I don't have any dealers... the model is not dealer based. There will be some demo centers and we will work with Ind Instructors but it isn't dealer based.
Target Regulators for Warm Water Newbies
- Thread starter djpeteski
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
There is only ONE person that services my regulator. He is a professional, works in a close by dive shop and knows much more about servicing regulator that I could ever dream for. It goes without saying that when I am talking about having anyone to service a regulator, I am talking about somebody that you know and trust.
I can service my Apeks regs anywhere in the world as long as I remember to pack the service kits + couple of Hook spanners with me.
If I screw it up then I have only myself to blame. Anyway, I trust myself better than anyone else.
If I screw it up then I have only myself to blame. Anyway, I trust myself better than anyone else.
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
Sorry to say but if you trust yourself more than anyone else for everything in life, you are on the wrong track
halocline
Contributor
That's good for you. How do new divers go about making sure their regulators are also serviced by someone competent? Certainly there are good service techs in the world, but there are also some really not-so-good ones and because the certification standard is laughably low, there's no industry consistency.
You said it in an earlier post. Regulators are more likely to have problems immediately after servicing. Well, who do you think is doing this servicing that results in problems? It's not the new divers themselves.
Caveeagle
Contributor
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
I certainly don't believe self service / DIY is the right path for everyone. I have the 'DIY' gene sort of hard wired into me since I was a kid. I was always taking things apart to see how they worked and generally try to fix things myself whenever possible. I do also have a healthy perspective on safety and do a ton of research before I dig into almost any project.
Freewillow: Its great that you have a source for service that you have complete trust in. (I assume for a fair price), For some, that is not the case. I could give you dozens of examples of times I chose to hire a 'professional' to provide a service only to find out I was overcharged, and underserviced.
I know its not diving related, but I also do a lot of automotive mechanical work. There are many times that I just don't want to work on my own car. But, I can typically do a brake job myself in about 1/2 the time it takes me to get it done by the corner shop. And, I know 100% that it was done correctly. I have the confidence and experience to do this.
My issue with the typical "shop service" model, is that most divers seem to take the "Ignorance is bliss" approach. It either works, or I take it into the shop. And I'm not confident that most divers have any idea how to trouble shoot a reg. What are the early signals that a 1st or 2nd stage is starting to go out of spec? Where do you draw the line between a minor or major issue? Call the dive? Or get it checked out ASAP? And this why I hate the "annual" or "2yr" service model.
I had a buddy cancel out on a trip to Dutch Springs a few years back because he had just noticed his regs were "expired" and needed to get them in for the annual service.
*Sorry to perpetuate the threadjacking.. I just think service is one of the most important considerations for new divers buying regs.*
What I was trying to get across earlier was that I think the kind of people who as novice divers are attracted to the idea of servicing their own regs are the dive nerds--perfectionists. Engineer types. People who enjoy tinkering and using esoteric tools like pin spanners and Magnehelic gauges. The kind of people who take safety seriously. Not just in their equipment but also in their diving procedures.
Sure, statistically speaking, anything serviced by an expert technician is more likely to be done correctly than the same thing serviced by a novice technician, but I am not sure we can apply that kind of statistical reasoning here. There are so relatively few novice divers who are going to want to service their own regs. As has been pointed out, "not everyone wants to service their own regs." A diver with only 20 dives probably won't be interested in the service class. Not only is the newly minted diver's focus simply on how and where to go diving, but his regs won't even need servicing yet. A diver with 100 dives might be interested. My thinking is that a dive nerd with 100 dives is also likely to have gone above and beyond the normal course of training and experience by either having gotten some mentoring or having taken some additional training of the type that appeals to dive nerds, such as GUE or UTD. Or at least diving on a regular basis. This is not your once-a-year vacation diver we're talking about. The dive nerd with 100 dives is not going to panic if the reg breathes wet--he has a bungeed backup or some other plan and has practiced the procedure. And returning to the first point, it's fairly unlikely in the first place that such a diver's reg is going to have that kind of problem, because the diver spent a lot of time making sure everything is just right (perhaps unlike the time-pressured dive shop technician).
In sum, I think the combination of a diver with relatively poor safety skills using self-serviced regs is unlikely.
