Not servicing my gear EVER!

[redacted]

I can inspect my brakes without removing them and brake parts cost a lot more than regulator parts. Basically, after X dives, or X years, a regulator needs to be inspected from the inside out. There are are only a few, relatively inexpensive, parts required to replace the wear parts. Once you have the regulator apart to inspect it, there really is no reason why you wouldn't replace the wear parts at that time.

It's kind of like the clutch on a manual transmission vehicle. The cost to remove the transmission is $1500 plus. The cost to replace the clutch is less than $200. Unless the clutch is brand new, you replace it when you have the transmission removed rather than paying an extra $1500 to pull the transmission out when it actually wears out..

i suspect the problem is that diyer just go about this differently. we are not really influenced by labor costs and, with scuba, we usually have to be concerned with getting parts. i had my wife's honda in for some recall work over a year ago. they did an inspection and recommended replacing the brakes and the o2 sensor with price tag over $1.OOO. no thanks. a couple months ago i did the brake job after the brakes started squealing [sensor, not metal to metal]. remaining life in the pads was weeks. the warning light [O2 sensor] is still on and car runs good. maybe it is costing me 1 mpg so i'll take a look at doing that and the timing belt when the weather cools off.

i just took a spare air 2 apart to confirm a part compatibility for a friend. i will have to clean it up before i reassemble. there were no leaks so i doubt if i will replace any of the o-rings. the seat is deeply engraved and i make my own seats for pennies each so it will get replaced but i will probably look at the flip side - old and successful habits die hard.

 

[spoolin01]

Understand your point. Just to play devil's advocate.... what if we are talking about an airplane?

A more suitable analogy for rec scuba would have been "skateboard". Rec scuba is not remotely in the same risk class as flying. More like skinned knees, the occasional broken wrist, and indeed for the very few (highly enriched with the underemployed pros who eagerly project their risk proclivities to all who pursue the sport) a very occasional broken neck.

What kind of lung damage happens? Like a puncture? Coz if a <insert failure mode here> I can simply ascend in due time. Unless your talking about partial lung damage from something else that builds up over time?

If every discussion of rec scuba risk assessment and management began with this, as a significant baseline component, they would be vastly more interesting and useful.

I don't buy the failure caused lung injury. ... Lung over expansion is possible but that would require a very heavy freeflow along with a stuck exhaust valve, again, that's not happening. What likely did happen (if the story is true at all) is the diver spit the reg, held his breath and bolted to the surface. That is not a reg failure caused injury but an injury caused by a diver failing to follow proper procedures.

Anyone know what the typical max flow rate through the 2nd might be, after 1st stage failure, in relation to lung volume? Is it really possible to pop a lung before you can react?

 

[Thalassamania]

I was told this by a local divemaster. The guy it happened to is still around so I will ask him directly. In this case, the seat fell apart completely at the begining of the dive, and put 3000 PSI right through the second stage. He was unable to react quickly enough, and basically suffered a lung overexpansion from the pressure.

Horse pucky.

I can inspect my brakes without removing them and brake parts cost a lot more than regulator parts. Basically, after X dives, or X years, a regulator needs to be inspected from the inside out. There are are only a few, relatively inexpensive, parts required to replace the wear parts. Once you have the regulator apart to inspect it, there really is no reason why you wouldn't replace the wear parts at that time. It's kind of like the clutch on a manual transmission vehicle. The cost to remove the transmission is $1500 plus. The cost to replace the clutch is less than $200. Unless the clutch is brand new, you replace it when you have the transmission removed rather than paying an extra $1500 to pull the transmission out when it actually wears out. ---------- Post Merged at 09:26 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:19 AM ---------- The Hudson River incident is the exception, and not the rule. The vast majority of water landings end very tragically.

I'd be interested in any actual statistics that you might have on the subject.

A more suitable analogy for rec scuba would have been "skateboard". Rec scuba is not remotely in the same risk class as flying. More like skinned knees, the occasional broken wrist, and indeed for the very few (highly enriched with the underemployed pros who eagerly project their risk proclivities to all who pursue the sport) a very occasional broken neck. If every discussion of rec scuba risk assessment and management began with this, as a significant baseline component, they would be vastly more interesting and useful. Anyone know what the typical max flow rate through the 2nd might be, after 1st stage failure, in relation to lung volume? Is it really possible to pop a lung before you can react?

It is interesting how afraid everyone is of the way in which we always used to end our dives, out of air, time to go up. As far as flow rates and such, I have it on what I think is pretty good authority that the sort of accident being describe is quite impossible.

 

[chrpai]

I was told this by a local divemaster. The guy it happened to is still around so I will ask him directly. In this case, the seat fell apart completely at the begining of the dive, and put 3000 PSI right through the second stage. He was unable to react quickly enough, and basically suffered a lung overexpansion from the pressure.

Crap like this is why I don't give a crap if someone has a "pro" card. Did they cover Boyle's law in your OW class?

Consider the diameter of the high pressure orifice in the fist stage. Now consider the diameter of your low pressure hose. Consider that you have several hoses. Now consider the size of the air chamber in your seconds.

Simply put, it's impossible for a regulator to put 3000 psi through the second stage. The worst it'll do is free flow and then run out of air. But you should have been taught in O/W how to handle that also.

 

[scubadobadoo]

The only time my regs have ever failed is just after servicing. Doesn't seem to matter who I bring them to. I do mine about every 2-3 years begrudgingly and treat them with care and respect in between servicing. My s600 never seems to need servicing while my s500 usually shows reduced performance or a slight free flow after about 2.5 years.

 

[taucherguy]

I have seen an lp hose that was wrongly installed by a tech/DM on the hp port with the same threading, blow up next to me. So I am curious how the air went to the lungs before the lp hose(s) blew up?

 

[So-Tx-Rich]

Let me ask you a question. Do you replace your brakes every year reguardless of use or wear?

Nope, but I change the oil and inspect the brakes, u-joints, ball joints, etc. regularly. I didn't say rebuild the car...but mechanical devices need servicing and parts wear out, plain and simple. I'll be the first to say I've been guilty of going years between rebuilds on my regs, but that doesn't mean I don't clean and inspect them religiously. They are sealed with rubber, viton, or silicone, all of which has the potential to dry out and crack, or just plain flatten, compress, and leak.....it happens at various rates based on various conditions, but it does happen.

 

[buddhasummer]

If an airplanes engine fails it can glide to safety. Unless its above water then it can glide to water and then safety. This is a fact. It's been done in the past. Remember the Hudson river pilot?

huh? Not sure on what information your basing this on, I think you'll find most do not.

 

[fire_diver]

I have seen an lp hose that was wrongly installed by a tech/DM on the hp port with the same threading, blow up next to me. So I am curious how the air went to the lungs before the lp hose(s) blew up?

That must have been a very old reg because all the companies went to seperate port thread sizes a long time ago to prevent that very thing from happening.

 

[conway400]

I still use my and my wife's US Diver regs that we bought when she was certified in 1989. We don't make hundreds of dives a year and they did sit in storage for 10 years while the kids were little. But they worked great when we got them back out. They were just serviced - the only time they have every been - just last year. Mainly because I was nervous about their age with my boys starting to dive and the gauges did quit reading properly.

I am not advocating not servicing, but they can last. The old parts (which my LDS always returns with the service) looked completely fine to me (the untrained eye).