Annual equipment inspection??? Lots of questions?

[k ellis]

The better analog would be to ask do you get all safety systems checked and serviced every year and in accordance with manufacturer's recommendation to maintain your safety and that of everyone on the road with you?

As far as risk, they are far more accidents with driving than diving every day that kill people. And you drive every day!

Dwelling on minor points of diving safety when compared to all other things in life always confuses me.

Thats true. I was just putting my 2 cents in to the pot. As to the maitenance anyway

 

[netdiver]

Thats true. I was just putting my 2 cents in to the pot. As to the maitenance anyway

And you should.... That's why we're here. Mine was probably only worth a penny.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Folks are advised to have an annual equipment (gages, bcd,etc) inspection.

Some questions:
(1) local shops charge anywhere from $35.00 to $250.00 for an annual inspection.
(2) why can't I just don everything and test it myself in my friends pool?
(3) is there an official guide or check off list for an inspection?
(4) is there some liability on the paid inspector?
(5) should I expect some certificate or other paperword documenting the inspection?
(6) what % of folks really get an annual inspection?
of the folks I talk to , most of them pee-paw the idea of an annual inspection

Thanks,
Lolly

Hi Lolly,

Welcome to ScubaBoard. Proper care and regular inspection of all of your equipment is important. In fact it is vital.

That said, the vast majority of equipment inspections are things you should do yourself as part of your pre-dive and post-dive routine. You need to become familiar enough with all of your equipment and it's proper function that you can instantly see when "something is not right".

As far as annual inspections? Only for regulators. And note that I said inspection, not "service". In fact, here is a link to regulator inspections that every diver can and should do for themselves:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/260452-regulator-checklist-inspection.html

As far as annual service, overhaul, or whatever you want to call it.... no. The frequency that your regulator needs service is entirely dependant on how often the regulator is used, how well it is cleaned after use, and if it is properly stored. Regulators that are heavily and roughly used, especially in "dirty" water, may need servicing at intervals that are shorter than one year. Regs that are well maintained and carefully "cared" for may go years without needing service. Again, refer to the link above for ways to monitor your regulator's performance, and to learn when it is time for a service.

When regulators need service, it is highly unusual for them to "fail" all at once. Generally, regulators fail "gracefully", as the "soft parts" inside gradually lose their ability to seal. Performance will degrade, slight leaks and freeflows can occur.

The only catastrophic failures I've known of have occured after annual service, due to assembly errors by the "tech". But even when a tech goofs, regulators are pretty darned forgiving, and the most common "failure" is a freeflow.

So what should the brand new diver do? Educate themselves as much as they can about the equipment they own. Learn how to do non-invasive inspections yourself. If you have some mechanical ability, make the effort to learn to do the servicing yourself. Search the regulator section of ScubaBoard for some good discussions (arguments?) on this topic

Best wishes

 

[k ellis]

Kind of off subject a tad Net I have heard of a dive quarrie not far from San Antonio supposedly but have not got much time to research it. Are there any good dive locations in the area?

 

[Jeff Toorish]

This is all explained in your OW class or should be.

Well said, Jim.

 

[Thalassamania]

While a lot of people trash talk alot of PADIs courses I would say one of my more beneificial courses would have to be the equipment specialty. While it really serves very little purpose for the actual in the dive part it helps better understand why upkeep is so vital. And when it does come in useful in the water its usually because you have a problem and can trouble shoot it more effectively.

Given the right instructor it may be the best course in the PADI curriculum. It may even cover all the material that non-PADI Instructors often cover in their entry level courses ... too bad it's an extra-priced product.

Actually the information that we are talking about, IMHO, serves a lot of purpose, "in the dive part."

Taking for instance the regulator. While it has several parts too it and each one is in equality just as vital the most likely to go wrong with even a maintained regulator would be wear and tear that you never even see from the outside. Im not good with actual names so all I can do is discribe it but there is a rubber part that goes on the inside of the regulator and with time can dry out and crack. If this happens it can cause a free flow. because you would never know it until its too late to save a dive or your life this alone would be the most important reason why maintaining your gear annually is a must.

And to stop lecturing and get straight to the point. What would you rather have an annual expense and peace of mind or be diving at 100 + feet and realize some peace of gear just caused you a serious problem due to neglect?

I'd agree with you if I thought that the annual expense was buying real peace of mind rather than just a false sense of security. Much more important is the functional test that we teach all our divers to perform at the start of every dive:

1. Look your regulator over for signs of abuse (dents, cracks, abrasion, etc.)
2. Make sure the mouthpiece is secure on the second state and has not cracks or holes.
3. Look your regulator over for signs of corrosion, pay special attention to the little screen or scintered filter at the first stage inlet. Green corrosion here means seawater got in, brown or red means freshwater.
4. Check for physical damage or deterioration on you hoses. Do not use those rubber strain reliefs that many shops cover your hose swedges with, they hide a multitude of sins, as do those braided hose covers.
5. Check each hose to regulator connection Make sure that it is just a bit more than hand tight.
6. Put your regulator on your tank, but do not pressurize it. Take a short breath and make sure that you get a tiny bit of air and then suck a gentle vacuum that holds for a few seconds. This will tell you if you have a leak in your exhaust diaphragm or second stage diaphragm. If you do have even a small leak, cover the exhaust tee openings, if the problem goes away it's your exhaust valve, if it continues it's your second stage diaphragm.
7. Turn on your air and listen for any leaks.
8. Once you get into the water, do a bubble check on your buddy (first stage, second stage(s), pressure gauge, all hoses with real attention to the swedged fittings).

 

[vladimir]

I think you mean swage, not swedge.

 

[Thalassamania]

Correct, ah ... the joys of having added an incorrectly spelled word to the spell checker.

Anyone know how to remove a word from a Firefox spell checker? Please PM me. Thanks.

 

[Gen San Chris]

Its up to you to decide, how much is your life worth! All my gear including my rental stuff is serviced every less than one year, when my service guy comes everything gets done even if it does not need to be! I have not lost any customers so far!

 

[Thalassamania]

Its up to you to decide, how much is your life worth!

What foolishness. Anytime someone who wants to sell you a product tells you that, "it's life support," or "you're 'gonna die," put your hand over your wallet and walk away.