Important to test new reg in pool for going on trip?

[The Chairman]

Lets see... my choices are:

1: To burn $5.00 of air in a pool, work on my trim & buoyancy, and check out my new (or rebuilt) toys?

2: Or jump on that plane (how much was that ticket?) to stay at a resort (that cost me how much again?) and then get on a boat (which is even MORE money) only to have my dive ruined by a HP seat that's allowing the IP to creep and causes intermittent free flows.

The first one will get me some great memories, and the second will give me a bunch of regrets. Not a hard choice for me to make.

 

[ScubaTexan]

The only reason I said it might not be especially necessary is because not everyone has access to a pool. If you do have access to a pool, it is definitely a good idea.

 

[Hobbs]

Why not think of it like this

is it a lot of hassle to go down and do what you love doing to check out that your new gear is working ok... it could save you some money aswell as give you a good time ..

good luck wherever you are going

 

[scubatoys]

The only reason I said it might not be especially necessary is because not everyone has access to a pool. If you do have access to a pool, it is definitely a good idea.

I don't know how many shops do this... but we have an indoor heated pool - and it's free for any of our customers to use any time there is not a class going on. If you bought your regs from us - we don't even charge for the tanks, weights, etc...

They way I look at it, it cost me $75,000 to dig the pool in our new shop... If no one is going to get in it... It's just going to piss me off!

 

[MikeFerrara]

I'd say it's a good idea to test any piece of equipment out before counting on it. Although I've never had a problem with a reg after I serviced it.

I don't travel by air usually and I carry plenty of regs with me when I go diving. I also carry parts. In fact I often service regs while on vacation diving because that's when I can relax and enjoy it the most.

We don't have a convenient pool and I don't need one to test a reg. In fact a reg can seem to work great in the pool but still not be right.

A couple of easy tests that you can't do in a pool....

Get an intermediate pressure gauge. Some just snap onto your inflator hose. Pressurize the reg and cycle the reg (breath off it or bump the purge). Make sure that the intermediate pressure returns to where it belongs without significant creeping. A slight amount of creep for a few seconds is normal for some regs. Then let is sit for a while (like hours) and make sure there isn't any creep.

Do a neg pressure test...
Turn the tank off but leave it connected. Purge the reg. Try to breath off it. You shouldn't be able to suck any air through. This test will tell you if you have a leak in a diaphragm or an o-ring that might let water in from the outside. This test should be done prior to each dive!

A reg can seem to work fine in the pool but can still have a leaky HP seat and be close to complete failure and you won't know in the pool.

Often when a reg breaths a little wet a neg pressure test will tell you before you get in the water that there's a problem.

 

[scubadoguk]

When people pick up a reg from service from our store I always offer them the chance to come along to the pool, now if like the last person who had picked up her reg she had less than a week before she left did not want us to touch her octo or her guages only the 1st and primary ?? then who I wonder who will be held responsible if it won't perform correctly!
Happily it seems less and less people leave the service till the last moment.

 

[Rick Murchison]

To expand a little on my earlier post, when there's a trip involved, especially for those divers who are "trip-only" divers, I highly encourage everyone to get in the pool (we are lucky enough to have an indoor heated pool at the shop) with all the gear they're going to use underwater on their trip, including cameras, strobes, lights, etc., and with gear completely rigged (slates, knives, spools, other accessories) - in addition to their TDS (Total Diving System) - and swim around for awhile, checking weighting (yes, we work out a salt water correction for 'em), buoyancy, leaks, and making sure everything works and can be easily used.
Not only does this elevate the likelihood that everything will work on the trip, you'd be amazed at how many folk discover they've left out some "essential-for-a-good-time-diving" little piece of their kit.
One short evening in the pool can save literally days of heartburn on a trip.
Rick