How's this for stupid

fairybasslet · Sep 2, 2006

On my part and the part of my LDS. Before I went to Bonaire, I had my reg serviced. I checked it out in the pool at my LDS and it seemed ok. I did 4 days of boat dives and shore dives and everything was fine. Then on the next to last day, I did a shore dive entry that was kind of rough. All of a sudden, my reg is breathing really wet. In fact, it's not breathing at all. I put my hand to my mouth and lo and behold, the only thing in my mouth is the mouthpiece! I got it back on and finished my dive, being conscious of my loose mouthpiece and checking it every few minutes or so.
When I got out of the water, I noticed the mouthpiece had no zip tie on it and the whole thing was trimmed all the way around so that the lip was missing. My LDS is going to replace the thing today and the guy was very apologetic on the phone, but why would they give me back my reg in that condition? It never even occured to me to check out my mouthpiece when I got it back because I never ran into this before. Lesson learned. Don't take anything for granted.

Storm · Sep 2, 2006

fairybasslet:
On my part and the part of my LDS. Before I went to Bonaire, I had my reg serviced. I checked it out in the pool at my LDS and it seemed ok. I did 4 days of boat dives and shore dives and everything was fine. Then on the next to last day, I did a shore dive entry that was kind of rough. All of a sudden, my reg is breathing really wet. In fact, it's not breathing at all. I put my hand to my mouth and lo and behold, the only thing in my mouth is the mouthpiece! I got it back on and finished my dive, being conscious of my loose mouthpiece and checking it every few minutes or so.
When I got out of the water, I noticed the mouthpiece had no zip tie on it and the whole thing was trimmed all the way around so that the lip was missing. My LDS is going to replace the thing today and the guy was very apologetic on the phone, but why would they give me back my reg in that condition? It never even occured to me to check out my mouthpiece when I got it back because I never ran into this before. Lesson learned. Don't take anything for granted.

Thank you for this post.

You just added another thing to the night before a dive equipment checklist. It had not ocurred to me to doa visual inspection of the mouthpiece ties, but ironically, the ties on the LPI ARE on the list..:shakehead

TheRedHead · Sep 2, 2006

That was really stupid of your LDS, FB. I always carry several mouthpieces and zipties in my save a dive kit.

Rick Murchison · Sep 2, 2006

fairybasslet:
On my part and the part of my LDS. Before I went to Bonaire, I had my reg serviced. I checked it out in the pool at my LDS and it seemed ok. I did 4 days of boat dives and shore dives and everything was fine. Then on the next to last day, I did a shore dive entry that was kind of rough. All of a sudden, my reg is breathing really wet. In fact, it's not breathing at all. I put my hand to my mouth and lo and behold, the only thing in my mouth is the mouthpiece! I got it back on and finished my dive, being conscious of my loose mouthpiece and checking it every few minutes or so.
When I got out of the water, I noticed the mouthpiece had no zip tie on it and the whole thing was trimmed all the way around so that the lip was missing. My LDS is going to replace the thing today and the guy was very apologetic on the phone, but why would they give me back my reg in that condition? It never even occured to me to check out my mouthpiece when I got it back because I never ran into this before. Lesson learned. Don't take anything for granted.

I hate to say it, but this is "one of those things" that eventually happens if you dive long enough. Not necessary for the zip-tie to be missing for it to happen, either... The only time it happened to me was during a rescue class where we were playing pretty rough (I was "panicked under water") and the rescuing diver inadvertantly yanked the reg out of my mouth when I had a pretty good grip on the mouthpiece. Luckily I felt it pull loose so didn't have to discover it by a mouth full of water.
I've seen it happen to several folks.
Rick

DennisW · Sep 2, 2006

Donna had her mouthpiece come off while we were decending on a dive a couple of years ago. She was a little surprised, but she didn't have a real problem (many people aspirate water when this happens). I was right there and when I saw her regulator floating away, I took her mouthpiece, gave her octo to her, and we went back to the boat.

The stupid tech that didn't put the mouthpiece on tight enough with the zip tie? Me.

Mark Vlahos · Sep 2, 2006

It is possible that the shop missed putting on the zip tie, it is also possible that the one they put on broke. They do not break very often, but the darn things do break. Some mouth pieces have a "retaining" lip on the edge, while others do not. I use the comfobite mouthpiece and over the years I have seen at least three slightly different style "lips" on the back end, I sort of figured that Aqualung changed vendors over the years and they only really cared about the shape of the part that actually goes in your mouth, the part that fits over the second stage was probably left up to the supplier.

I wouldn't worry too much about this problem. You had an octopus for backup, and you can still breathe on a regulator that has the mouthpiece missing. It is not as secure, but it still works.

When I get a regulator back from service I usually replace the cheap zip tie with a genuine "Thomas & Betts Tie Wrap". I use these things at work and in my opinion they are superior to every other competing brand I have seen.

Mark Vlahos

Sasquatch · Sep 2, 2006

That reminds me of my o-ring adventure. After getting one tank VIP/hydro'd and a second tank VIP'd I geared up and heard a low hiss coming from the first stage. I discovered a cheesy, chewed up o-ring on the tank that I recognized from prior to the inspections. I replaced it and checked tank 2 to discover the same story there. I asked my LDS why they didn't change the o-rings as part of the service. They said the o-rings were too expensive to include. (Jaw dropped here) I suggested they adjust their price to include fresh o-rings.

You just have to double check everything. Now I'm wondering about how I'm going to double check their regulator service! In the water, I know...

Dave

The Chairman · Sep 2, 2006

The lip and the tie were missing?

They either overtightened the mouthpiece (cutting it) or the mouthpiece had disintegrated to the point where it just tore apart. You simply lost the tie wrap as it fell apart.

BTW, I surely wish that mouthpieces and exhaust valves were included in every rebuild kit.

Ron Brandt · Sep 2, 2006

It's sometimes iteruptions.... while servicing, this stuff happens.

But....A long time ago( 20 + years) I had my reg serviced at a local shop. While on a dive weekend my reg started to free flow. I took the second stage appart and discovered that the inside still had sand and corosion from a trip to the west coast prior to the service. Yep $85 for a reg that was never srviced.

That's when I started learning about regs.

Ron

The Chairman · Sep 2, 2006

Sasquatch:
I asked my LDS why they didn't change the o-rings as part of the service. They said the o-rings were too expensive to include.

You know, if you buy them by the hundred from www.McMaster.com they come out to about 6 cents each unless you by Viton... then they are like 15 cents each (I am guessing from memory).

How's this for stupid

Please register or login

fairybasslet

Contributor

Storm

Contributor

TheRedHead

Contributor

Rick Murchison

Trusty Shellback

DennisW

Contributor

Mark Vlahos

Contributor

Sasquatch

Contributor

The Chairman

Chairman of the Board

Ron Brandt

Contributor

The Chairman

Chairman of the Board

Similar threads