Observations we've made during our years
in the scuba service industry.
No particular order, and no particular wisdom. Just observations.
First, our serious philosophy on choosing your
diving equipment service provider:
Even though we are in the business of servicing dive equipment,
we truly believe the best place to have your equipment serviced is your local dive store.
They know you, they live in your community, and you should support them and
they should support you. But if that is not an option, please consider us.
And here's just some general, fairly non-serious observations we've made through the years:
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Vice grips are not appropriate tools for life support equipment.
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Neither is duct tape, usually…
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Cleaning an aluminum first stage with an ultrasonic cleaner is like washing your car with a flamethrower. Soap and water still have their uses.
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Regulators do not generally make dangerous noises; they just make annoying ones, which can be eliminated, but sometimes incantations or some chicken blood is involved.
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No matter who does your service, always test your regulator before going on a dive trip.
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Puppies will chew on regulators. Labradors will eat one – or seriously try to.
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Tropical divemasters are not always competent service technicians, especially if they’re carrying vice grips (see above).
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User-changeable batteries aren’t always.
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There is generally a direct correlation between how quickly the customer wants his regulator serviced and how badly the service is needed.
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The only parts ever on backorder are the ones we order.
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Just because you bought it mail-order doesn’t mean you can have it serviced mail-order. We have no idea who made some of these regulators and how to find the parts.
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Just because you bought it “New – in the box” on eBay doesn’t mean it isn’t 20 years old and service parts haven’t been available for 10 years. “New” describes the condition, not the age.
And here's one we throw around all the time:
How often should you have your regulator serviced?
Obviously, we are BIG fans of reasonable and regular service intervals. But this is not a one-size-fits-all deal. Variables include the number of dives, field maintenance and care, reg make/model, etc. Most manufacturers recommend a year. Some use the number of dives. We suggest the following rule of thumb: Never dive your regulator if you don’t trust it to perform flawlessly, even in an unanticipated out-of-air emergency where a much greater demand is placed on it. If you don’t believe it is in this condition, have it serviced.
