HOG Regs
- Thread starter Ozwald
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I like the concept of folks being able to service their own regs, but I gotta say, it really worries me. I had a customer, who was a phd and research scientist at a large pharm company, drill out the the hp ports because he did not think the hole was big enough! I know this is an extreme example, but the list goes on and on.
Admittedly, there are some equally surprising folks passing themselves off as reg techs. So, I really can't blame folks for wanting to service their own regs. I would suggest to people to interview the reg tech, the same way they might do their research on a dive shop, instructor or resort.
If a reg tech says he can bang out regs in 20 minutes, that is not someone that you want servicing your life support equipment. I spend about 15 to 20 minutes in pre-service care and testing and it takes me about 1.5 hours to do the annual service on a reg setup. I have also invested in a flow bench, specialty tools like a torque wrench and ultrasonic cleaner, etc.
I personally find it a better use of my time and resources to find a good neighborhood mechanic instead of buying brake pads a the auto parts store and doing it myself, but that is just me. If you are buying a specific brand of reg because you can service it yourself, again, be sure to do all of your homework. Does the cost of the course, the tools you may need to buy and your time make sense to you and your needs? That is a question only you can answer.
And I was told that most of the folks that take this course do not service their own regs afterward, but tend to ship them to the instructor and have them do it. That just struck me as odd.
Admittedly, there are some equally surprising folks passing themselves off as reg techs. So, I really can't blame folks for wanting to service their own regs. I would suggest to people to interview the reg tech, the same way they might do their research on a dive shop, instructor or resort.
If a reg tech says he can bang out regs in 20 minutes, that is not someone that you want servicing your life support equipment. I spend about 15 to 20 minutes in pre-service care and testing and it takes me about 1.5 hours to do the annual service on a reg setup. I have also invested in a flow bench, specialty tools like a torque wrench and ultrasonic cleaner, etc.
I personally find it a better use of my time and resources to find a good neighborhood mechanic instead of buying brake pads a the auto parts store and doing it myself, but that is just me. If you are buying a specific brand of reg because you can service it yourself, again, be sure to do all of your homework. Does the cost of the course, the tools you may need to buy and your time make sense to you and your needs? That is a question only you can answer.
And I was told that most of the folks that take this course do not service their own regs afterward, but tend to ship them to the instructor and have them do it. That just struck me as odd.
You only have to find someone who will let you take the "course." At 250 bucks an hour or two, that shouldn't be too difficult. The disclaimer is, oh my, just a disclaimer. I can only wonder what kind of Secret Lore is in one of dem mauals.
Rich Keller
Contributor
I have not had the chance to dive a HOG yet but the idea to make a regulator that does not require special tools to service is in my opinion brilliant! Access to parts is also easy and cheap. I have been servicing my own equipment for decades having to work around all the special tool applications put there by manufactures for no other reason then to keep people like me from doing my own service and therefor dependent on the LDS. Once you take a course on how to service a regulator you will be surprised if not shocked by how easy this is to do. Once you know how I would expect you will then have questions to ask of your LDS. Like: Why did my reg free flow the first dive after being serviced when it is such a simple adjustment to get right? Why did it take weeks to have the reg overhauled when I can do it in 20 minutes? Even if your LDS handles your reg service properly they will not be out on a boat with you when something goes wrong but if you know how to do this it can save your dive. Save 2 or 3 dives and you will have more then paid for your course.
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I think this thread has gone off topic.... I take a dive holiday every year (2-3months). Last year I bought an Apek Flight set on SALE for $575 (1st,second,octo). It was nice and light but under 100ft(30m) it was hard to breath. I did one hundred dives or so on it no prob. After countless posts and stories about how great HOG regs are I decided to sell my flight set and wait for the Black Friday sales where I knew I could get a set for less than half of what I re-sold my Flight set for. In fact I ended up getting the Edge (yoke, D2 clone, and DS4 copy, yeah i said it) for $165!!!! What a steal. I've used it only 10 dives since (just started my trip) but so far I LOVE it. Breaths better at depths. Sure, it's not flashy and light like my flight but really the savings is less than 2lbs. Yeah, Apeks makes a great regs and are proven. But the fact is HOG/Edge are practicably the same thing/clones (yeah, I said it) for a fraction of the cost. Scuba gear has a high markup typically, a xtx50 and Ds4 would run me $400+. At the end of the day it is not that complicated a piece of equipment. Use the design that is proven for cheaper and access to parts and information is a winning combo and seen throughout product history. The rest is all marketing and BS. I dive internationally mostly and shy away from LDS most seen to have financial incentives/agendas. I rather use the money for more photography gear (if only things got cheaper there....) HOG/EDGE was smart by taking a different marketing and product development approach (grass roots, end user based). I applaud HOG/Edge for closing the price gap of quality gear, this can have a great impact on the prices of gear and support in the future market place.
OP
Ozwald
Contributor
I very much doubt there are the same, as APEKS produce all of their regs in house in the UK, and I suspect the HOG regs are made by a manupacker. (When I ordered my second stages HOG/Edge were waiting to take delivery of stockwhich suggests to me they are not made in house). Still very nice regs though.
Not the same, otherwise they'd be APEKS right? But definitely somebody in Taiwan took an APEKS apart and cloned it. This is not a bad thing....we all still love Harley Davidson's right?
Garth
Contributor
Tech diver on a budget. Paying more to get some other level of quality is a myth. You don't have to pay out the ass to do mid level technical diving. I dive HOGs because they are IMO the same as APeKs.
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