What to get serviced?

Ok all of this equipment was purchased August 2008.

Atomic B2 Regulator
Cressi XS Octo
Oceanic Veo 100 NX Computer
Oceanic Probe LX BCD

Now these are the prices I was given for servicing.

$46.95 for both regulators
$24.95 for the BCD
$16.95 for the computer
Plus a small discount

Do all these items really need to be serviced? I made like 8 dives on them and they've been sitting in my closet since then. Took good care of everything, cleaning the inside of the BCD and storing it partially inflated. I get back from overseas in September and need to have a family member drop this stuff off for servicing in August, but I'm looking at about $100 in servicing for stuff that was hardly used.

I'm definitely doing the 2 regulators. BCD should be good and the computer should be fine too, but it was a display model from Leisurepro purchased in Like New condition still in the box and wrappers. Oceanic says the computer has to be serviced 1 year after purchase +/- 30 days to maintain 2-year warranty. Would they even honor that to begin with since I purchased it from Leisurepro?

I'm no expert, but I think buying from LP would void manufacturer's warranty, but I could certainly be wrong. As far as servicing a BC goes....*** are they going to look at that you won't notice by using it(and not paying $25)? I say save your money on the BC. I would also look at the warranty policy on Oceanic at LP, that might sway me. But, if it were me, I would just save the money on the computer too.

pollywogg:

I'm no expert, but I think buying from LP would void manufacturer's warranty, but I could certainly be wrong. As far as servicing a BC goes....*** are they going to look at that you won't notice by using it(and not paying $25)? I say save your money on the BC. I would also look at the warranty policy on Oceanic at LP, that might sway me. But, if it were me, I would just save the money on the computer too.

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That's kinda what I'm thinking. All I should need to do is inflate it, submerge it in water to check for any leaks, and make sure the 3 quick dump valves work. Am I wrong? I usually dump all air before I ascend and never once had to struggle so I couldn't see an emergency situation coming out of this either.

I'll look into the computer. I'm pretty sure it voids warranty but Leisurepro carries their own.

Thanks for the info.

Edit: Got these excerpts from Leisure Pro's warranty card online.

Limitations
This warranty covers all defects encountered in normal use of the equipment and does not apply in
the following cases.
1) If the equipment has been serviced by other than a certified center.
2) Damage to the equipment due to mishandling, abuse, accident or not following operating instructions

Leisure Pro Ltd. warrants to the original purchaser that this equipment will be free from defects in
materials and workmanship for the same period offered by the manufacturer.

Leisure Pro Ltd. will not be responsible for expenses or inconveniences, or consequential damages
occasioned by equipment, or by breach of any expressed or implied warranty with respect thereto.
Implied warranties on this item shall be in effect only for duration of the expressed warranty set forth
above and after the expiration of such expresses warranty there shall be no warranties, expressed or
implied (including merchantability) on the product.

That's kinda what I'm saying. All I should need to do is inflate it, submerge it in water to check for any leaks, and make sure the 3 quick dump valves work. Am I wrong? I usually dump all air before I ascend and never once had to struggle so I couldn't see an emergency situation coming out of this either.

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That's pretty much what I've been doing the last 5 years or so. Had to change an inflator once because it gunked up. Since I pretty much have an empty BC at depth, all I'd like to be able to do is vent as needed on ascent if necessary. And maybe float on the surface with the BC.

Did you buy the computer before or after LP became an Oceanic dealer?

Good price on the reg service, I pay $60 to service my T2 locally. Parts are free lifetime since I bought it new from them. If you bought the B2 new, you don't need to do that for another year either.

Factory or authorized dealer servicing is required at intervals of 300 dive hours or 2 years, whichever occurs first. This service will include disassembly, cleaning, replacement and lubrication of all o-rings and seals, and safety check.

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No need to have any of them serviced.

The computer doesn't need servicing until it starts acting up, then you need to contact the manufacturer, not the LDS.

The inflator on the BCD will need servicing down the road, but not with 8 dives. If you research this, you can easily perform the service yourself. Also look at the tools from Deep Sea Supply.

If you store your regs with the purge button slightly depressed, keep salt water out and rinse them properly they will last several years before they need servicing. The Regulators forum has an excellent sticky about regulator inspection procedure that will tell you when your regulators need servicing.

