The most important question is Where do you live?
How far away is the LDS? Is that the only LDS?
Do you plan on moving?
I have used my LDS and LP.
I have had great luck with Leisure Pro.
I have had good luck and extremely bad luck with my LDS.
I never needed LP's warranty except on a BC several years later (KEEP THE RECEIPT!!!). The LDS first said they could not help me because I did not buy it from them.
BTW, later the shop said it would not have been under warranty,
because I did not pay $XX.xx to have the BC serviced regularly.
I had to replace a pull dump valve, which should have been covered under warranty.
I think I just paid for a new one.
I now replace the power inflater almost yearly due to diving in salt water.
So, for the most part, I am happy just to buy new power inflators and put it on myself.
Cheaper than having a shop monkey do it.
However, Zeagle is supposed to have a lifetime warranty.
I sent mine back to Zeagle through the LDS (even though I bought it at LP) and Zeagle did repair it, but it did not come back looking much better.
I sent my wife's back (bought through the LDS) and it came back looking like new.
I started out with Sherwood I bought from a LDS. His services were always great and reasonably priced. I moved and the new LDS did not carry Sherwood. They would attemp to service them but did not charge me the bought elsewhere service price because I had just moved there.
The bad thing is that usually had to take the reg back once or twice
because the tech did not set the reg properly and it either breathed hard or free flowed! I kept this up for many years till I got into more seriously into tech diving and
decided to upgrade my regs from Sherwood to Apeks.
The Sherwood warranty went from lifetime to 2 years! If you bought it from a LDS, they usually treated it like a lifetime warranty till you forget to have it serviced (or moved).
I bought ApeKs regs from my LDS so I would not have an issue with service.
They charge almost twice as much as if you bring in regs bought elsewhere.
I had several years of good service, then I moved again!
The last time I had the regs serviced, the LDS (the one I purchased them from) overcharged me, left a broken DIN knob as is, took two months to service the regs, overcharged me to ship them back, and they did not service the Octopus, because they could not get it apart! I called to complain and they did send me a new DIN knob free of charge.
I had pay out of pocket to replace the Octopus the next year,
even though it should have been under warranty and replaced for free.
I only paid $100 for it at the LDS and replaced it for $75 at a tent sale.
Most of the LDS where I live now will not touch an Apeks or want over $100 to do it.
After getting many quotes of $75 or more, I finally found the guy that services most of the regulators in Palm Beach County. Most of the shops send the regulators to him. He does not work for a shop, but borrows a work space from a shop I get fills from.
This LDS wants like $75 to repair a reg you did not buy there,
but once you pay the $75 for the first service, they consider it their reg!
He even puts returns the parts he replaced
(so you have more confidence he actually opened them up and servided them)
and the next service is only $40 or so, but here is the catch, KEEP THE RECEIPT!!!
BTW LP has their own service department with published prices.
They just looked a little pricey to me at the time, they don't sound so expensive now!
KEEP THE RECEIPT!!!
Now one last point, I will give you two cases.
Say you buy a regulator for $450 at your LDS (this is only the first and second stage),
and you spend $35 a year on service. Say your second stage housing cracks 10 years later and you need to replace it. Nine years at $35 is $315, and you get a new reg!
Let us say you forget to have it serviced the 8th year, or worse, the company is out of business, doesn't make that model anymore, and you are out of luck!
You have to buy a new second stage for $225.
Total $990
Say you buy the same regulator for $280 at LP (this is only the first and second stage), and you spend $55 a year on service. Say your second stage housing cracks 10 years later and you need to replace it. Nine years at $55 is $495, and you get a new reg! Let us say you forget to have it serviced the 8th year, or worse, the company is out of business, doesn't make that model anymore, and you are out of luck! You have to buy a new second stage for $140.
Total $915
See a difference? Not really. More like you will need a $50 poppet!
But you say you have $1380 in your regulator. No, you don't!
You have $200 in a first stage, $250 in a second stage stage, $150 in an octopus,
$30 in an inflator hose, $70 in a SPG, $30 in an HP hose, $50 in a compass, and $500 in a computer. The first stage, second stage, and maybe the octopus, are the only things covered under warranty!
The computer has its own warranty. Did you keep the receipt?
Computers typically only have a two year warranty and you are luck if they last that long. Hence I do not buy an expensive computer, but buy two cheaper ones.
An expensive computer can be even more finicky than a cheap one!
More than likely in five years you will be out of scuba. Either that or you will realize how crappy your current regulator breathes and want a new one.
Buy an new first stage, second stage for $450 and you are good to go.
The octopus, inflator hose, SPG, HP hose, compass, and computer should still be good.
Say you pay $1500 for that Brand A first and second stage.
How much do you think it will cost a year to have it serviced? $100? If you are lucky!
Warranty any better? No. Warranty still requires you to have it serviced every year!
Say you pay $1500 for that Brand S air integrated dive computer. Did you know that if you touch the batteries in the transmitter, they corrode and stop working?
How long do you think it will last? Two years? Say you did keep your receipt.
They don't make that computer anymore. (technology changes, it was unreliable, etc)
They give you a new computer, but it does not fit your console, so you need a new console, compass, SPG, etc.
Buy good equipment. The top of the line of a good brand, or a good reg from a great brand. I am using Apeks TX50/DS4 regs. I have a good Octo, my wife has a cheap one.
My octo has been used once outside of class. Her octo has been used once by an idiot free diver.
I buy dual gas nitrox computers for $275 at the local yearly tent sale.
I carry two and my wife carries two.
I carry spare Apeks TX50/DS4 reg in case of hose or O-ring failure.
More than likely I loan out a piece because someone else did not get their gear serviced and has a bad hose or mouthpiece.
Bill
