Target Regulators for Warm Water Newbies

[Freewillow]

@diving dubai. Right on the money

This is what I have tried to say. Now if some geeks want to do it on their own, fair with me. But personally I think it is too much af an hassle. Plus if you want to make it properly, all the tools and instrumenst you need in order to to it "professionaly" is not worth it the investment. A trusty professional is better than me. I am self confident enough that I can trust the professional that I know personally. They can do a better job, just because it is their job .

 

[Lorenzoid]

I really don't want to service my own regs, but it costs roughly $100 every time I have a set (first stage and two second stages) serviced. Also, I have had regs come back from servicing and immediately misbehave. Between my wife and me, we have six first stages and eight second stages. Even if my service bench equipment ends of costing $1000, it just clearly makes sense to me to do it myself.

 

[Centrals]

and how do you check MP from your first stage with no tools, what about ultrasonic cleaning?

Sorry to say but if you trust yourself more than anyone else for everything in life, you are on the wrong track

Do you think an IP gauge is anything special? Most if not all dive shops would have one or two lying around.
If you need an ultrasonic bath to clean your equipment then you should ask yourself if you can survive without electricity in life. There is always alternative.
If I can do it myself I will do it without ever troubling someone else. After buying my first car I immediately enrolled for a course on car maintenance. And I never looked back. You and I are living world apart.

 

[Freewillow]

[QUOTE=". You and I are living world apart.[/QUOTE]

Luckily so

 

[Bob DBF]

At around $200 new probably the best bang for the buck in warm water regs for a newb diver would be the Sherwood Oasis. If the diver decides to go advanced then they can use the Sherwood as a pony bottle or stage reg. They are excellent for that due to their reliability. Although they may not breath as well at extreme depth like a Poseidon would they are very reliable, built like a tank and are easy to get serviced. Those are some of the reasons that Sherwoods are one of the most popular rental regs ever. If Poseidon is the Ferarri of regs then Sherwood is the Ford truck of regs.

I'm another Sherwood fan. My 1980's reg now rides on my pony bottle, when I upgraded to a newer model, because it never failed me in over 20 years of use. I also have a number other regs now, and they all have their advantages, but Sherwood has been my go to workhorse.

As for repairing your own reg, the OP should take the advice of the sticky at the head of this forum, Regulator Inspection and Checklist (Rev-7). Every diver should know enough about the maintenance of their reg to help keep it running well and know when it should be repaired. I work on my own regs but I have been working on equipment much more complicated than SCUBA gear most of my life, and I had most of the tools necessary when I started. Reg repair is not all that hard but I don't recommend it to anyone not mechanically inclined or interested.


Bob

 

[buddhasummer]

Although nice to have, an Ultrsonic cleaner is far from necessary assuming proper post dive care. I have been servicing my Apeks for coming on 10 years, I've never had an issue. I'm not suggesting DIY is for everyone but if one is so inclined and spends some time reading up its just not that hard, which makes me wonder why so many LDS f%#* it up so frequently. I've experienced multiple issues from multiple shops over the years, in the end I had had enough. If one is not interested in DIY and "manages" to find a good LDS to service, then great, but for some of us DIY is the most viable option. YMMV.

 

[Centrals]

I used to pay US$50.00 for Scubapro to change the battery of my ageing Uwatec Aladin until they put up the charge to US$100.00. So I tried to find a cheap solution. And thanks to SB it is now costing me about $10.00 and 20-30mins for the bother. My mates also benefit because of it(DIY). I really wished I had done it earlier.

Back to the original question:
Apeks is the only brand that I am familiar. Unfortunately, the initial expenditure is probably a bit too much nowadays. A used FSR(1st stage) with ATX 50(2nd stage) would be great.
FSR is the only model in which the orifice(valve seat) can be replaced. For all other models if that part is damaged then the 1st stage is history.

 

[Caveeagle]

.... I have been servicing my Apeks for coming on 10 years, I've never had an issue. I'm not suggesting DIY is for everyone but if one is so inclined and spends some time reading up its just not that hard, which makes me wonder why so many LDS f%#* it up so frequently. I've experienced multiple issues from multiple shops over the years, in the end I had had enough.

Some people have perpetuated the idea that shops with high volume will give better service because they have so much experience. You are making a big assumption if you buy into this 100%. It has been my experience (not just with SCUBA), that there is very little statistical correlation between volume and error rates, when many "process change-overs" are involved. This means, that unless you can isolate all the variables (ie: type of equipment, brand/model, service tech, service required, time allowed etc) ..then you should expect a high degree of variability in your results. Now, this can be controlled with a good amount of QC testing, or other steps to mitigate the variable factors (ie: process check lists, performance audits etc).

In my early days, I had a US divers reg serviced. When I cam in to pick it up, the shop "tech" had to scurry around to figure out where my reg was. He found it had been partially disassembled, by someone else. He quickly finished the job, and it all turned out ok, but left me with an uneasy feeling about the whole exchange.

... If one is not interested in DIY and "manages" to find a good LDS to service, then great, but for some of us DIY is the most viable option. YMMV.

^^I agree.. If you are going to pay for service of your regs, I suggest you ask a few questions. Try not to be annoying, but I would want to make sure they have a good process and test out all their work. And, as a customer, you should always consider your first dive with a rebuilt reg as a "test"

 

[halocline]

At the very least, a freshly serviced regulator should be pressurized for some time, maybe a few hours, and carefully vacuum and leak tested. This is very easy with a small tank and a tub of water. If the reg breathes well, holds vacuum, and doesn't leak after a few hours pressurized, it's very likely to work fine in the water. I also put an IP gauge on the LP inflator when leaving it pressurized for a few hours to check for very slow IP creep.

IMO all divers should be able to competently check their regulators for pressure leaks, vacuum leaks, and stable IP. It's very easy, and an IP gauge is all of $10. This is simply part of checking your gear before using it.