Safety Tips for Vintage Diving?

[SanDiegoSidemount]

I'm about to embark on a "throwback weekend": diving minimalist in the '70s-'80s era gear I originally trained and taught in a long time ago. (Backpack & harness, single Dacor 960 regulator, horse collar BC, etc.) The gear is checked out and in good working order.

However, I haven't dove in this style in a long time. It's kind of amazing to compare my vintage kit and my current setup (tech sidemount) and see how far things have come, how much has changed.

So my question is, what tips do you all have for maximizing safety when diving with older, simpler, non-redundant gear? Obviously keeping the dive plan shallow and simple is a great start. But what else?

 

[simonbeans]

If you are scared, take up golf.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

I'm not scared, I dove this way for decades. But the gear is a lot older now than it was then. Just looking for common sense safety measures people use. Or maybe the answer is "none" ?

 

[fishb0y]

If you are scared, take up golf.

You sir, win the interwebs for today.

 

[agilis]

Unless you have a redundant bottle/regulator system on your current gear, I see no difference in safety between the old equipment and the new. The older equipment requires more precise weighting, but I'm sure you know that.

I do shallow warm water solo dives with just a back plate, tank, and 40 year old regulator all the time. No horse collar or BC needed. If I ever need extra flotation I would drop my weights and rely on the neoprene wet suit. Simple is still best.

 

[Nemrod]

Your gear is older, meh, but you too are older. Make sure you are capable of sustaining yourself without the modern crutches, uh, I mean, uh equipments.

Safety as conceived and taught today is a non-vintage concept.

N

 

[Luis H]

Just have a good time.

I am very familiar with the Dacor Olympic series of regulators from the 70’s. They are great regulators, very reliable.
I am not familiar with the newer Dacor regulators like the 960, but if it is in decent condition, I would guess that it is also a reliable regulator. Dacor used to make good stuff.


If you are not in an overhead environment, you always have redundancy. It is called “the surface”. It never malfunctions… and you always know where to find it.


If you are using a J valve, remember to check occasionally that the lever is up, like you would check an SPG. And bring a snorkel... you may have a long swim back.

 

[Nemrod]

And, if you are shore diving, bring a (auxiliary) float. We always had a car tire inner tube float and flag, I cannot think of the company right now that made them for the life of me. They had all sorts of doodads. The tube we used was big enough to almost get in. This acted as our surface floatation since we had no BC and the Mae West devices were too difficult to inflate/deflate orally. Of course, we were also not so adverse to dumping weights or pulling that rip cord on the Mae West, if need arose, to establish positive surface buoyancy.

N

 

[USdiver1]

Make sure your equipment is in good working condition, rebuild if necessary prior to use. Do an equipment check in a controlled environment (pool) and practice those skills of yore that you may need (buddy breathing, oral inflation of horse collar), Above all enjoy the hell out of your diving.

Full Disclosure: My go-to open water regulator is a US Divers Conshelf SE that I purchased new nearly 30 years ago. I don't have any idea how many dives I have done with it, probably upwards of 2,000. Been rebuilt many times, has never failed me and performs wonderfully. Had it out last week in a dive of 100 feet depth, 40 degree water. Old equipment, if properly maintained is just as good as any of the new stuff.

 

[ASRP]

How did things go and where did you dive?