Need a single part - Hollis won't sell

[tbone1004]

@almostDIR the cheaper parts if you service thru the shop is not the case here. Unless you have a parts for life program which is a waste of money, the shops charge full retail on the kits, THEN charge you to service so it's prohibitively expensive if you own a bunch of regulators.

 

[jgttrey]

FWIW, those kits @ams511 posted work fine for the F8. I've had no problem finding parts kits for my F8s. I've got six or eight right now that I bought in the last few weeks.

 

[W W Meixner]

AMS...

Taking life support equipment apart without training/practical application/proper tools/testing equipment...is unsound...and potentially dangerous...I've been ScubaPro reg service certified for a long time...and in that time...service parts have never been offered to the public..how distant is distant...

Even having certificates is no guarantee of parts source/access...as most certificates are taken through and attached to a specific ''shop''...when that shop access is gone...so is access to parts...you can then use your certificate to wrap fish...

Firms that you have mentioned...HOG/Deep 6...have manufacturer authorized instructors that offer certificate courses...having said that...knowing what to do is only part of the equation...having all the proper tools testing equipment/compressed air source is also necessary...

I will not service reg sets for myself...or anyone else for which I do not have certification for...and certainly not for anyone else as a private citizen...certificates/kits/tools/equipment or not...

W...

 

[Kharon]

You can purchase the o-rings and the seats for the second stage from a number of places.

If you have an old seat and diaphragm from the first stage you can try to match it up with a Trident aftermarket part. I know it is a PITA but once done you do not need to worry anymore.

Yeah, what I need is the valve diaphragm for the 500SE 2nd stage. The only one I've found that contains that valve is this one:

Hollis Service Kit for 500SE 2nd stage

Since this is the reg I have, all the talk about parts for other regs & 1st stages, while interesting, doesn't help my plight.

And, @W W Meixner - give me a break. You guys act like it requires some sort of combination of rocket science and brain surgery.. In almost all cases it's straightforward, especially if you have the service manual and the tools. The 500SE doesn't even have any special tools. Here's the list: small flat blade screwdriver, 1/4" deep wall socket, 9/16 open end wrench, 13/16"open end wrench, 15/16" open end wrench, wooden dowel, O-ring pick. See anything exotic or complicated to use? Nope, didn't think so. In fact the part I need to replace is a simple unscrew, drop out the part, drop in the new part, screw it back together - done.

 

[StefinSB]

Even if it were true that one can obtain parts in Europe, shops tend to not sell them...it is a bit easier to find parts online but not tremendously easier than in the US. The prevailing mentality in at least Western Europe is to take your regs to a shop for service as most divers obtain specific diving insurance and there is a fear that if there is an issue with a regulator that causes injury or death the mutual/insurance company will not cover/pay if someone services their own regulator and they are not certified by the manufacturer to do so. Shops tend to not sell parts to the public because it is not in their interest to do so even if the law provides for it,

In the US the issue of parts availability is fear of lawsuit. In Western Europe the issue of parts availability is the economic impact on the shop coupled with the fear the individual diver's insurance will not provide coverage in case of a regulator related issue.

-Z

Maybe in Belgium. About three years ago I stayed in in Berlin and found a diveshop closeby. Out of curiosity I walked in to look around and walked out with service kits for Apeks.

 

[almostDIR]

@almostDIR the cheaper parts if you service thru the shop is not the case here. Unless you have a parts for life program which is a waste of money, the shops charge full retail on the kits, THEN charge you to service so it's prohibitively expensive if you own a bunch of regulators.

sounds like the Finnish scuba shops don't have enough customers and they thus want to give the best possible experience they can whereas the US shops have maybe even too many customers and thus they don't need to treat them nicely all the time
mind you that I have only known the LDS guys a couple of months and already get very good deals from them.
not that those Apeks kits would be too expensive even if paying the normal price maybe if purchasing them for 10 reg sets it would matter

 

[W W Meixner]

Yeah, what I need is the valve diaphragm for the 500SE 2nd stage. The only one I've found that contains that valve is this one:

Hollis Service Kit for 500SE 2nd stage

Since this is the reg I have, all the talk about parts for other regs & 1st stages, while interesting, doesn't help my plight.

