Diving with a 1950's Scuba Regulator. (US Divers Aqua-Master)

      

Diving with late 1950's US Divers "Aqua-Master" Double Hose Scuba Regulator.  This was taken at White Star Quarry, in Gibsonburg, Ohio, US a few years ago.

     One of the things I love to do as of late is Scuba Diving.  Shortly after I got certified just under a decade ago I gravitated towards the small but dedicated group of Divers who love diving with vintage Scuba Kit.  I tend to go with things that are vintage be it cars, music, guns, and now Scuba Diving.  

     The regulator in this episode dates from circa 1958.  This was one of the first years of production for the legendary Aqua-Master regulator.  This regulator would be featured in the US Divers/Aqua Lung lineup until the demise of the venerated double hose regulators in the early-mid 1970's.  My gut reaction tells me that it was last offered in 1975.  

     First off...I'm going out on a limb and guessing a lot of people reading this are not Divers and don't know what a Scuba Regulator is?  The regulator is the apparatus that attaches to the valve on the Scuba tank.  It regulates the pressure in the tank to breathable pressures.  Most Scuba regulators do this in two stages.  The first stage knocks the tank pressure down to an intermediate pressure, and the second stage brings the air pressure down to ambient pressure. Early on in Scuba history which is not really that long dating back to the mid-1940's, there were some regulators that achieved in getting breathable air to the Dive with one stage.  I have one from circa 1959-ish that is a great diver and very simple and easy to work on, but that is for another story.

     The US Divers/Aqua-Lung Aqua-Master (I have seen it spelled Aquamaster as well) would be used by the US Navy and I'm certain the other branches of the US Armed Forces.  It was made in large numbers and having a long production run is quite common in the vintage Scuba scene.

     I was able to come across mine in a "need of rebuild" condition for a decent price.  I probably put more money into getting new hoses, mouthpiece, diaphragm, etc, than I paid for the actual regulator.  But that is the fun of diving with vintage kit.  You get to know how your kit actually works.  This was not the most difficult regulator I have ever got back in the water.  That honour goes to the regulator that was replaced by the Aqua-Master, the US Divers DA Navy Approved, but that is another story.  

     On the mention of the regulator that came before the Aqua-Master, the DA Navy Approved...  The Aqua-Master breathes so much better than the Navy Approved regulator.  I guess you have to be a Diver who has dove both to get the gist of what I'm saying.  The Navy Approved regulator works like it was meant to do, but it was a beast.  Having said that...will I dive my Navy Approved regulator again?...oh yeah!!!  Just to say I did it!!!

    The Aqua-Master regulator got an improvement that made it such a great performer.  It got the added benefit of a Venturi that greatly increased the airflow.  The US Divers "Mistral" One-Stage regulator also has the venturi and is like having a hurricane in a hose when you take a breath, both are that great when compared to what came before.  Even compared to the modern regulators of today, I would say that the Aqua-Master would hold it's own (just my opinion).

    Having said all that...my Aqua-Master is not perfect.  As it stands today, I have a leak when I turn the air on.  I'm 99% certain that a new high-pressure seat is in order?, or I can have a go at resurfacing the high-pressure seat I have and see if that works.  This is a fairly common issue when it comes to older regulators and not that big of a deal.  Parts are out there for these regulators and reproductions are made.  There is a whole cottage industry dedicated to keeping regulators like this where they need to be...underwater.

US Divers Aqua-Master Double Hose Two-Stage Scuba Regulator.  This is circa 1958 production.  The hoses are reproduction.  After the first couple years of production the hoses were changed to black.  This is the same regulator that was featured in my "A Summer Place" episode.

     

US Divers line up.  Left DA Navy Approved circa 1956-1957, centre Aqua-Master circa 1958 and right Mistral single stage circa 1959.  

My Aqua-Master regulator about to be thrown into the water at White Star Quarry .  The tank is from 1962 and the harness and tank pack are probably late 1950's to late 1960's.