To me it was a worthwhile class. I really don't care that is a certification. I really just thought that to be able to really understand what is going on and how it all works (this is my mentality with almost everything especially things that are part of my life support). But to look in a book and read how a regulator works really doesn't do it justice. The ability to take an entire 1st stage and break it down to valve seats, springs, pistons, o-rings, etc really helps to understand what is going on. We were able to put it all back together. I got to see the difference between scubapro replacement parts versus LeisurePro parts for the same regulator. (I hope I didn't just start something there - so lets just leave it at that. Thanks).
We took an entire 2nd stage including an AIR II and stripped it down to nothing and were even shown how to make minor adjustments. To understand completely what balanced vs. unbalanced was nice to know.
We did some neoprene repairs, talked about different types of masks, cylinders, valves, what tools and replacement parts should be kept in a tool kit. We went a little off topic with cylinders but we started talking about cubic feet, SAC, PSI, good fills vs. bad fills. All kinda things that are important about picking the right cylinder for a particular event. Of course in many recreational cases you just dive with what the LDS gives you but know I understand a bit more.
We were able to run though a scenario of a person who is complaining about a leaking 2nd stage. Try to troubleshoot if it is the 1st stage that is leaking or the 2nd stage is kinda important.
I know I could have read all this in a book and studied my heart out just for the knowledge. But there is nothing like holding the parts in your hands and be able to visualize and touch all the pieces to disassemble and reassemble. That is what brought the whole thing together for me. With the added ability of not having to worry about breaking my own gear and bringing it in for service
