Question about Edge's policy regarding owner-servicing/parts-buying for HOG regs

[Blue Sparkle]

I participated in another thread in which the topic of Edge's policy regarding owner-servicing of, and parts-buying for, HOG regulators came up.

Regulators are coming up on my "to purchase" list, and the HOG regulators are at the top for two reasons:

1) They look like very nice regulators, with features I'm looking for.

2) I had understood that, with proper training, owners of HOG regulators would be able to buy parts for, and to service, their own regulators.

Well, in the aforementioned thread, it came up that there was a third factor:

3) Point #2 would only be allowed for "tech divers" -- that is, divers with technical diving training.

I feel like I need to ask check #3 with Edge/HOG themselves, even though a poster in the other thread said that he had called Edge/HOG and confirmed that this was true. I just want to be absolutely sure before I either repeat it, or potentially move HOG regulators down on my list.

If it is true, well then I want to add that in my mind, being trained in technical diving does not make one more or less able to (or interested in) service their own regs. In my case, I'm mechanically inclined, enjoy being able to service my own equipment, and have done technical/mechanical work on my car and on my boat and its systems. Yet, if this policy is true, I would be excluded from HOG's regulator-servicing training and parts-buying ability due to not being trained in tech diving.

For reference, the thread in which this came up is here:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...ons/322565-regulator-technician-training.html

Thank you for your input here. I do really like the HOG regulators

B.

 

[Medic1777]

Hey, Give Mike at Dive Right In Scuba a call on the phone. Mike is a really nice guy who could answer all your questions!!!!!

Mike is the Operations Manager at Dive Right In Scuba in Plainfield Illinois.

Here is his phone number: 815-267-8400.

Marc Findlay

 

[M_Bipartitus]

"Intro to Tech" type classes are sufficient as of post 10 in this thread

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/edge-gear/308976-edge-hog-annouces-industry-first.html

Most Intro to Tech classes do not exceed recreational diving, but rather review basic skills, ideas, and concerns of technical diving. even if you don't want to tech dive, these skills can improve your diving.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Yes, you would need a technical class in order to take the HOG repair class. An intro to tech class does qualify, and is a class most divers should take as it focuses more on the basics.

This is a considerable investment, $300-$500 to take the class. We will eventually offer a Webinar that will be cheaper, but that will ONLY be for those that already hold Reg Repair Certificate from another dealer and continually repair regulators. The difference in the above pricing will be if you need the required tools, books, etc vs. having or sourcing it yourself. This pricing is preliminary until we get the manual finished for the class, but is a good starting point.

Without speaking for HOG, here is my take. Hog is a technical line, TDI is a technical agency, so it only falls into place that you should hold a technical rating to take this repair clinic. I would really not be too upset by this. Find any Recreational Manufacturer that offers this....they don't, and to take most of the repair clinics they do offer, you have to work for a shop. This is a way to bring it to the divers level, and not a huge requirement. Take an intro to tech class, cavern course, or similar tech class and call it a day. Remember, HOG is a technical line, that doesn't mean its not for recreational divers, but don't get upset that a requirement for this class is that you hold a technical rating....it's a technical brand

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I hear what you are saying. And I am all for improving one's diving through training.

For myself, I still don't see the connection between specifically technical diving training, and mechanical aptitude (or desire), the desire to be competent to service one's own equipment, or the desire to further one's diving skills; but I appreciate that you took the time to answer my question and to clarify your position. Thank you

B.

 

[redacted]

I hear what you are saying. And I am all for improving one's diving through training.

For myself, I still don't see the connection between specifically technical diving training, and mechanical aptitude (or desire), the desire to be competent to service one's own equipment, or the desire to further one's diving skills; but I appreciate that you took the time to answer my question and to clarify your position. Thank you

B.

Perhaps it is a move by EDGE to attract technical divers away from the more popular brands they currently tend to favor by offering an enticement those more popular brands deny even technical divers. After all, with regulators, the manufacturer needs to do something to make themselves different besides the pattern on the face plate..

