Vintage Healthways regulator

[sitkadiver]

So,

Ms. James' post about the jet fins, was funny to read, but it also got me thinking more and more about my grandfathers two-hose regulator that I am hoping to someday restore.

In what little research I've done, I've been able to find out the following:

The blue hoses were only put on the regs in 1958 and 1959 as a way of making them more visually appealling to buyers.

The blue dust cap is apparently somewhat rare, Vintage Double Hose has a forum entry on this stating they're hard to find.

And apparently the riveted name plate is something that went away early on, like in 1960 or something.

The HOPE-PAGE valve is also something that was only used for a few years, but was available for replacement for sometime into the 60's

Here are some pics of the reg I am hoping to get restored:

I haven't heard back yet from Vintage Scuba Supply in Oregon, but I'm hoping he'll have some insights for me since I cannot find parts for this anywhere. I've been leisurely looking for blue hoses for more than 5 years now and have always come up empty handed.

This reg has a lot of sentimental value soI'm hoping to let me sons dive it in the future if I can get it working.

[whatevah]

That's a really cool piece of gear, but what makes it especially neat is that it was your grandfather's. Did you ever see him using it? Or do you have a photo of him in his gear pre/post dive? That would be an awesome thing to share with your family. Sure hope you can track down parts. Even if you can't though... the original parts are part of the story - might not be able to use the regulator but you can hold it and know it's the same stuff your grandfather used to explore an amazingly different environment. My grandfather managed cattle stations (ranches) in outback Australia - he died some years back and I wasn't able to make it back for the service. I really hoped that I'd get his old 303 rifle - some of my earliest memories were with him - out in the old flatbed Landcruiser to shoot and butcher a cow for the family and all the workers at the station. He was a very tough individual who made huge sacrifices for others, and I admired him greatly. Sadly, when the gun laws changed in Australia a while back that rifle was taken from my parents by the government and destroyed :( You're lucky to have such a great piece of your family history - that and your own diving interest gives you a tangible connection. Thanks for sharing the photos!

[sitkadiver]

Thank You for your response.

I'm truely saddened that you were not able to get your grandfather's Enfield, they are a great rifle. I have a few buddies up here that still use them and they are acruate and reliable - 70 years after being manufactured.

I had some similar experiences with my grandfather who had a placer claim in the Sierra Nevada's. Nearest town was 15 or so miles and 9 miles was by dirt road surounded by range cattle. My memories from those days, I suspect, are as cherrished as yours are.

Hopefully my sons will enjoy diving as much as I do and maybe even use the Healthways, I have a photo somewhere of dad playing with at the beach when he was maybe 10 years old. Would be great if I could frame it with a photo of my boys using the same kit.