Atomic Regulator Service Costs?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

As I see it, it's life support equipment and I have no clue as to its usage or service history and I don't know anybody that is a service tech guru to inspect it for me.

On the plus side, it'll be good to go for 2 years and I'll have total peace of mind when I'm at 90' in 48 degree water.

This is a perfect example of how the dive gear industry gets away with these absurd parts/service policies and prices. This poor guy thinks 1) his life depends on the regulator and 2) he'll be safe from all harm ("total peace of mind"-right out of the sales literature) if he only pays someone more money for a service than many people actually spend on a regulator.

With that kind of grip on someone's perception of a SPORT ACTIVITY, it's no wonder people shell out this kind of money. Consider your dive training, dude. Regulator failure is not a death sentence, is it? Because if it were, there would be LOTS of dead divers around.

I suspect that about half of that $260 is in parts cost. The 'parts' involved are a few o-rings, plastic and rubber seats, and maybe a few plastic bushings that likely cost under $1 to produce. That's quite some mark up. Now, IMO, $100+ in labor to fully rebuild 3 stages is not outrageous, and one would hope that whoever is doing this at atomic actually has received some substantive training and has demonstrated significant understanding of these devices, before being allowed to work on customers' regs. That is not necessarily the case with a typical dive shop.
 
I see what you are saying halocline and not to start a big argument here but I disagree with a few things.

I don't think my life DEPENDS on the the reg and I've practiced emergency ascents and have had a real life emergency ascent as well, but a regulator is in fact, life SUPPORT equipment when we are under water, without it we either surface, or die.

I don't consider diving a "sport". I played baseball, if I break a bat or a lace on a glove breaks, my life is NOT in danger in any way what so ever. If you've ever done any tech diving, you know that a reg failure can most definitely be a death sentence; especially if your dive buddy is three levels deep in that fancy new DSLR or video camera as he attempts to document your dive.

As such, I have always bought the best equipment that I could afford and have always been meticulous about post dive care and servicing. And again, not trying to start an argument, but to infer that I meant I would be "free from all harm" from my statement of "total peace of mind" is a bit off track. Total peace of mind may have been the wrong words to use. However, as I said, not knowing the regs history (how were they used, how were they taken care of, how were they serviced and by whom?) leaves a lot to consider. Taking them directly to Atomic does come with some additional benefits compared to the local LDS. Some assumptions here, but I assume that Atomic techs would see a lot of Atomic regs, even if it's Nicky New Guy that works on my stuff, he's seen a few by the time he gets to mine in his "training". However, that is kind of beside the point because no matter what LDS you go to, you are making assumptions about whos doing the work. The big advantage as I see it and the "peace of mind" is that the regs will have been tested on the Atomic dive machine after the service. Which means, I KNOW they worked to at least 130' in the test tank before I go jumping in with them and ya, that does give me some peace of mind.

For this initial service, I'll pony up the cash for Atomic to do their thing and make sure the regs are up to factory spec.

That being said, I do plan to pursue learning a bit more about how regs work. I know Liburdi's used to have a technical workshop class series for just this. (I've been into mechanical things since I was a kid, from go kart racing to high end mtn bikes to paintball guns to rifles, and my favorite toy my class 5 unlimited race car; I can definitely turn a wrench with the best of em so I suppose it's time to learn)

Thanks all for the feedback.
 
(or should I take it somewhere besides directly to Atomic?)
I'm pretty sure Scubatoys does them since they're an Atomic dealer. They'll likely charge extra for the Christolube. Their base charge for 1st stage/2 2nds is $60 + $10-30 for parts - might be more based on cbrich's numbers. Send the gauge also and they'll change the spool and o-rings for that price. Plus shipping. They also test them and include the printout. That's what I pay locally also coincidentally - maybe it's similar at a regular LDS in SoCal.

Scuba Regulator Repair - Scuba Annual Service

A buddy of mine sent his to Atomic. They came back looking like new, they even replaced the yoke knob and something else (cover?) as well. What's kind of interesting is that if they still work there - the tech who built your reg does the service. I don't think he paid $260 but it was more than a few years ago.
 
I don't think my life DEPENDS on the the reg and I've practiced emergency ascents and have had a real life emergency ascent as well, but a regulator is in fact, life SUPPORT equipment when we are under water, without it we either surface, or die.


If you've ever done any tech diving, you know that a reg failure can most definitely be a death sentence; especially if your dive buddy is three levels deep in that fancy new DSLR or video camera as he attempts to document your dive.

Taking them directly to Atomic does come with some additional benefits compared to the local LDS. Some assumptions here, but I assume that Atomic techs would see a lot of Atomic regs,

That being said, I do plan to pursue learning a bit more about how regs work.

Someday I'll have to learn how to separate quotes so I can respond to individual comments.