Atomic further extends the life of the reg with their Seat Saver Orifice:

Another patented innovation is the Seat Saver Orifice. The Achilles Heel of all second stages is a small rubber valve seat on the poppet. In standard designs, this seat is pushed tight against a sharp edged orifice from the day it leaves the factory, eventually making a deep impression in the seat resulting in poor performance and annoying leaks. That's why sometimes your regulator is fine when you put it away and it leaks the next time you use it. Our orifice only contacts the seat when pressurized. When not in use, the orifice automatically retracts away from the seat just enough to prevent damage during storage. This dramatically increases service life and maintains "like new" performance.

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Downside is that if you dunk your regs, it can potentially allow a small amt. of water into the 1st stage. Just hold the 1st stage higher than the 2nd when you do it. Although your B2 is mostly Titanium inside the 1st stage so it's less of an issue.

Anyone here read ? If you haven't, it's a great way to "scare you straight". The book is full of examples of divers who died as a result of gear neglect and other user errors.

I think your foolish to risk a dive, or worse your life, to save a few bucks by neglecting annual servicing. Any gear associated with life support should be serviced annually by a professional. This typically involves more than just an inspection: i.e. replace o-rings, check/replace diaphragms, springs, etc.

mk706:

Anyone here read "Diver Down" by Mike Ange? If you haven't, it's a great way to "scare you straight". The book is full of examples of divers who died as a result of gear neglect and other user errors.

I think your foolish to risk a dive, or worse your life, to save a few bucks by neglecting annual servicing. Any gear associated with life support should be serviced annually by a professional. This typically involves more than just an inspection: i.e. replace o-rings, check/replace diaphragms, springs, etc.

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The problem is you are confusing neglecting maintainance with excessive, unnessary parts changing. Not suprizing, this is what gear manufactures and most LDSs want you to do. Farther, you are assuming that every dive shop has "professional" techs, far from it, some do and if you find a good tech hang on to them but there are also plenty of tank monkies who also repair regs in their spare time. You are also assuming that gear failure happens only with neglected equipment, a false assumption. If you do some research on this board, the one thing almost 100% of experienced divers will tell you is to never have a reg serviced and head off on a trip without testing it, a large majority of reg failures happen shortly after being "serviced by a professional" rather than due to neglect, much less from simply not servicing it after a few dives.
Add to that, gear failure is rarely catastrofic and even catastrific gear failure is not a big deal if a diver is diving within the accepted norms- with a buddy, with back up gas and other similar precautions, gear failure should never be more that a PITA for the rec diver. I gave not read Mike's book but if it list equipment failure as the sole source of diver deaths or injury, he is sadly mistaken. Diver error, poor training and panic are the real causes even though the event may have been triggered by gear failure. Gear failure that if handled properly would have caused nothing more than an aborted dive and some safety precedure practice.

I had an oceanic veo 100 (not the nitrox NX version) but its basically the same computer.

What could they do for "maintanence" on a computer?

Replace the batteries? On this model you could do that yourself.

Do they recalibrate it or something?, and you wouldn't need that after 8 dives.

Sounds like a deal on the Atomic reg service. But if they dont leak I would dive em. Theres a fine line between being safe and being paranoid. Id like to read how all the people died in the book described above. Accident analysis of past mistakes are a good way to learn what not to do. Modern scuba is designed to have a redundant spare in the case of failure. Being a caver I dive 2 tanks with separate 1st and 2nd stages as well as a dual bladder wing. Most OW divers with single tanks have single valves with two 2nd stages but only one 1st. IMO having an h-valve and 2 separate regs greatly increases safety because you can isolate the bad reg and surface without being in a storm of millions of bubbles. Blowing the burst disc to me with a single tank is the worst and cannot be remedied which is why having a buddy near is important. Checking to see that its snug before the dive wouldnt hurt and they definetly should be replaced at hydro. With this many members there are bound to be different opinions, but that is mine. Even with the dreaded blown burst disc, a slow ascent with your spg in hand should afford you enough time to surface on your own and many times the tank still spew once out of the water depending on how much of the disc was perforated.