Sheik_Yahboudi
Registered
The problem started after a great boat dive with some Saudi friends in the Red Sea near Jeddah.
A boat helper took my last tank off and left my reg without the 1st stage seal on while we piled through 3 foot seas in a small boat. I noticed the 1st stage unsealed upon arrival so I just assumed seawater had entered the 1st stage.
I decided to drop off the reg off for an overhaul and clean at a local shop. (reg is an APEX)
Next week I picked it up before a shore dive with friends.
Mistake #1 - I looked the reg over quickly and it looked fine.
Mistake #2 - I attached it to the tank and opened the valve and all my hoses worked fine.
Bottoms up and went diving with my friends and had a blast - only one dive that day for other reasons.
Mistake # 3 - Although I kept getting water in my mouthpiece I just assumed it was from a loose mouthpiece - wrong.
A week later when I went to pack my gear again my eye was caught by an o ring on my regulator hose at the 1st stage connection. Upon closer inspection I realized with shock that both my regulator hoses were only screwed on by 2 turns of threads and not put back properly or even sealed because the O ring was just loose and hanging.
When I looked after picking up the regulator the plastic coverings that are at the hose joint near the 1st stage were over top of the actual connections and so I missed seeing that they weren't connected properly.
Lesson - Don't dive after a regulator overhaul until you do a thorough inspection including the actual 1st connections to see they are threaded fully and sealed.
I inspected the 1st stage and did see evidence of flooding and so I phoned the dive shop.
They were very apologetic and took full responsibility. They assured me they would take more care in future and I returned the reg to get a proper overhaul again.
Note - I thoroughly inspected it after the 2nd overhaul and I am back diving happily. And I carry a Spare Air pony bottle too.
A boat helper took my last tank off and left my reg without the 1st stage seal on while we piled through 3 foot seas in a small boat. I noticed the 1st stage unsealed upon arrival so I just assumed seawater had entered the 1st stage.
I decided to drop off the reg off for an overhaul and clean at a local shop. (reg is an APEX)
Next week I picked it up before a shore dive with friends.
Mistake #1 - I looked the reg over quickly and it looked fine.
Mistake #2 - I attached it to the tank and opened the valve and all my hoses worked fine.
Bottoms up and went diving with my friends and had a blast - only one dive that day for other reasons.
Mistake # 3 - Although I kept getting water in my mouthpiece I just assumed it was from a loose mouthpiece - wrong.
A week later when I went to pack my gear again my eye was caught by an o ring on my regulator hose at the 1st stage connection. Upon closer inspection I realized with shock that both my regulator hoses were only screwed on by 2 turns of threads and not put back properly or even sealed because the O ring was just loose and hanging.
When I looked after picking up the regulator the plastic coverings that are at the hose joint near the 1st stage were over top of the actual connections and so I missed seeing that they weren't connected properly.
Lesson - Don't dive after a regulator overhaul until you do a thorough inspection including the actual 1st connections to see they are threaded fully and sealed.
I inspected the 1st stage and did see evidence of flooding and so I phoned the dive shop.
They were very apologetic and took full responsibility. They assured me they would take more care in future and I returned the reg to get a proper overhaul again.
Note - I thoroughly inspected it after the 2nd overhaul and I am back diving happily. And I carry a Spare Air pony bottle too.
