Aqua-Master & Sportsways Backplate

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Dave616

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Location
West Michigan
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Finally...
I've been wanting to get into vintage diving for a while now.

This stuff popped up on my local Craig's List and I just picked it up today:

Aqua Lung Aqua Master (Serial # 148794, no other markings)






Aluminum Back Plate System (Marked Sportsways/Waterlung)








I know nothing about this equipment other than I plan to send the Reg to VDH tomorrow for a complete overhaul. Can anyone tell me if this is a good starting point and/or anything about the Regulator. I could care less if it's rare/valuable. I plan to use it, not flip it.

Thanks in advance,
Dave
 

Thanks,
So from what I'm seeing it's a DA Aqua Master "Round Label", has a "US Divers" Tire Yoke Screw, later mouth piece logo, has one of the non-standard serial numbers, box clips, and long yoke. My guess is a 70-71 because it doesn't have 3000psi yoke or a circular ring.

Is it possible it could be earlier than 70-71?

Sending it out today.
Dave
 
What you have is a 70-72 DA Aquamaster. It is a 2 stage unbalanced diaphragm first stage followed by a pretty much conventional second stage. It tends to be a little more rare than the older square label ones but internally they are exactly the same. Yours has a "long yoke" which allows you to use a "banjo" in addition to the reg. A banjo is an adapter that goes between the tank valve and the reg to give you a HP port, otherwise you have to use best guess/timing to determine your remaining gas or use a J valve. The plug in the side is the hookah port. Originally, it was used to supply air INTO the reg instead of a tank but today many of us use it as a LP port. VDH sells an adapter to allow you to connect LP devices to it....and to check it's IP.

There are a number of reproduction parts for it as well as several upgrades so you can choose to restore it to original or improve on it. Most of the upgrades do not depend on the other ones so you can pick and choose as you like, adding them all at once or one at a time. My personal recommendation is this:

1: A full rebuild with new hoses and mouthpiece. I know the originals may look OK but they are stiffer and less comfortable
than the new silicone ones.
2: Add a HPR, this is a second stage upgrade that improves the cracking pressure and allows you to adjust the venture
of the reg to your preference. Along with the HPR, you will want to add the latest version of the single stage diaphragm.
It works best with the HPR and is no addition cost since you would have been replacing the main diaphragm in the full
rebuild anyway, single stage and 2 stage diaphragms are the same cost. It is also much easier to adjust.
3: Add a duck bill eliminator (aka DBA), it replaces the original duckbill with an upgraded design. Performance wise it's a
slight bit of an improvement but from a convenience standpoint it's priceless. A new duckbill is $5, the DBE is $15 so the
additional cost is minimal.
4: Add a band clamp. The reg really should be opened up after diving, sep in saltwater to ensure you get it properly
cleaned and dry. The band clamp and DBE make this task much easier. Most of the damage I see in the old regs
is due to improper cleaning after saltwater use.

And nice to have.
1: Phoenix upgrade- the upgrade replaces the unbalanced first stage with a balanced one and in addition gives you 3 additional LP and HP ports, basically making it a modern DH reg.
2: Hookah port adapter.
3: banjo adapter

All of these mods do NOT modify the reg and can be removed at any time to restore the reg to OEM condition.


Next I suggest you do a lot of reading and research on diving DH regs, both here and on Vintage Double Hose. The are not hard to dive but do dive differently and you have to understand them to get the best out of them. There are a lot of very experienced DH divers who dive the regs on a regular basis and are happy to help you along. Don't hesitate to PM me and we can take it off line for more details. If you can find someone in your area that dives DH regs, all the better, I know a couple great guys up your way. And if you really want some experience, we are in the planning stages of a Sand Dog 11, a DH meet in Fla scheduled for mid May- exact dates coming soon, come join us. You can meet a number of the people both here and on VDH and get to dive with some very good DH divers.....and we all bring a lot of toys to play with.

Hope that is a start, fire away with questions.
 
Herman,

Thank you. That was more than info than I thought I could have gotten. I'll start to digest some of this.
 
Welcome Reef Wrecker to the "Vintage Following Club" lots of helpful divers here to help you get the best out of what ever pre 1974 kit

att images re "Sportsways" harness SPORTSWAYS.jpgSPORTSWAYS ADD 1961.jpg

john
 
Welcome Reef Wrecker to the "Vintage Following Club" ...

john

Thanks John

---------- Post added March 20th, 2015 at 08:57 PM ----------

Questions:

Is there a safe way to get the box clips off without gouging the chrome?

My duck bill rubber is literally fused to the chrome housing. Whats the best way to remove the rubber without hurting the finish?
 
The best way to remove the box clips is with a pair of modified end nippers. You can find them at most home improvement/hardware stores. I put a link below to VDH thread where it is discussed. About 3 post down are photos of the pliers. The pliers need to be a larger size, 6-8 inch and you need to grind off the bevel on the face of them so they lay flush. To use them you grab the C clip FIRMLY and rotate it off the body, you will likely have to rock it some. Notice in the 3rd photo that the clip has one deeply hooked side and one less so, you must rotate the more shallow side off first. Modified vise grips work too, but I find the end cutters work best for me. Vintage Double Hose

Duckbills get either gooy or crispy but in either case it's a pain. First, remove as much of the material as you can without damaging the finish, a wooden chopstick or similar item sharpen up works well. Once you get the majority of it removed, find a container they you can stand the exhaust can (we call the body sections "cans" )on the horn end. Submerge the horn in denatured alcohol (paint section of any home improvement store) and let it soak over night. The duckbill will basically dissolve and wash away. I know some guys use MEC and it might work quicker but the fumes from denatured alcohol are no where near as bad as MEC. I try to avoid soaking the label if I can which is why I stand it on the horn but if you must, you must. SO FAR I have not had any issue with the alcohol doing damage to a label but I still try to avoid soaking it if possible....and reproductions are available if needed.

It occurred to me I had posted about this on VDH a while back....here is the thread Vintage Double Hose

Believe me, all your questions have been ask before, there is usually "a thread for that" if you search. :)

And once you get it open, be sure to ask now to get the horseshoe lever off....if it's factory original, there are tricks/precautions you need to take.
 
Thank you. This helps. I don't think Brian wants to crack that thing open and find fossilized duck bill.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

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