OTOH, $300 to $500 will buy you a lot of tools and parts. Unless EDGE has done something to tamper-proof their regs (and I'm sure they have not) such "official" training can probably easily be bypassed. Reg just are not very difficult and it is not hard to find documentation and other DIYer who will help. Parts access can be a problem but even that is manageable by selecting a currently supportive brand or finding the leaks in the system. Unfortunately, it seems that Oceanic (the Chevrolet where EDGE is the Buick) was, at one time, a somewhat supportive brand. At least they turned a blind eye to Scubatoys selling their parts. But now they have shut that source down for no apparent reason other than they could (as could any other manufacturer right now if they chose). Until the industry norm is parts available to dives (or the USA consumer protection laws change) I have decided to stay with the back door sources of parts for my Scubapro regulators. Scubapro is a good choice for the DIYer as their older used regs are readily available at good prices and parts are also available either because modern Scubapro regs parts are compatible and/or aftermarket parts sources are available.

BTW, I realize this post may not sit well with the EDGE forum mod, so if you would rather have it discussed elsewhere I'd be happy to copy it over.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I hear what you are saying. And I am all for improving one's diving through training.

For myself, I still don't see the connection between specifically technical diving training, and mechanical aptitude (or desire), the desire to be competent to service one's own equipment, or the desire to further one's diving skills; but I appreciate that you took the time to answer my question and to clarify your position. Thank you

B.

Not my stance or position to take, I don't own Edge....I just sell them and have one of the newly minted Instructors for the course on staff

I don't think it has too much to do with aptitude, or desire to be competent. Like awap said, they are also trying to get some market share in the field that Hog is pertinent to, Tech Divers. They are not trying to shun recreational divers, but its a technical line, so technical divers is what the preference is for some stuff...at least that's my assumption...again, I DO NOT speak for Hog. We are only teaching a class they have brought forward and that has been approved by TDI.

Awap, we haven't figured an exact price yet...its up in the air....The webinar, when we do them, will probably be $150 or less including fees.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I have another question that is somewhat related to servicing:

If one purchases a HOG reg set, is it possible for to buy spares or service parts for it?

I see myself as someone who would send the regs in for service when I was in the US (or other accessible place), but who would feel more comfortable having a spare parts kit on board just in case.

When traveling off the beaten path, in remote places, I've found that if you have a problem or need service (not speaking of regs specifically), you can often find someone qualified to service a given product, but the catch is that they probably don't have parts, and so it's best to carry your own along.

I didn't see a spares kit on the Dive Right In or Edge website, but I realize that I might just not have found it.

A second question: Is there a specific HOG brand DIN-to-Yoke adapter for the HOG first stage? Or are they generic (I do see specific ones on the DRI website for other reg brands...).

As you can tell, I have taken a shine to the HOG regs

Thank you,

B.

 

[cerich]

I have gotten some flak regarding the clinic being open to tech divers only. The general reasons have already been hashed thru above. I consider it along these lines, a Sunday driver needs to know a good shop, where the spare is and where to put gas in, a driver intending to drive the Dakar rally needs to know how to fix the car he/she is surely gonna bust up. For the first driver it is "nice" when you can actually change the tire, oil etc but isn't required nor a safety concern, for the Dakar driver it is needed and a safety issue. It pisses me off that as an industry we have encouraged technical diving while keeping how the gear we use works as a "industry secret". The truth is that technical divers HAVE been hurt and worse because of lack of a in depth knowledge of their equipment that if they had possessed would not have caused or allowed them to proactively avoid or resolve the problems. Extreme dives in Extreme conditions is taxing on equipment, far more so than recreational diving.

This isn't about saving the diver a few bucks on servicing, far from it. I would hazard to say that is why Mike is saying $300-500 for the course. Include tools, parts and time it is easily that.

 

[cerich]

I have another question that is somewhat related to servicing:

If one purchases a HOG reg set, is it possible for to buy spares or service parts for it?

Yes

I see myself as someone who would send the regs in for service when I was in the US (or other accessible place), but who would feel more comfortable having a spare parts kit on board just in case.

Good plan

When traveling off the beaten path, in remote places, I've found that if you have a problem or need service (not speaking of regs specifically), you can often find someone qualified to service a given product, but the catch is that they probably don't have parts, and so it's best to carry your own along. Agree

I didn't see a spares kit on the Dive Right In or Edge website, but I realize that I might just not have found it.

Not on the EDGE site but here it is on the Dive Right In site, NOTICE THE disclaimer
HOG Gear D1 First Stage Service Kit - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

A second question: Is there a specific HOG brand DIN-to-Yoke adapter for the HOG first stage? Or are they generic (I do see specific ones on the DRI website for other reg brands...).

I have one that is generic, not Trivalent chrome or anything special...

As you can tell, I have taken a shine to the HOG regs

Me too

Thank you,

B.

In HOG red are the answers!