- REBREATHERS - SPORT DIVERS ... - Stingray Divers

Hooked on
Many a diver has a favorite old
regulator stowed somewhere on
a shelf in the garage or attic. Karl
Gehring has more than 150, and
he can tell you about every one
of them.
A diver for more than 15 years,
Karl parlayed his skills as a computer
technician into a job with Ikelite,
where he now handles strobe
repairs. About four years ago, he
caught the vintage gear bug, and
has since become an avid collector
of historic regulators. His collection
includes regulators from the 1950s
and up, and currently includes some
70 doublehose models and another
90 vintage single hose designs.
Vintage!
To assemble this impressive
collection, he prowls eBay and garage
sales, but also has the advantage of
working part time in a dive store,
which gives him first shot at the old
equipment that people inevitably
bring by the shop.
He says he can’t choose one
that is his particular favorite, but
considers his Royal Mistral the
rarest addition to the collection. “I
have a good collection,” he says,
“but there are others out there who
have a lot more than I do.” v
Some people collect and
refurbish antique cars,
others like Karl Gehring
collect and restore antique
regulators.
Like a proud papa, Karl
poses with a few of his
favorite regs. To Karl’s
credit, his personal
collection includes
regulators from the 1950s
and up, 70 of which are
vintage doublehoses.
www.underwaterjournal.com June/July 2007