Is an h-valve vintage?

[duckbill]

It's all relative.
Some people like vintage gear of any type just because of the nostalgia related to it. They are known as "antique collectors". Some antique collectors like to actually use the stuff they acquire in order to experience what things were like "back then", or to relive their past, or because they believe things just aren't made like they used to be. Other antique collectors cringe, or call the "users" criminal, when they see them actually using the things which are becoming more and more difficult to find in the first place and should be "preserved".
Others only like to collect, or use, vintage gear of only one or two fields. We here are vintage DIVERS, not just collectors (as far as I know). But what does that mean. Well, it means different things to different people. As in most things in life, there are wide-set extremes, and the people from opposite ends need not be at odds with eachother. I'm sure there are vintage diving "extremists" out there who would look down their noses at a vintage diver whose 1962 DA isn't exactly "period" to the 7/73 original hydro on his steel 72. Some could even go so far as to thoroughly research the exact MONTH the DA was manufactured and find a tank with the matching month and year original hydro date.
Extremism has it's place. I used to have a WWll slat-grill Ford GPW jeep, and I remember that it was actually fun to try to make sure that every bolt on it had the Ford script "F" embossed on it's head. Ford vs. Willys. There were some differences. Is that a Ford glove-box door, or a Willys? I think they were interchangeable, and someone who just wanted the darned thing to go 4-wheeling in couldn't care less. But, to a collector, such things can be very important- even to the point of insanity.
My point is that everyone has their own ideas of how far they want to take their hobby. I personally HATE to see a chopped old car with a flame paint job. But, hey! Guess what! Even though those guys are out there depleting the supply of original body parts, they are probably to be thanked for helping to keep enough interest up in those old cars to keep vintage car parts suppliers in business!
Nemrod doesn't wear a vintage suit!? For shame, Nemrod!!! Do I wear a silicone mask? Tisk, tisk! But I love the double-hose. I love vintage diving; and, someday, when I have the vintage mask and vintage wetsuit, I'll love diving vintage (note how the reversal of terms here changes the meaning).
O.K. An H-valve is not vintage. Do what you want and have fun doing it. That is the name of the game!

[Nemrod]

The only reason, Duckbill, that I don't have a vintage wet suit is that I have not found the correct one. That is why Bryan is always posting very kind information for me on purple wet suits!--LOL. Since you mentioned masks I think a for real oval vintage type dive mask is crucial to completing the rig. Some people may not be able to wear them but it seems the old ovsl styles fit most people well, and the way the double hoses float up around them nestling the mask and face just works. Not only that they actually provide good visibility, are easy to clear and defog and work well with those of us who need to manually clear our ears most of the time. A further benefit is that the weird look that some modern masks produce especially with the hubcap in the mouth look is avoided with a good oval mask and double hose. The eyes and face convey a lot of information, with an oval mask you can see eye and facial expression that is --uh---masked by those weird non functional tech masks. I guess this is one case where function and looks go hand in hand. Find yourself a good oval mask and you may throw all that neon colored TUSA tech junk away and even use the oval when diving modern gear.
Speaking of modern gear, I like the BP/Wing set up and the very basic DIR approach to rigging but beyond that I loose interest, modern eqipment is just so junky, geeky and failure prone and non fucntional and often designed to address non existent issues. I cannot understand why cave diving has taken so much influence on open water diving that people are carrying back up masks and snorkels, why not back up fins to go with the back up air and backup regulator with the back up timer for the back up computer for the back up scissors for the back up buddy. Where does all that stop? It stopped for me when I finally realized it was foolishness. I returned to vintage not because it was vintage but because the simple and functional and reliable equpment, self reliant diving style is superior to pretend tech. And their knife is to small too and scissors are for preschool. Nemrod

[duckbill]

I cannot understand why cave diving has taken so much influence on open water diving

Man, you said it! I was out of the diving loop for some time, just to awaken to a DIR world! "What are all these redundancy issues all about? And what the heck is DIR!?", I asked myself. I thought that diving gear had suddenly gotten so poor that everyone needed two or three of everything on an open water dive to ensure their mere survival. Sad state of affairs.
By the way, my silicone mask isn't neon.
I do have a very nice U.S.Divers oval neoprene mask, but don't think I can use it because it has no finger pockets. I brought that issue up in a previous thread. Actually, to be honest, I haven't had the opportunity to try it out yet because just after I acquired it I had some pretty serious neck and shoulder troubles. Turns out I have a herniated disc in my neck. I have NO idea how that happened, but it sure is a bummer because river diving seaon is about to close around here as soon as we get some rain.
Oh, well.

[Nemrod]

"And what the heck is DIR!?", "


Do It (to) Ridiculous (extremes)?, just a thought, lol.

James