that you've got water in the 1st stage & you know it's fresh water, just remove the dust cap, remove all of the hose & any other port plugs and let it sit in a warm, dry room for a while. It'll be fine. If it was salt water, you could do the same but rinse it in fresh water for a while, maybe twice, before letting it dry. There's no guarantee here because salt water acts very quickly on metal. You really ought to get it checked, but it will at least save the reg. Likewise, while the hoses are off, including the 2nd stage, run some fresh water through them, blow out the excess and hang them up to dry. They'll be fine Take care. Alec
Hey Alec, whats the best way to find good 72cf vintage tanks. I have an old late 70s u.s divers doubles backplate and double rings and single point manifold i want to get in service.
Searching online has some benefits, but where every you buy from, get a VIS and Hydro before handing over the cash. Anyone who sells a hank without these tests, IMO, is not a serious seller. Also post on www.scubaboard.com to get information and options from other divers. A
Hi Alec It feels they were much smarter back then, to be honest to build such isn't a big deal, it feels this days they don't invent this much any more.
It may feel like that but todays gear is built on those old ideas to be safer, stronger, deeper, more options/colours. I love my vintage but would not do a 7 day dive trip with it (ok maybe 1 or 2 dives). The rest would be on my comfortable modern gear. Thanks for watching. A
Alec thank you for all your videos, I have been watching you for years now. Honestly, the first person I started watching while I was deployed in the military and i started diving, your videos have taught me so much. Just wanted to take the time and say we really apriciate your content. Wishing you all the best from New York. Stay strong....
Thank you very much for the kind reply. Lots to learn about the early days and how todays gear evolved from the 'stone age'. Take care.
A
Always great to see a video with the old school diving gear. Thanks Alec.
Your welcome.
A
Always love the history you provide, Alec. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it.
A
My two tanks from 1979 have J valves ! The best part about having them is that if you decide to empty your tank… you still have 300 psi in your tank when you go for a refill ! My local dive shop will charge you for a visual inspection if you show up with an empty tank and then they will refill it $$$$
That's a good use for the old valve.
A
At last vintage scuba. I ve been waiting for ages for this kind of videos. Ive watched all of your previous
Hope this was worth the wait.
A
I like the built in necklace to keep the reg from getting lost. That's how I have my primary second stage, on a bungee necklace. There's no downside and it's nice to know your air supply is leashed.
New ones are soft and stretchy, not like the old leather and snaps we had back then.
A
👍😎🤿🇵🇭! Amazing about vintage scuba diving!
It really is!
A
very very neat as always, thanks Alec!
Glad you like it!
A
the old design have nothing to envy to the newer ones, metal usually resists better the time as usually, the plastic loses its plastifiers and becomes brittle and non repairable.
An old all metal regulator is always repairable, you can always remachine, replate, reweld to make a safe and reliable repair, it is not the case with plastic components.
I think to the double hose Us Divers, it can modified to have a very performant and safe regulator simply by screwing a modern first stage and a revised second stage valve with a modern silicon diaphragm
We just need to be fair in our comparizons, if you compare an old low cost regualtor to a new top of the range one, the comparizon is not that fair , the reverse case is also true
very good topic
excellent video
Thanks again Jacques for the feedback. Take care.
A
I have the same regulator! It was my grandpa's love vintage scuba gear!
Glad to share my memories with others who recognize these old treasures.
A
@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter that old dive gear got me into diving as a kid.. I thought it was so cool!
Great stuff!!
Glad you enjoyed it
A
I use my Sherwood SR² which I absolutely love. But I use my second regulator more often, which is DACOR. I use the Quantum first stage with first generation (Chrome) PACERs 2nd and Octopus. Those second stages are still really good to this day. DACOR had many innovations, and just with their second stages, the PACER has many innovations, which no regulators today have. 1. is the Venturamatic Flow Vane (VFV) DACOR was very clever when designing their second stages, this came out with the Olympics and continued with it. The (VFV) is in an integral part of the lever that directs the air flow to your mouth directly. That automatic venturi really helps and is really effective. 2. Is the Anti-Free Flow Device (AFD). Is another clever and unique solution to stop a free flow from happening. There is a special water chamber that balances the ambient water pressure on the internal side of the diaphragm and stops air flow within 4 or 6 seconds maximum, similar to the (AFC) Automatic Flow Control from Atomic Aquatics second stages. 3. It is another innovative solution, and that is a free turning hose nut that permits a very easy adjustability for the IP. Absolutely no tools needed. Just use your hands, and you're ready to go. 4. A small but noticeable feature is their Dual Exhaust System (DES), which eliminates exhalation resistance, I noticed the difference compared to other regulators in the market.
