Should I buy a regulator?

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The number of divers who died in Florida last year from using a rental regulator?

-or-

The number of divers who died in Florida last year from using a cheap regulator?

The first correct answer to each wins a prize!
 
The number of divers who died in Florida last year from using a rental regulator?

-or-

The number of divers who died in Florida last year from using a cheap regulator?

The first correct answer to each wins a prize!

This question invites a biased sample. Those who rent gear are going to be less experienced divers on the average, and they may have more problems with other rental gear, such as suit/BC fit and problems with rental computer or in trying to use tables. I don't think it's relevant to the question.

Adam
 
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The number of divers who died in Florida last year from using a rental regulator?

-or-

The number of divers who died in Florida last year from using a cheap regulator?

The first correct answer to each wins a prize!

The answer is zero. What's my prize, a cheap rental regulator? :wink:
 
Thank God for the fact that opinions are like a$$holes, everybody's got one!

Luckily, matt's opinion is an informed one :wink:

Best wishes.
 
The answer is zero. What's my prize, a cheap rental regulator? :wink:

You are the winner. A slightly-used pink Tilos snorkel now has your name on it. In capital letters, M-A-T-T-B-O-Y. It is 100% reliable and requires no annual service. It has a flapper valve in it like a 1951 commode.

You may claim this prize at Scubaboard Headquarters, Executive Drive, Winter Park, FL. Or, I can mail it to you.
 
On salt water / vacation boat dives I always use rental gear. Not that much $$ to use and I get experience with ALL sorts of equipment. And if some emergency comes up (which it never has) more good training experience.

About the worse things I've found is depth gauges are off, regs are hard to breath or free flow some and pressure gauges are in bar and could not figure them out.

On the fresh water springs I use my own gear. I got 5 regs (3 modern, 2 older vinatge)

Never have had trouble with my own regs even with no servicing after 6 years for some. But I use triple redundancy - 1 pony reg, 1 main reg, and 1 back up reg. And if a reg does have trouble it just blow bubbles and wastes some air. It is not like it shuts down 100% (unless it gets frozen)

I was able to get my dive shop to replace the low pressure seat for about $12 ea in 2 old regs from ebay. As far as buying your own repair parts? Very hard to do in my experience.

I think the yearly reg repair work is for the shops to stay in biz. But on some hard tech or abusive day in and day out dives, seasonal teardowns are in order.

I am always amazed though at the people on the dive boats that use rental gear and only breath once or twice out of the reg to test it. I breath for about 15 seconds before I take the dive...rental gear or my own gear!

Computers? Don't use them. Do not dive near limits so would be a waste for me. Dive once a day, maybe twice sometimes. Nothing deep, average 40 to 60 feet, sometimes 70 to 80 feet.
 
1. It's not hard on your reg to only use it a few times/year if you rinse it well, and store it well. It's nice to take the pressure off the 2nd stage seat by slightly depressing the purge in storage. There is no wear on the 1st stage seat in storage. Quality regs treated this way can go years between servicing; don't let anyone scare you into thinking otherwise.

QUOTE]

Wonder if anyone makes a device for the reg to take the pressure off the seat?
 
Wonder if anyone makes a device for the reg to take the pressure off the seat?

My G250V has this feature built-in. You slightly depress and turn the purge button which locks it in place. SP's used to come with a small blue plastic tab that you inserted into the purge button that held it open during storage; and, IIRC, Dacor used to make a black plastic clip that fit over the second stage housing that held the purge down. I don't know if anyone makes a purge depressor device? Possibly Trident or Innovative. They seem to make every other little scuba doo-dad. A friend of mine uses a super ball cut in half and a rubber band.
 
My G250V has this feature built-in. You slightly depress and turn the purge button which locks it in place. SP's used to come with a small blue plastic tab that you inserted into the purge button that held it open during storage; and, IIRC, Dacor used to make a black plastic clip that fit over the second stage housing that held the purge down. I don't know if anyone makes a purge depressor device? Possibly Trident or Innovative. They seem to make every other little scuba doo-dad. A friend of mine uses a super ball cut in half and a rubber band.

Doesn't that put wear on the spring?
 

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