Switching regulators

Above: The Aqua Lung Mistral twin-hose regulator showing the tank mounted two-stage reg housing and the mouthpiece with lip shield

Above: The Aqua Lung Mistral twin-hose regulator showing exhalation bubbles exiting regulator unit on the tank

The Aqua Lung Mistral twin-hose regulator showing exhalation bubbles exiting regulator in rear and cold water lip shield


The Mistral twin-hose regulator: I had been coming around to the decision to change for months. But before I tell you why and before someone asks; no, the pictures of the girl wearing a Mistral twin-hose are not of me. I have green eyes and auburn hair.

Tanaquil, who is managing Taryn’s European business holdings, has been after me to try a Mistral regulator for more than a year. It is very popular with professional women divers in Europe and its popularity is spreading to the general population of recreational divers there as well. And so I had a familiarization course here and then took two Mistral twin-hose regs to Virgin Gorda when we went at the first of July.

The Mistral twin hose two stage regulator, with its retro look, is based on the Aqualung Titan design and the new version (in production since 2005) has upgraded (silicone) diaphragms and seals and all the latest improvements for the balanced diaphragm first stage. The housing that contains both regulator stages is environmentally sealed and mounted on the top of the tank which makes it very rugged and low maintenance. Some divers have complained that the Mistral is hard to ‘breathe’ but I had mine tuned at our local dive shop and find as easy to breathe as the Mares Abyss that I’ve been using for years and the Mistral is good down to at least 300 feet which is a good bit more depth capability than I’m likely to need. In addition to being rugged and low maintenance the feature I really like is that the exhalation bubbled vent from the reg housing behind the diver on top of the tank providing much clearer vision and it has an adjustable mouthpiece and lip shield. For that reason it’s the favorite of photographers who need a clear view of their subjects and not to scare subjects with their bubbles. One of the main reasons I switched to the Mistral is so I can get an unobstructed view of my lovers during dive-sex. When I reach orgasm I sometimes have problems with breath control and the bubbles from a mouth held second stage regulator obscure my view of the pool stallion who is drilling me.

With a twin-hose reg it’s not nearly as easy to share air with someone who runs out, but for the wearer the main difference in using a twin-hose rather than a single hose reg (after adjusting to the different breathing of the unit) is that there is no purge on a twin-hose regulator so a flooded mouthpiece is cleared by raising it up or by blowing into the mouthpiece while leaning slightly to left. That took a bit of getting used to, but I’ve found I’ve become comfortable with it in just a few days and the visibility at strategic times is nearly perfect if I’m aware of my surroundings then.

I got to talk about the advantages of using a twin-hose regs last week when a video crew and actresses were shooting videos in ‘the pit’, my 64 foot deep pool. One of Taryn’s companies had been after me to let them use it again since I had done it once some time ago. They really liked working in the pit because it is ideal for making videos and still shoots. There is enough bottom room to stage equipment, the pool is well lit and the water is filtered using a special sphagnum moss and bromine so there is no eye irritation from harsh pool chemicals when the girls get their masks flooded or pulled off or are working w/o masks and swimsuit colors stay bright much longer.

The girls told me they often use and prefer twin-hose rigs because the bubbles are dispersed behind the diver so don’t obscure their facial expressions and there is no second stage protruding from the mouth so they can perform more intimately close-up. Twin-hose rigs also make a more interesting struggle as two girls fight to breathe from a single regulator. A twin-hose is also quieter if a diver is trying to minimize distraction or hide her presence.

I found that the actresses were surprisingly inexperienced with pool sex – they have been doing mostly ‘Disney-porn’. You know the sort of thing I mean; posing provocatively while being squeezed in deflated drysuits, baring their breasts in Speedo FastSkins and bikinis or girl-on-girl scenarios. So to show them Vegas hospitality I fitted all three (the two actresses and the camerawoman) with FemCaps and introduced them to a group of Pirate’s pool-stallions specifically chosen for the task and put the cost on my expense account as good will for the casino.

Hair care: Hair care is such a hassle for dive actresses because the producers often want them diving with their hair loose which if the girl is just using a snorkel isn’t a problem aside from the pool chemicals which is common to all dive situations to a greater or lesser extent. But if she is using a SCUBA set then loose hair while beautiful and sexy can be a problem and occasionally a hazard. That’s because even when it’s slippery with conditioner which we all use before a dive loose hair can get tangled in the regulator, octopus and hoses on the tank and when that happens it can be very painful or cause neck injuries from the girl trying to pull loose. Often the strands have to be cut out with a knife if the woman is on a recreational dive. On a shoot there is a production assistant with a pair of scissors to cut the actress loose, but a lot of that can ruin a beautiful thick mane of hair. My long auburn hair is one of my best features so to prevent a hair scare I always wear a swim cap or helmet when I’m wearing a SCUBA set.