Second stage issue caused by flying?

[Merfman]

My wife and I recently went to Key West, from Colorado Springs. On the first dive, my wife's MK25 Scubapro second stage was gurgling water. It had it's yearly service in October and this was the first dive since the service. When we got back to the dive shop in Key West, (they were a Scubapro dealer) we asked them to check into the malfunction. They quickly did so and said the diaphram had been "incorrectly assembled", fixed the problem and we dove the rest of the week without problem. When I returned home, I went to the shop (who shall remain nameless) where the service was done. The owner stated that he'd seen the same thing happen to his reg when flying. Thought it might have had something to do with the pressure differences in flying. This didn't ring true to my inexperienced mind so we asked another dive shop in a different place about this theory. They'd heard nothing but related stories of second stages being disassembled by (unscrupulous?) TSA agents supposedly in search of titanium. Just to clarify, our regs were in our carry-on and and were x-rayed only. They were never even removed from the luggage and never left our sight.

So, my questions are twofold:

1) Ever hear of a second stage malfunction due to airline flights?

2) Ever heard of TSA agents disassembling a second stage, either for:
A) Stealing titanium?
B) Searching for contraband?

Inquiring minds and all, thanks for the info in advance!

 

[redacted]

The owner of your dive shop is a liar.

 

[bygolly]

I have heard the same. A friend of mine related a story of his buddy's second stage flying apart while diving with him after they had arrived by air. The cover and diaphragm fell out after what appeared to be a shoddy re-assembly. The diver's bag had been inspected by TSA as there was a note inside but no mention of the fiddling with the reg. He could only assume that they were looking for contraband in the hollow space in the second.

Since then I travel with my reg in my carry-on so I will know for sure if it has been touched. I don't mind them taking it apart...I just want to know if it did happen.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I have heard the same. A friend of mine related a story of his buddy's second stage flying apart while diving with him after they had arrived by air. The cover and diaphragm fell out after what appeared to be a shoddy re-assembly. The diver's bag had been inspected by TSA as there was a note inside but no mention of the fiddling with the reg. He could only assume that they were looking for contraband in the hollow space in the second.

Since then I travel with my reg in my carry-on so I will know for sure if it has been touched. I don't mind them taking it apart...I just want to know if it did happen.

I had a similar story related to me about a reg that I had serviced for a fellow. He was absolutely sure that I had missed something or the flight had caused a problem with it. I gladly rebuilt it for him again and a couple of day later his buddy came in and told the rest of the story. The first fellow was sure he heard a rattle in it and took it apart the night before the first dive. He forgot to add that part of the story when he was telling me how I had screwed up.

I've heard tales of regs being stolen but not just for the titanium and usually overseas.

 

[Searcaigh]

Never travelled through the US with a regulator so I cannot comment about the TSA.

I have made hundreds of flights over the past 20 odd years I have been diving with my regs initially carry on but usually stick them in the hold these days as my camera gear is carried on. I have never had any issue with diaphragms coming apart. I use Mares regulators.

Additionally I would never go off on holiday with a newly serviced reg without testing it first at least in a pool

 

[Merfman]

Additionally I would never go off on holiday with a newly serviced reg without testing it first at least in a pool

Yep, good advice no doubt. A simple test was given after our discovery: Try to breath without the air turned on. If you can suck air there is a problem. It will become part of our pre-dive safety check from here out but that's beside the point.

 

[pafindr]

1) Yeah, your LDS is making up stories.

2) Never put your reg in checked baggage, always have it with you in carry on. You never know when the reputable TSA will come along and try to help you lighten the weight of your bags. They're just making sure you don't throw out your back by carrying to much stuff.
As a matter of fact don't leave anything valuable in checked baggage. One person i know just recently put their canister light in checked baggage, lo' and behold, it never made it to it's final destination.

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Ronald Reagan

 

[fire_diver]

Your LDS is full of BS, find a new shop.

Never take reg for a trip after servicing without a check-out dive. The most likely time for a reg to fail is that first dive.

Airline travel can not harm dive gear from pressure changes. luggage handler monkeys are a different story.

 

[ajduplessis]

1. No
2a. No
2b. No

Lastly I would not trust the person you spoke to at the Dive shop.

 

[Thalassamania]

A regulator failing on the first dive after service is, unfortunately, a well known problem. In fact, almost every regulator failure that I know of has been on the first dive after service. This is always the fault of the repair technician ... find a new shop, the owner of your LDS is a bald-faced liar.