Vintage Dive Equipment? Any Value?

[SweetDoug]

I've got a few pieces of vintage dive equipment from my Dad. How vintage? My dad got into scuba in the 50's.

What's left of it, as it's all rotted away as it was real rubber, is a tank, brass regulator thing, and a dive computer. (And an old book on scuba.)

The "Dive Computer" is a round case with a band on that you placed on your arm, that you put something called a watch inside, so it was waterproof, as you actually had to calculate dive times from tables, et cetera. Old school!

I don't know if he was fibbing to me, (He told a lot of lies, but they were great er.. stories!) but he claimed back then, they didn't have wet suits so they made them with hot rubber and long johns. Believe or not?! Okay. I don't either.

Anyway, is this gear worth anything from a vintage collector point?

Does anyone collect this? Museum. Can't post a picture, but if there's interest, I can email them to someone.

Thanks,

Doug

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board Doug.
The short answer is it depends. If it's a double hose reg, then it has some value. What depends on which brand and model, some are worth more than others. $50 to 150 is in the ballpark although a few are worth more, again it depends on what it is and condition. Old single hose regs have little value ($10ish) with a few rare exceptions. Same goes for the tank. The "computer" sounds like an old watch case, again worth a few bucks but not a lot.
After a few post, 5 I think, you can attach photos. With them we can give you a better idea of what you have.

 

[David Wilson]

I've got a few pieces of vintage dive equipment from my Dad. How vintage? My dad got into scuba in the 50's.

What's left of it, as it's all rotted away as it was real rubber, is a tank, brass regulator thing, and a dive computer. (And an old book on scuba.)

Gum rubber often perishes eventually, unless it's maintained and stored correctly. It's a living material and it's nature's way of recycling when the stuff breaks down over time. Personally, I prefer fins and masks made from natural rubber and I am prepared to replace them whenever they show signs of perishing. I dislike snorkelling gear fabricated from modern synthetics that may last forever but just feel characterless, lifeless and sterile in use, a bit like a polyester suit can do compared with a pure new wool one.

Which "old book on scuba" do you have? I have a small library of vintage diving books.

I don't know if he was fibbing to me, (He told a lot of lies, but they were great er.. stories!) but he claimed back then, they didn't have wet suits so they made them with hot rubber and long johns. Believe or not?! Okay. I don't either. Doug

Your Dad may well have been telling you the truth. Back then, underwater enthusiasts didn't have much money or much access to commercial equipment, so they improvised. For example, I came across recently in one of my web searches an article in the June 1954 issue of magazine "Popular Science" about home-made fins constructed from tennis shoes and stiff car mats:

Popular Science - Google Books

On the subject of home-made diving suits, page 228 of my copy of the February 1959 issue of the British magazine "Newnes Practical Mechanics" is the first page of an article entitled "Make yourself a diving suit", continued in the March edition. The suit in question starts as a set of any ordinary cloth undergarments comprising a long-sleeved top and long pants. The neck, cuffs, waist and ankle seals had to be purchased together with rubber tape from a rubber manufacturer such as Dunlop, while Revultex, a latex solution, could be obtained from Revertex Ltd. A wooden frame had to be constructed to stretch each of the garments, to which the latex solution was applied in several coats. The seals were secured using rubber tape. The result was a drysuit, but a wetsuit could also be constructed the same way without using tight seals to keep water out.

In the 1950s, Heinke of London manufactured the "Delta", a shorty wetsuit made from natural rubber proofed on to stockinette, front-entry and coloured green for the men and back-entry and coloured white for the ladies. It's a myth that wetsuits were only made out of neoprene. Many European wetsuits were made out of sponge rubber in the earliest years.

 

[SweetDoug]

Isn't that cool! I can see my dad doing something like that. He was a real inventive guy.

I've got the stuff up on Kijiji for the pictures. Here's the link:
And I've just found out I can't do that. If you go to Kijiji Ontario/Toronto and search

Ad ID 246851454

The title is Antique Diving Collectables-Tank, Dive Computer, Gauge

you should be able to see some pictures.

The regulator isn't really even a "regulator" but something antique for the tank made from brass that's all there is leftover. All the rubber stuff rotted away years ago.

I didn't know you could get real rubber anything anymore!

Doug

 

[mikemill]

Isn't that cool! I can see my dad doing something like that. He was a real inventive guy.

I've got the stuff up on Kijiji for the pictures. Here's the link:
And I've just found out I can't do that. If you go to Kijiji Ontario/Toronto and search

Ad ID 246851454

The title is Antique Diving Collectables-Tank, Dive Computer, Gauge

you should be able to see some pictures.

The regulator isn't really even a "regulator" but something antique for the tank made from brass that's all there is leftover. All the rubber stuff rotted away years ago.

I didn't know you could get real rubber anything anymore!

Doug

Is this it? Antique Diving Collectables-Tank, Dive Computer, Gauge - City of Toronto Sports Goods For Sale - Kijiji City of Toronto Canada.

 

[herman]

Ok what you have is a watch case, a tank pressure tester and a tank with harness. Not a lot of value but some. Rough ebay values $5-10 on the watch case, $10-30 on the pressure tester and maybe $30 or so on the tank. I am interested in the book, if $5 will get it, shoot me a PM with your address.

 

[knowone]

The modernising do it yourself yellow paint job is good.

 

[superstar]

I really like that old tank with harness, it would make really cool lamp for my man cave. Are you looking to sell?

 

[halocline]

That tank is probably a steel 72, and if it's clean inside, it will probably pass hydro and be a pleasure to dive with. Depending on where you're located, I'd be interested in it. Can you please measure it for height and approximate diameter (or circumference)? Also, this may be too much to ask, but see if there's any pressure in it, and if you can find a set of numbers, please post them.

 

[Jimmer]

Halo, he's in Toronto. Can anyone of you tell from the pic if that is a taper thread in the neck?