The PACER is really good, and no one can have a second thought about it. It breathes amazingly, and the best thing is the measuring effort to breathe with the Magnehelic gauge, it can do 0.5 with air flows.
Still consider it top among todays market. Too bad DACOR is gone due to the bad administration after Sam Davison's cancer battle in 1987.
If there was a Titanium model with the Moisture Retention Vanes from Sherwood. That would had being the best of the best.
I still have dozens of original kits and 3rd party O-rings to service them as I work in a dive shop.
-H
If you have Dacor parts to sell, maybe post it on www.scubaboard.com for others to share around. I loved my Dacor and sold hundreds over the years. Sadly I'm no longer able to service them as my last parts, tools and books were sold to someone who really wanted them. Thanks for watching and sharing the great history of Dacor with others.
A
thanx
You're welcome!
A
How was it that divers weren't dropping dead constantly from running out of air? I know people who have run out of air when their computer is screaming at them they are low. Were people just more cautious in the "stone age"?
It started with our 'stone age' open water class that lasted, for me, 16 weeks every Tuesday night (a lot of hours). We had to figure out air consumption, pre/post dive pressures and depths. Also a deep dive for me was 30 to 40 feet, not like todays 130 ft max. We also did very close buddy diving, calculated bottom times and stuck to it as there were few decompression chambers around. We were not any smarter but did think about our actions and consequences. I'm still here so we must have done a few things right.
A
Alec what is your favorite species of fish to see while diving?
Other than the my-wife-fish, sharks are really cool.
A
Cool bit of kit. But the J-valve and the rattle are both at 300 psi/20 Bar? Seems a little late!
Dives back then were 30 to 40 ft usually, not the 130 ft of today. No pressure gauge, BCD, safe second so it was simple but fun. If you want to see vintage diving search my vintage scuba for Sea Hunt Forever diving in Silver Springs Fl. Each of us dove for 30 minutes at 30' with steel 72's at 2250 psi. Still came up with air.
A
how heavier was the chrome on the 2nd stage as it is today. i'm just thinking of the fatigue because of the weight.
i wish they still had some sort of reserve warning on regs.
don't like the internal screw to attach reg to tank you can't get a lot of torque.
Not as heavy as the 1st stage as it was only chrome plated brass. Still heavier than todays plastics.
A
Hi Alec, thanks for your videos, it's content that's very difficult to get elsewhere!
I have a question regarding water in the 1st stage... I know that you recommend to blow air from a tank to dry the hose and 1st stage, but I don't have access to a tank now... Would it work to take off all the hoses from the 1st stage, and use gravity for the hoses and then let hoses and 1st stage dry while disconnected? Also, what would be the worse case scenario of clean bathwater in the 1st stage for a month or so? Thanks!!
(Soaked my G260 with the purge button in the storage option, while having the hoses and 1st stage at the same height in a tub, so some water could have gotten inside)
Oh! Oh! Your regulator is ruined. Throw it away & buy a new one!!
Kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your ideas are good. If you know that you've got water in the 1st stage & you know it's fresh water, just remove the dust cap, remove all of the hose & any other port plugs and let it sit in a warm, dry room for a while. It'll be fine.
If it was salt water, you could do the same but rinse it in fresh water for a while, maybe twice, before letting it dry.
There's no guarantee here because salt water acts very quickly on metal. You really ought to get it checked, but it will at least save the reg.
Likewise, while the hoses are off, including the 2nd stage, run some fresh water through them, blow out the excess and hang them up to dry. They'll be fine
Take care.
Alec
So much for the rule of thirds.
Rule of thirds wasn’t applicable when you had no SPG.
That idea came latter when tanks were bigger, diving was deeper to get to intact wrecks. We were glad to just look at a wreck at 30 to 40ft.
A
Hey Alec, whats the best way to find good 72cf vintage tanks. I have an old late 70s u.s divers doubles backplate and double rings and single point manifold i want to get in service.
Searching online has some benefits, but where every you buy from, get a VIS and Hydro before handing over the cash. Anyone who sells a hank without these tests, IMO, is not a serious seller. Also post on www.scubaboard.com to get information and options from other divers.
A
Hi Alec
It feels they were much smarter back then, to be honest to build such isn't a big deal, it feels this days they don't invent this much any more.
It may feel like that but todays gear is built on those old ideas to be safer, stronger, deeper, more options/colours. I love my vintage but would not do a 7 day dive trip with it (ok maybe 1 or 2 dives). The rest would be on my comfortable modern gear. Thanks for watching.
A