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Look forward to that report, thanks. May the Force be with them....

I don't think this the right analysis - or at least a complete paradigm for analyzing the issue. A couple of reasons for this: 1. The operating environment is too variable. There's no reliable set of time-between-failure data and there won't ever be because so many of the "failures" are the...

Aside from the dozen or so immediate life threatening technical deal-breakers that come to mind, I just can't imagine having the balls to suit up in that thing on a dive boat. I'm not usually that concerned about appearances, but I sure couldn't do it. Not unless it was Halloween and I had the...

The best plan is to find a good instructor and talk about your objectives. Then plan a training path that gets you there. Don't guess and go buy a bunch of stuff before doing that. You'll just waste your money. One of the many possible paths, but one that gives some flexibility, is to do your...

It isn't just lawyers. The reality is that a huge proportion of divers, even those that own their own stuff, have no idea how it works, how to function check it, what the early warning signs are, etc. How many recreational vacation divers own an IP gauge? They also are the least able to...

I haven't done Bikini yet (going next summer), but my thoughts are: 1. Staying OC and doing deep air is not a great idea given where you are experience-wise. All the wrecks there are deep. Narcosis would be a factor on every dive. 2. Your stated goal of getting some wreck training is a...

Update: Much better now. I confirmed the balance chamber had no scratches. I couldn't find any corrosion on the orifice, but there may have been some very, very slight sandblasting -- it was much more like the second picture in the post by @rsingler than the first, but maybe just an...

Recommended IP range on F8 is 130-145psi, 135 nominal. I really like the F8. I have, I think, 6 of them altogether. I have them on bailouts and a couple of recreational setups and have several hundred dives on them. The first stage is bullet proof and easy to service. Not ideal for...

Great information. Thanks everyone. I'm pretty confident the problem isn't on the balance chamber side. I inspected that closely under magnification and it looked great. Mirror smooth. I'd like to think my technique was good and I used all new OEM parts, except for the balance chamber...

I've been servicing my Apeks DS4 first stages for a while with no problems. I bought a used one just to have around as a spare and because the deal was good. I recently O2 cleaned and serviced it. Here's my question: IP locks up reliably but then creeps up about 10 psi and then stays...

I can't wait for the report. It'll be hilarious, I'm sure. My biggest question is whether they show up for day 2.

My .02 is that nitrox ought to be part of basic OW training these days. My LDS bundles it that way, for good reason. Whether on a particular dive you want to pay the extra $10 or whatever is up to you, but you'll be in position to make an informed choice. You'll be able to figure out when it...

Lots of claims made on that website and much distracting hype. The theory of working backwards from probability is intriguing, but only as good as the underlying model generating those probabilities. Maybe I'm just missing it, but other than taking SAUL!'s word that is a better fit to the data...

It is not unusual to have funny feeling ears after diving, particularly when new (and even when not new with some people). Pressure change can traumatize your ears and they may feel funny for a while. Are you symptom free now? I'm no doctor, and by all means do what you think is best, but...

Unless your nose was clogged, my guess is that the ear problem was equalization and the not mask clearing drill itself. It just manifested later, or that's when you noticed it. After all, that is just exhaling through your nose, which you do all the time without causing ear problems. You even...

I cannot help it if a certain amount of complexity (not confusion) is required when discussing this subject. You're attempting to impose a black and white (deserved/undeserved, expected/unexpected) paradigm on something more complex. It is sophistry to suggest that one cannot both embrace...

I'm not as comfortable as you with the premise that staying within the deco schedule (whether straight ZHL or as modified with GF) will always perfectly compensate for ongassing during deep stops (so as long as you are willing to extend deco, as will be required). In theory, of course, that is...

I guess I'm still not understanding your point. Of course, using GF will, by definition, increase total time vs straight M value deco. In the real world, efficient deco matters. It's easy not to get bent is you are willing to decompress like a saturation diver, or dive absurdly extended deco...

Never any harm in checking that stuff, but OP's wet breathing problem is only when inverted. Pretty clear what's causing it. It's normal.

The exhaust valve is on the bottom of your second stage. If you're inverted and the exhaust is "on top" water can enter when you exhale, especially if it's light exhalation. It's just a one way flapper. You can easily visualize the issue. It's quite normal for a reg to breathe wet in that...