For new and newer divers as well as some older ones. One of the big issues I see with those who are just getting into the activity is a serious lack of understanding regarding when to get your gear serviced. I don't mean following the manufacturers recommendations about every year or two years. What I do mean is when divers are planning trips or outings at the beginning of the season and waiting until a week before the plane or ship leaves and deciding they need to get their gear looked at.
Many of us who service gear have a great deal of time during the winter months when our local sites are not as popular and we are not diving or teaching every weekend. This is the time to get your gear looked at if needed. My suggested guide is a minimum of one month before you leave. In fact, if you can, make an appt with your tech when you book your flight. That way we know to give you a call or shoot an email to remind you as the time gets close.
I don't recall this being mentioned in my OW class but I do tell my current students about it. If you think there may be an issue with your regs why wait? This is in fact part of the entire dive planning process. Just as making sure you have a flight and a room is. A dive trip requires extensive planning and I find that most people don't seem to consider everything part of the overall dive plan. But it is! The plane, room, car, housesitter, petsitter, etc. all the way down to what signals you and your buddy will be using on the boat is part of the dive plan. Not just a vacation plan.
So when you go through all of this the last thing you want to worry about is your gear at the last minute. That has the potential to throw a wrench in the whole plan. If you can't get it back in time from the tech due to their schedule you may now have to revamp your entire plans.
Does the place you are going even have rental gear?
Is it rental gear you are familiar with?
If they don't can your LDS rent you gear to take?
Any of those now require you to redo your finances for the trip. That little shore excursion you really wanted to do? Nope. Have to spend that money on gear.
A number of us work on schedules that don't leave a lot of flexibility. Now that the season is kicking off in my area the time I have to perform reg service is limited due to diving and teaching commitments. We try to accomodate where we can. But send me a message on Saturday saying you need the regs by next Saturday and you are in California? I say if I get them in my hands Monday I can look at them and get them back via overnight and then I don't hear back?
I can't cancel classes to service a reg that should have been sent to me two weeks ago. Or taken to an LDS that is not a dealer and told that they are not ok before asking to send them to me? Not knowing what they did or how they tested them?
Think about what it will mean to wait until the last minute and then expect a tech to drop everything. Sometimes we can. Other times we can't. It's better to not take the chance.
If you think your regs need looked at get it done when you decide to take the trip. Don't wait til the last minute.
Many of us who service gear have a great deal of time during the winter months when our local sites are not as popular and we are not diving or teaching every weekend. This is the time to get your gear looked at if needed. My suggested guide is a minimum of one month before you leave. In fact, if you can, make an appt with your tech when you book your flight. That way we know to give you a call or shoot an email to remind you as the time gets close.
I don't recall this being mentioned in my OW class but I do tell my current students about it. If you think there may be an issue with your regs why wait? This is in fact part of the entire dive planning process. Just as making sure you have a flight and a room is. A dive trip requires extensive planning and I find that most people don't seem to consider everything part of the overall dive plan. But it is! The plane, room, car, housesitter, petsitter, etc. all the way down to what signals you and your buddy will be using on the boat is part of the dive plan. Not just a vacation plan.
So when you go through all of this the last thing you want to worry about is your gear at the last minute. That has the potential to throw a wrench in the whole plan. If you can't get it back in time from the tech due to their schedule you may now have to revamp your entire plans.
Does the place you are going even have rental gear?
Is it rental gear you are familiar with?
If they don't can your LDS rent you gear to take?
Any of those now require you to redo your finances for the trip. That little shore excursion you really wanted to do? Nope. Have to spend that money on gear.
A number of us work on schedules that don't leave a lot of flexibility. Now that the season is kicking off in my area the time I have to perform reg service is limited due to diving and teaching commitments. We try to accomodate where we can. But send me a message on Saturday saying you need the regs by next Saturday and you are in California? I say if I get them in my hands Monday I can look at them and get them back via overnight and then I don't hear back?
I can't cancel classes to service a reg that should have been sent to me two weeks ago. Or taken to an LDS that is not a dealer and told that they are not ok before asking to send them to me? Not knowing what they did or how they tested them?
Think about what it will mean to wait until the last minute and then expect a tech to drop everything. Sometimes we can. Other times we can't. It's better to not take the chance.
If you think your regs need looked at get it done when you decide to take the trip. Don't wait til the last minute.