And, @W W Meixner - give me a break. You guys act like it requires some sort of combination of rocket science and brain surgery.. In almost all cases it's straightforward, especially if you have the service manual and the tools. The 500SE doesn't even have any special tools. Here's the list: small flat blade screwdriver, 1/4" deep wall socket, 9/16 open end wrench, 13/16"open end wrench, 15/16" open end wrench, wooden dowel, O-ring pick. See anything exotic or complicated to use? Nope, didn't think so. In fact the part I need to replace is a simple unscrew, drop out the part, drop in the new part, screw it back together - done.

K...

Nothing to do with science/surgery...rocket/brain or otherwise...just a desire on my part to do things as they should be done...and to take the time to learn a skill from a knowledgable/trained person so that the work can be done as it should be...

You may proceed anyway you see fit...

W...

 

[michael-fisch]

Yes, even in Belgium the health insurance will usually cover a chamber ride, but if there is a death or one needs treatment outside of Belgium while diving on vacation, the dive specific insurance will most likely refuse to pay if it is found that one serviced their own equipment and they were not specifically certified to do so. That is my understanding.

-Z

I'm so glad that I use AquaMed as a primary insurer for diving incidents. The 2 times that I needed them, they instantly responded, maintained communication with the hospital n treatment chamber several times a day and called me within 30 minutes of being released from the hospital. No problem covering 2 helicopter flights, and 4 chamber rides the first time, and they spent hours talking to my ENT, Cardio, and pneumological specialists when I inhaled sorb soup and spent a week in the hospital and 6 weeks in rehab the 2nd time. When they told me to file a claim for the hospital meals that were billed directly to me, the money was in my account 2 days after I responded by email. I will continue to use AquaMed untill afer I give up diving - they really treated me right, both times.

Michael

 

[ams511]

AMS...

Taking life support equipment apart without training/practical application/proper tools/testing equipment...is unsound...and potentially dangerous...I've been ScubaPro reg service certified for a long time...and in that time...service parts have never been offered to the public..how distant is distant...

Even having certificates is no guarantee of parts source/access...as most certificates are taken through and attached to a specific ''shop''...when that shop access is gone...so is access to parts...you can then use your certificate to wrap fish...

Firms that you have mentioned...HOG/Deep 6...have manufacturer authorized instructors that offer certificate courses...having said that...knowing what to do is only part of the equation...having all the proper tools testing equipment/compressed air source is also necessary...

I will not service reg sets for myself...or anyone else for which I do not have certification for...and certainly not for anyone else as a private citizen...certificates/kits/tools/equipment or not...

W...

How distant is distant is when scuba first became popular in the 50s and 60s. Vance Harlow mentioned in his book that the manufacturers used to sell travel kits which were just rebuild kits under a different name. Not sure when they stopped. As mentioned, in other countries kits are freely available.

I know that a certificate is worthless. DA Aquamaster lamented that even with years of experience Scubapro would not sell him parts. He wanted to set up an independent service shop. Others mentioned the same.

The proper tools are cheap if you know where to purchase them. I have 2 magnehelics I paid about $20-25 each for. An IP gauge is $20 and you can purchase an ultrasonic cleaners for $60 (with coupon) at Harbor Freight or eBay. The best bet for self-service is to find a regulator that does not require many special tools. My compressed air source is two scuba tanks. One high and one low. Apeks has a flash presentation out showing how to service their regulators using a sink to measure cracking pressure.

If you pick your regulator well then self-service is not a problem. Also I do not fix regs for others just myself.

 

[ams511]

sounds like the Finnish scuba shops don't have enough customers and they thus want to give the best possible experience they can whereas the US shops have maybe even too many customers and thus they don't need to treat them nicely all the time
mind you that I have only known the LDS guys a couple of months and already get very good deals from them.
not that those Apeks kits would be too expensive even if paying the normal price maybe if purchasing them for 10 reg sets it would matter

Selling parts only to dealers may be illegal but no one has taken them to court. I can walk into any car dealership and purchase any part I want without a hassle.

Apeks would own the market in the US if they sold for the same price here as in Europe. But they charge about double here than what they go for in Europe.