will do sibermike7, thanks for all recommendations
Since we at it, what do you guys think of annual servicing of the regulator? Is it necessary or just wasting time/money?
Depends on how you use it. If you do proper maintenance and care for your regulator then it is less important. For me, I dive from April/May to October. For the months between November to March it is usually not used at all. For this reason I'll get it services in March (just before the dive season) just to be sure it is working okay.
The other thing is that parts will wear out, rubber will need to be replaced, etc. You might need something replaced 4 years from now or it might be 7 years from now. Because there is no way to know for sure, you want someone to look at it annually. A lot of the times they'll just be noting that everything is fine and charge you for the labour.
The people who drag their regulator through the mud, don't rinse it after a salt water dive, etc. are typically the sort of person who thinks getting a regulator serviced is a waste of money.
Additionally, some people will do the basic checks on their regulators and only get it serviced when they think it needs it. It is sort of like, some people will have their car serviced at exactly the mileage indicated in the owner's manual but other people will check the oil viscosity and have it changed when they think it looks like it needs it. This depends on what you are comfortable with.
It is actually about risk management. If you don't get it serviced annually, you are accepting a certain level of risk in order to save a little money. You should remember, you're accepting risk for you and your buddy. Your regulator failure means his backup air source is at risk.