Sure, statistically speaking, anything serviced by an expert technician is more likely to be done correctly than the same thing serviced by a novice technician, but I am not sure we can apply that kind of statistical reasoning here. There are so relatively few novice divers who are going to want to service their own regs. As has been pointed out, "not everyone wants to service their own regs." A diver with only 20 dives probably won't be interested in the service class. Not only is the newly minted diver's focus simply on how and where to go diving, but his regs won't even need servicing yet. A diver with 100 dives might be interested. My thinking is that a dive nerd with 100 dives is also likely to have gone above and beyond the normal course of training and experience by either having gotten some mentoring or having taken some additional training of the type that appeals to dive nerds, such as GUE or UTD. Or at least diving on a regular basis. This is not your once-a-year vacation diver we're talking about. The dive nerd with 100 dives is not going to panic if the reg breathes wet--he has a bungeed backup or some other plan and has practiced the procedure. And returning to the first point, it's fairly unlikely in the first place that such a diver's reg is going to have that kind of problem, because the diver spent a lot of time making sure everything is just right (perhaps unlike the time-pressured dive shop technician).
In sum, I think the combination of a diver with relatively poor safety skills using self-serviced regs is unlikely.
Then we are in agreement. HAve a great day.
Fossil_Diver
Contributor
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 have numerous regs including Poseidon, Scubapro, Mares, US Divers and several different Sherwoods. In warm Florida waters I use my Sherwood Oasis that I purchased new back in 1993 more often than any other reg I own because it always seems to work and is easy to maintain and adjust. They are a rock solid dry bleed sealed piston design that has passed the test of time. I have been breathing on that Sherwood for 23 years and it has never given me any troubles. I can't say the same for my other regs.
I like all my regs for different reasons but if I had to choose only one reg to keep it would probably be my Sherwood.
I have numerous regs including Poseidon, Scubapro, Mares, US Divers and several different Sherwoods. In warm Florida waters I use my Sherwood Oasis that I purchased new back in 1993 more often than any other reg I own because it always seems to work and is easy to maintain and adjust. They are a rock solid dry bleed sealed piston design that has passed the test of time. I have been breathing on that Sherwood for 23 years and it has never given me any troubles. I can't say the same for my other regs.
I like all my regs for different reasons but if I had to choose only one reg to keep it would probably be my Sherwood.
Here's the thing. We live in a world where people are (relatively speaking compared with previous generations) Cash rich and time poor. I'll hold my hand up to that. I served and apprenticeship in light and heavy vehicle maintenance, then joined the Royal Airforce, and still have current certifications to strip and rebuild 7 different types of jet engines. Do I service my own regs - do I heck.
Okay I'm lucky. I have a service centre that is a 10 minute drive. although it's part of the largest LDS, all the other (competing) commercial ops use it for their work. The guy in charge is THE go to guy, not only for all the other operations but the police, and rescue services too. Indeed the only negative is that he's Scottish
That aside, I see the the desire in the US for some to service their own regs, due to lack of options between service centres or distance to get to them. Each to their own. Although as a material scientist when I see threads on here with people wondering if their 30 year old service kit is still okay I do wonder.
Can you do it better than a shop? Yes and no. Yes you can spend more time (although you service your regs once a year rather than daily -so could be lacking in practice and experience) but you maybe don't have the access to the better instruments and service bulletins.
However some people get a satisfaction about doing it themselves and fine do it. At teh end of the day it's your geasr and if you're happy with it, then fine.
My regs go in yearly. No messing every seal and O ring gets changed. I don't buy in to this "On Condition" if you've opened the equipment just change all the consumable items.
Do I think new divers should understand actually how their equipment works, yes I do, in the same way I think all car drivers should be able to understand the workings of their vehicle - except they don't and the majority aren't interested. Does it matter - not really.
Okay I'm lucky. I have a service centre that is a 10 minute drive. although it's part of the largest LDS, all the other (competing) commercial ops use it for their work. The guy in charge is THE go to guy, not only for all the other operations but the police, and rescue services too. Indeed the only negative is that he's Scottish
That aside, I see the the desire in the US for some to service their own regs, due to lack of options between service centres or distance to get to them. Each to their own. Although as a material scientist when I see threads on here with people wondering if their 30 year old service kit is still okay I do wonder.
Can you do it better than a shop? Yes and no. Yes you can spend more time (although you service your regs once a year rather than daily -so could be lacking in practice and experience) but you maybe don't have the access to the better instruments and service bulletins.
However some people get a satisfaction about doing it themselves and fine do it. At teh end of the day it's your geasr and if you're happy with it, then fine.
My regs go in yearly. No messing every seal and O ring gets changed. I don't buy in to this "On Condition" if you've opened the equipment just change all the consumable items.
Do I think new divers should understand actually how their equipment works, yes I do, in the same way I think all car drivers should be able to understand the workings of their vehicle - except they don't and the majority aren't interested. Does it matter - not really.
Similar threads