1. If your life does not depend on your reg working, then it's not appropriate to call it "life support." There's really no sense at all in trying to argue otherwise. The dive gear industry loves to call regulators "life support" because it gives them an excuse to restrict parts sales, require annual service, and sell new divers FAR more expensive regulators than they need. It's a great sales gimmick, nothing more. If regulators were actual life support, the qualifications and regulations for their use, sales, and service would be a totally different situation. Maybe something more like a heart-lung machine or general anesthesia. Those devices are "life support" and it takes doctors with years of medical training to use them.

In diving, what you need to stay alive underwater is air, and you get that from the tank, or your buddy's tank. The regulators only make it convenient and practical to breathe off the tank. It's an important distinction.

2. All dive training, recreational and especially technical, involves procedures for dealing with equipment failure. It's much more stringent in technical diving, BTW. Any tech diver that has a clue understands and follows these procedures, whether it's team diving or solo. Any regulator is simply a mechanical device, and can fail at any time, although they are designed to fail open, meaning free flow as opposed to air stoppage. Dive safety is a matter of behavior, NOT equipment. Of course, there is some overlap, in terms of using appropriate equipment, maintaining it (as you're doing) and using redundant gear when it's appropriate. But putting yourself in a position where reg failure causes your death is a serious dive behavior and training mistake.

3. It's especially deceptive to me that (some) shops teach OW classes (and tech classes, it make zero difference) that stress the buddy system, air sharing, etc....and THEN go on to use the "your life depends on your regulator" bull$h1t to sell gear to the same students that they just taught how to easily survive OOA scenarios. Why doesn't this strike most students as hypocrisy?

4. You are likely correct in assuming that sending your reg to Atomic is a safer bet for quality service than using a local dive shop. At the LDS, the quality of service is a total crapshoot; the only 'training' required to be certified for most regulator servicing is a one or two day course that nobody fails, and the only entrance requirement is that you work for a dealer. Combine this with the "life support" bit and you really get a whiff.

5. I hope you do eventually decide to learn how to work on your own regs. You'll probably find that it's very easy and cost effective to do so, and you can get some great advice on this forum. As long as you can find parts you'll be very happy working on your own regs.
 
They are the manufacture there going to charge more than any Dive Center, they want you to take your equipment to the local Dive Center. You see how people cry on the least thing " I broke my strap on my 15 year old computer and they won't give me one free I'll never buy a computer from them again poor they have poor customer service" Dive shops will do the same crying you're servicing regulators I'm losing money.
 
What? Well that post is clear as mud.

Atomic USED to encourage in house service and prices were great (numerous threads on this forum). They are a local company to me, as in right down the street. "Crying" about a $270 service on an $800 reg after two years isn't quite the same as a $10 strap after 15 years.

But whatever, I'm over it. I'm paying the money and I'm going diving. (having my old Aqualung Legend LX Supreme serviced at the same time at my LDS)

One of these regs will be up for sale in the near future.

Have a great day.
 
I just purchased a few used Atomic Regulators.

Picked up a B2 with a Z2 octo.

Called Atomic which is right down the street from me for service and was shocked at the service prices.

$260.70 for a service with enviro seal for 1st, 2nd and octo. Hopefully that service comes with some KY when I drop it off.

That's a little over $80/stage including parts and the regulator goo, for the best service you can possibly get.

How much were you expecting to spend?

flots
 
Actually, a more accurate description would be a little under $90 per stage, or to be more precise. $86.90 per stage.

Just pulled receipts from my last service at Liburdis. It was $135.89 for the Aqualung Legend LX Supreme 1st, 2nd and octo plus new battery in my Cobra. So, roughly 1/2 the price. Given the two year service interval on the Atomic, I suppose it's even Stevens.

But hey, I'm still a rookie so what do I know.

Not sure why you are seemingly so defensive. As I stated previously, it was an initial sticker shock, and at the end of the day they are getting my business. In the grand scheme of life, it's a half days work and really not a big deal.

Anyhow, carry on.
 
Actually, a more accurate description would be a little under $90 per stage, or to be more precise. $86.90 per stage.

Just pulled receipts from my last service at Liburdis. It was $135.89 for the Aqualung Legend LX Supreme 1st, 2nd and octo plus new battery in my Cobra. So, roughly 1/2 the price. Given the two year service interval on the Atomic, I suppose it's even Stevens.

But hey, I'm still a rookie so what do I know.

Not sure why you are seemingly so defensive. As I stated previously, it was an initial sticker shock, and at the end of the day they are getting my business. In the grand scheme of life, it's a half days work and really not a big deal.

Anyhow, carry on.

Aqualung also has a 2 years recommended service interval, as does Scubapro.

My regulators go 3 to 5 years between service, some even longer. But they get inspected quite often.

When you service a regulator unnecessarily, you incur the risk of a service error or the introduction of a defective part. If you are ever tentative about diving a regulator, it should be the first dive after a service.

I don't mind spending $$$ when necessary. I just hate wasting it or getting ripped off.
 
" I broke my strap on my 15 year old computer and they won't give me one free I'll never buy a computer from them again poor they have poor customer service"

It appears that divers are the worst about this.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom