Shoddy gear service- what would you do?

[coloradojay]

I had my equipment serviced before my recent dive trip and was very disappointed with the outcome. It was a regular service interval and the factory authorized shop that worked on it said my diaphragm in my primary second had a hole, so he replaced it for a modest additional parts fee.

The dive shop at the resort wouldn’t let me rent a checkout tank but they did let me hook up to a tank for a pressure test and everything seemed fine except that my first stage yoke was reassembled upside down. No big deal I thought, just a lack of attention to detail on the tech’s part that which a little annoying.

On the first dive my primary second stage started breathing wet once we got to the bottom. It wasn't instant-drowning wet, but gurgley enough that I had to blast out some water about every 10th breath. I thought about thumbing the dive but I tried my Air2 and it was nice and dry. I find the Air2 hose/mouthpiece a bit uncomfortable for a whole dive, but feeling good that my backup was available I switched back to the wet primary and competed the dive. Luckily there was a spare available on the boat and another diver had a wrench so I could use it with my setup.

After the second tank of the morning, we swapped the loaner reg back and I headed to the rinse tanks. When I pulled my octo back out of the water I noticed that my console including my pressure gauge, computer, and compass were gone! What? I went back over to my dive bag and there it was- it had unthreaded completely. I was beside myself thinking about how much it would have sucked to lose my high pressure side due to the shop not torquing my pressure gauge back on. I was simultaneously pissed and grateful it didn’t blow off under water.

We hooked it back up to a tank and blew air through the hose to dry it out, and tightened the gauge back on. The gauge didn’t look like it had any moisture in it by some miracle. I also had my 2nd stage gone through by the local tech and he reseated the new diaphragm with a light bead of silicone- and said it should be good to go. It was perfectly dry for 9 more dives.


1) What, if anything would you ask from or say to the dive shop that did the service? I’m thinking I’ll never bring my gear there again, but it also feels like I didn’t exactly get what I paid for and they should know they screwed up.


2) Does my rig seem like it should get any special care or internal cleaning given what it’s been through? I was hoping I was good for another 2 years, but it all feels a bit monkey’d with now.

 

[Wookie]

Seems to me that your gear changed techs mid service. I've seen this a million times. Ok, maybe 4 or 5. Anyway, there shouldn't be any silicon between the diaphragm and the case, my guess is that the diaphragm wasn't correctly installed and/or tightened, just like your HP hose.

Unless you have a great relationship with your shop, they are going to blame everyone but themselves for the mix up. And, there is really nothing that can be done about the hose/gage except watch it and make sure it works before every trip.

I don't really have much advice for you, except if you are really worried something isn't right, take it back or to another shop. Tell them the story. If to the original shop, ask the owner to just have a look inside and see if any water is in there. If to a different shop, expect to pay for service and a kit.

This is a great opportunity for the original shop to lock in a grateful customer. Or lose one forever.

 

[_Ralph]

I can't say for sure what is what with your equipment, but some tips going forward with any service.

1/ Get an inexpensive IP gauge (DGX has one for ~$15) that connects to any LP connect
2/ Once you pick up your equipment, put it on a tank at the shop.
- Check the IP, and make sure it bounces back
- Breath from it
- Unscrew (if for some reason the adjustment knob is screwed in ... shouldn't be) and make sure it doesn't free flow ... if it does, ask the store to adjust the second stage again.
- Wet breath it if you can (a large tupperware/small rubbermaid tub is all you need to stick the reg in and breathe)
3/ Ask for the original parts that were replaced (even if the store policy is not to give them back due to liability, they should at least let you see them before the dispose of them). You may have to ask for this when you bring them in, as some places might just dispose of them as they go.
4/ Make sure all hoses are tight. If you can unscrew it with just your hands, it isn't quite tight enough.


Before any day of diving, checking the IP and hoses are a quick and easy habit to get into to avoid several problems...


_R

 

[red_barbarian]

I would take it back to the original shop that did the service. Explain what happened, and ask them to redo the service on their dime. If they give you any flack at all it's their chance to lose a customer. I'm guessing based on your profile stated location that it was the dive shop in your town. You have a lot of options in shops, there are 2 in Boulder and another in Lakewood, and in Littleton. If your current shop doesn't take care of you pick a shop locally that carries that brand. If the new shop doesn't carry that brand it will likely just get sent back to the original shop without your knowing and get done there again. Another lesson learned would be spend the $25 to go to a local shop/pool and do a test dive on your gear before you head out on a nice trip. If you really aren't happy there are several very good mail order places that do excellent work.

 

[BoltSnap]

You should go back to your LDS that did the service and speak to the owner and let him know what happened based on his response, decide if to continue to deal with them or to go elsewhere.

 

[The Chairman]

• Hoses on 'bassackwards'...
  • No attention to detail (take a picture with a phone first before disassembly)
  • no big deal!
• Primary breathing wet
  • Could have been the shop leaving something loose (no attention to detail)
  • Could have been a piece of crap in the exhaust (grain of sand?)
  • Could have been why they wanted to change that diaphragm in the first place.
• Silicone on diaphragm
  • NO, NO, NO!!!
  • Silicone will attract sand and other crap giving you additional problems.
  • Clean it off!
• Pressure gauge falling off
  • There's no excuse for this. None, nada and squat!
  • It does show that they serviced the spool,which is good.
  • This is the biggest problem!
• Tell the shop!
  • Don't be accusatory! Ask them how they thought you should have handled this.
  • Bring in the gear and get them to give it a once over.
    • Clean the silicone off!
    • Have them show you the IP (between 130 and 150)
  • Send them a link to this thread and point out that you didn't throw them under the proverbial bus.

Let's be realistic here. We all make mistakes until the day we die. Viva l'erreurs! Parts fail that were installed perfectly, stuff happens after the fact and there are always going to be human oversights. I care more about my life than anyone else, which is why I do my own regulator services. However, how the shop acts would determine whether I would ever go back or not. When you gently show them their litany of problems you had, you should be able to suss out their corporate ideology. Do they make excuses, or do they make it right? Are they aghast at what you went through, or are they simply trying to limit their liability. This will tell you more about the character of the shop than just about anything else.

 

[Wookie]

And, one easy test for breathing wet that no one ever mentions is to put your reg on a tank. Without turning the tank valve on, suck in on the reg. You shouldn't get any air. If there is a path for air to get in, there is a path for water to get in.

 

[The Chairman]

And, one easy test for breathing wet that no one ever mentions is to put your reg on a tank. Without turning the tank valve on, suck in on the reg. You shouldn't get any air. If there is a path for air to get in, there is a path for water to get in.

Probably how they determined there was a leaky diaphragm. I've found two cracked second stages this way. On a yoke valve, simply leave the dust valve in place or the cap on a DIN (most).

 

[Scared Silly]

And, one easy test for breathing wet that no one ever mentions is to put your reg on a tank. Without turning the tank valve on, suck in on the reg. You shouldn't get any air. If there is a path for air to get in, there is a path for water to get in.

Very true except in the case Atomic and others regs with the seat saver feature. In those cases that is when the IP gauge comes in handy. Pressurize the system and it should hold.

As for the OP, like everyone has said take it back to the shop. And remember a measure of a business is not when things go as expected but when things go south and how they respond.

 

[scubafanatic]

You broke one of the cardinal rules of dive travel, never go on a dive trip with brand-new or just-serviced gear without first testing it, preferably conducting at least a pool test, or at a minimum, the dry land pressurize via scuba tank type testing as Wookie suggests.