Production History of the Argonaut Kraken Double-Hose Regulator

Launch and Initial Production (2014)

The Argonaut Kraken was introduced in 2014 as the first completely new twin-hose scuba regulator of the 21st century​. Its development was spearheaded by Vintage Double Hose (VDH) founder Bryan Pennington and engineer Luis Heros, with an initial production funded via a crowdfunding campaign in early 2014. That campaign quickly exceeded its goal (reaching ~160% of the target) and enabled the first manufacturing run​. By June 2014, VDH had assembled, tested, and shipped out 38 Argonaut Kraken regulators to the original backers of the. This “Series One” batch (the first production series) marked the launch of the Kraken, delivering the units on time to supporters.

Ongoing Small-Batch Production (2015–2018)

After the initial launch, demand from the global vintage diving community remained high. Over the following year, VDH produced additional Kraken regulators in small batches. By mid-2015, “over a hundred” Argonaut Kraken units were already “diving the world”​, indicating that roughly 60+ more regulators were built and sold in the year after the first batch. The manufacturer even hoped to “double that number” within the year​. Indeed, production continued on a limited scale: units were hand-assembled in an almost artisanal process, and Kraken regulators were shipped to divers in at least a dozen countries by 2015​.

Because each production run required significant upfront investment (the Kraken’s custom-cast parts and assembly were costly), VDH tended to build the regulators in limited runs when enough orders accumulated. In practice, this meant the Kraken was not mass-produced continuously, but rather in spurts. For example, a special “Argonaut Kraken – Limited Edition” was offered around late 2017/2018 (featuring a special finish and configuration), indicating another small batch run at that time. Throughout these years, production volume remained modest – on the order of a few dozen units per batch.

Final Years and Total Number Produced (2019–2022)

In the late 2010s, the Argonaut Kraken continued to be available in very limited quantities. A small run in 2020 was briefly offered (VDH advertised a “limited few” Kraken units for sale in late 2020), but overall availability was scarce. By late 2021, the Kraken was officially no longer available new – it was “NLA except as used”, meaning one could only find them second-hand​. No further production runs occurred after around 2020, especially following the passing of Bryan Pennington in 2022 (VDH’s founder).

In total, only a few hundred Argonaut Kraken regulators were ever manufactured. While an exact figure was never formally published, the evidence points to a very limited production run overall. Rough estimates from the community suggest on the order of 200–300 units in total were made. This aligns with the documented milestones: 38 in the first batch (2014)​, over 100 by mid-2015​, and continued small-scale builds in the ensuing years. By comparison, traditional single-hose regulators are made in the thousands, underscoring how exclusive the Argonaut Kraken is. As one observer noted in 2021, the Kraken “stands alone” as a modern twin-hose regulator and had become a collector’s item, with new ones unavailable​.

Summary of Production Numbers

• 2014 (Launch) – First series crowdfunded; 38 units shipped to backers by June 2014​.
• 2015 – Continued production to fulfil new orders; 100+ total units in the field by mid-2015​.
• 2016–2018 – Additional limited batches produced. A special edition Kraken run in 2018 indicates ongoing small-scale manufacturing (dozens of units).
• 2019–2020 – Very limited availability; a final small batch (~late 2020) of only a handful of units.
• End of Production – By 2021, production had ceased; the Argonaut Kraken was only obtainable second-hand.

All told, the total number of Argonaut Kraken regulators ever made is likely only a few hundred units (estimated in the low- to mid-200s). This makes the Argonaut Kraken a rare piece of diving equipment. Its launch in 2014 was a landmark for vintage-style gear, and every Kraken produced over the subsequent years carries a bit of that history.