Dive Charters and Vintage Gear

[Paladin]

This may sound a bit strange, but in 44 years of diving, I have never availed myself of the services of a dive charter company. Lately, I have been thinking about rectifying that little oversight. Having recently purchased a DA Aquamaster to replace the one I sold years ago, I want to be able to dive it frequently. My question is: Are there any charter services along the East Coast that would allow me to dive the old way, the way I learned to dive over four decades ago (Aquamaster and J valve), or do they all require that I clutter my regulator with a rat's nest of add-on hoses for octopus, inflator, SPG and such?

[Web Monkey]

This may sound a bit strange, but in 44 years of diving, I have never availed myself of the services of a dive charter company. Lately, I have been thinking about rectifying that little oversight. Having recently purchased a DA Aquamaster to replace the one I sold years ago, I want to be able to dive it frequently. My question is: Are there any charter services along the East Coast that would allow me to dive the old way, the way I learned to dive over four decades ago (Aquamaster and J valve), or do they all require that I clutter my regulator with a rat's nest of add-on hoses for octopus, inflator, SPG and such?

If you can get up to Alexandria Bay (upstate NY), Moe Hunt@Hunt's Dive Shop will let you dive with anything you want.

And if you need parts for your reg, he's probably got them. And they're probably original. 8-)

And he probably remembers when he bought them 8-)

Terry

[Gilldiver]

In CT/RI area I'll put you on a boat or two, and dive with you. Further up in Maine, Luis will be able to help out.

Here I am 10 days ago with a 1958 Mistral on the wreck of the Steamer Volund in The Race between Fishers and Long Island NY. Bottom was 90-96 feet but dark and only 10-12 feet of vis. I had my double 72's with the Posidon on the 2nd post, that is why you see the Hockey puck and BC inflator.

http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp179/Gilldiver/Volundcopy.jpg

One way to put a boat at ease is to take a 30 foot bottle as a pony or stage.

Pete

[WD8CDH]

So far, with a BC with power inflator and two independant regulators (Poseidon and a doublehose like Pete) seems to satisfy the cattle boats that I have been on...................but that is the way I dove 30 or 40 years ago too.:D

I prefer the BC mounted inflator like on the USD horsecollar BC so that hose stays out of the way.

I try to keep it simple as far as SPG. I use a crossover without an isolator so I only need one on the doubles (or triples). The rig has been to below 300 on Trimix, but not from a cattle boat.

[Paladin]

WD8CH,
What about a low pressure Tee adapter on the hookah port with BC inflator and octopus attached, sitting on a set of twin 72s (or a single 72) using a J valve instead of SPG? I can easily comply with the inflator/octo requirement, but the SPG is not possible at this time. Instead, I use a watch and a conservative SAC rate of 1 cu. ft. per min. My actual SAC rate is .6 to .7, depending on what I am doing.

[captain]

There are both vintage double manifolds and K valves with HP ports. The Dacor's seem to be the most common. You might have to dedicate an SPG to the double manifold because I am not sure if you can install and remove it with pressure in the tanks. In the case of a single K valve you can. Also most of the double yoke bar connectors have a port.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Dacor-J-Valve-Manifold-All-Metal-8-Spread_W0QQitemZ130332248343QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e58684917&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[Paladin]

I have one Dacor/Seamco J valve with HP port. I got it from the same vendor as the manifold you pointed out on Ebay. When I got the valve, evrything was loose and the interior was heavily corroded. I took it apart, cleaned it, lubed it and put it back together. It is in working condition now, but was not worth what I paid for it.

I have a "suicide bar" that I want to use for my twin 72s so, to match the valve heights, I'll need another one. The vendor has more, but I'm not sure I trust his items. I just bought a pair of USD J valves from DiverAl and I will probably use those, as I trust items bought from ScubaBoard members.

[oldmossback]

Here's a photo of me last year in Brazil......my ram was fitted with a mossback adapter and 3way splitter......I was also using a banjo for the spg..........

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/Oldmossback/DivingSalvadorBahiaBrasil2.jpg

I was diving from a boat off Salvador de Bahia and the dive shop and dive guide had no issues with my rig, in fact they were ooing and ahhing before the dives........double hoses are almost non existant in South America I guess......

[Paladin]

I was planning on getting a banjo from VDH but he has none in stock and I don't know if he will be getting any more. I emailed him a couple days ago but have not received a reply.

[Luis H]

I was planning on getting a banjo from VDH but he has none in stock and I don't know if he will be getting any more. I emailed him a couple days ago but have not received a reply.

Yes there will be more, but I bet you could get one if you just ask over at VDH.

My guess is that most charters will have a problem with the lack of an SPG.

When we were in the Bahamas for SD-V (International Legends of Diving gathering) that was the only requirement. Many dives were made with no octopus, inflators, BC's, or even surface flotation devices, but everyone always had an SPG.

[Nemrod]

I was planning on getting a banjo from VDH but he has none in stock and I don't know if he will be getting any more. I emailed him a couple days ago but have not received a reply.

If you need one as an emergency for an upcoming trip and have not acquired one elsewhere, I will loan you one. But, you will send it back, you don't want Nemrod after you, just ask the manatees, they quiver like jello at mention of my name. :rofl3:

N

[Paladin]

:rofl3: No immediate need, but I certainly appreciate the offer! I am just trying to put together the items I need a little at a time so that I can have everything together by spring.

[WD8CDH]

WD8CH,
What about a low pressure Tee adapter on the hookah port with BC inflator and octopus attached, sitting on a set of twin 72s (or a single 72) using a J valve instead of SPG? I can easily comply with the inflator/octo requirement, but the SPG is not possible at this time. Instead, I use a watch and a conservative SAC rate of 1 cu. ft. per min. My actual SAC rate is .6 to .7, depending on what I am doing.
The low pressure Tee adapter on the hookah port with BC inflator and octopus will probably be just fine but I would suspect that most DMs would balk at the J valve on anything but the shallowest of dives or if your air supply is considerably larger than your buddys. They might approve a pony instead of the SPG. If you are using your own tanks, the valves like Dacors with HP ports are your best choice but with rental tanks you would have to go with the banjo (or a Phoenix).

[Paladin]

Okay, I can see where they might balk at the J valve because most people these days don't understand how to use them. But why would my carrying a larger air supply than my buddy be a problem?

BTW: Just got an email from Bryan. Banjos will be available for the Black Friday Sale.

[Gilldiver]

By the way, Bryan just anounced that he will be making the high pressure seats used on all of the USD/Voit 2 stage regulators up to the Royal Aqua Master. He is also remaking the 2nd stage holders for all of the USD/Voit double hose regs.
So, now there is no normaly serviced part of any of these regulators that is not being made as good, and in many cases better, then new.

[WD8CDH]

Okay, I can see where they might balk at the J valve because most people these days don't understand how to use them. But why would my carrying a larger air supply than my buddy be a problem?



I meant that if your air supply was considerably larger than your buddy's, they might accept the J valve by assuming that your buddy with the SPG will run low first.

[Paladin]

Oh. Okay. Actually, I was thinking along those lines myself. My sons will be diving singles, while I am planning on diving twin 72s. I am thinking this would be safer for two reasons: They would run low first and end the dive and I would have plenty of air in case it is needed by one of them for some reason.