Best time to service gear

[Jim Lapenta]

I had 20 year old Sherwood regs that got done every 5 years or so. My HOG regs get done when they need it. Seconds about every 18 months. 1sts? Some are going on 4 years with no sign of problems. I know people using ScubaPro and Aqualung regs over 10 years old that haven't been overhauled and they are still going strong.
The manufacturers are responding to being called out on their BS policies that are designed to pad the shops cash register. At least in the US where most of them still won't let you buy parts and service them yourself.

 

[BoltSnap]

I had 20 year old Sherwood regs that got done every 5 years or so. My HOG regs get done when they need it. Seconds about every 18 months. 1sts? Some are going on 4 years with no sign of problems. I know people using ScubaPro and Aqualung regs over 10 years old that haven't been overhauled and they are still going strong.

And more are having IP and other issues in 2, 3, 4 years. What you are stating is mere anecdotal information. Do you want people to service their equipment only when they fail, underwater perhaps? Do you wait to service your car and change oil/filter and other parts when they fail in the middle of a high speed highway after mid-night or do you prevent to do preventive maintenance, which is what the regulator every-two year service is, before Shitt hits the fan for an inexperienced diver, which is the majority of divers around the world?

The manufacturers are responding to being called out on their BS policies that are designed to pad the shops cash register.

No one called manufacturers on their alleged "BS" at all, none! They are responding to experience in the field, change to better material, better manufacturing process, better technology in design and much more stringent quality control, better manufacturing tools allowing more strict and higher specifications and tolerances, etc.

At least in the US where most of them still won't let you buy parts and service them yourself.

The greater majority of divers and equipment owners, by far, take their equipment to their dive centers for service. The GREATER majority do not want or can do or even think about DIY service. They don't have the time, desire, inclination, or talent to do DIY service.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Experience, change to better materials and designs and much better specs and tolerances?

No, just a purely political policy change is it.
In SP’s case no model changed and they used the exact same parts kits.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

…No one called manufacturers on their alleged "BS" at all, none! They are responding to experience in the field, change to better material, better manufacturing process, better technology in design and much more stringent quality control, better manufacturing tools allowing more strict and higher specifications and tolerances, etc.

People have been calling out manufacturers for years.
When they changed their policy from 1 year to 2 years they were including regs that were already sold years prior. Many of the parts kits that were being used were old stock from when it was one year. There was no “changing to better material” or “better manufacturing process” or “tighter tolerances”. These were all the exact same MK25’s, MK20’s snd related second stages.
The change was purely for SP to save money on giving away free parts kits, that’s it.
The one that got screwed was the dive shop because they could no longer mandate people bring in their stuff every year or no free parts, and they also made it policy that you had to buy a BC and computer in order to get free parts for your reg every which magically became two years. Many people decided to ho with something else since that seemed a little pushy. Dive shops lost sales because of it. If that’s not purely political sales pressure then I don’t know what is. What does needing to buy more stuff have to do with better made regs?
I very well remember being told by my dive shop that it was imperative that I bring it in for service once a year or else! It got it serviced 6 times in six years which is absurd. After the policy changed I missed a few years. I took my reg in for service one day after several years absence and they told me that the whole free parts for life for me was now obsolete. There wasn’t even a buy back-in. We had a discussion and the end result was them telling me to bring it in every two years or whenever I thought it needed it. I asked about the one year thing or die, and the owner (new owner) looked away and blushed a bit and said “Yeah, well, that was then”. So yeah, busted!
I love SP products but their company policies suck.
Did they not think that us prior customers would not call them out on their BS? They probably didn’t care.

 

[BoltSnap]

People have been calling out manufacturers for years.
When they changed their policy from 1 year to 2 years they were including regs that were already sold years prior. Many of the parts kits that were being used were old stock from when it was one year. There was no “changing to better material” or “better manufacturing process” or “tighter tolerances”. These were all the exact same MK25’s, MK20’s snd related second stages.

They had to do it for all, based on their experience and tracking of issues and incidents. The manufacturing process and all associated issues were improved greatly. Various new technologies were introduced to how regulators and other products were made over the last 25 years or so. They have improved internal parts to the MK20, and have upgraded the older parts for various products over the years. These enhancement applied to new as well as older ones. This is something you can't deny.

I know that it is very fashionable here on SB to attack and belittle LDS's, agencies, manufactures, etc. but this is just too much and purely emotional not supported by facts, most importantly people just want to complain and attack even when there are improvements.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

They had to do it for all, based on their experience and tracking of issues and incidents. The manufacturing process and all associated issues were improved greatly. Various new technologies were introduced to how regulators and other products were made over the last 25 years or so. They have improved internal parts to the MK20, and have upgraded the older parts for various products over the years. These enhancement applied to new as well as older ones. This is something you can't deny.

I know that it is very fashionable here on SB to attack and belittle LDS's, agencies, manufactures, etc. but this is just too much and purely emotional not supported by facts, most importantly people just want to complain and attack even when there are improvements.

I’d like to know where you’re getting your inside information on all this. Maybe you can cite some materials or post a link or internal belletin that backs up your claim that they use better materials both in the reg body and parts kits?
So they changed alloys? Can you please explain the new recipe as opposed to the old one?
Parts kits: from what material did use they use to switch to a better one, for what O-rings? HP seats? What were they using before and what are they using now that is twice as good?
What about parts kits that were manufactured and were in inventory before the big change? Why was the exact same physical kit only good for one year before but now all of a sudden two years?

 

[BoltSnap]

I’d like to know where you’re getting your inside information on all this. Maybe you can cite some materials or post a link or internal belletin that backs up your claim that they use better materials both in the reg body and parts kits?
So they changed alloys? Can you please explain the new recipe as opposed to the old one?
Parts kits: from what material did use they use to switch to a better one, for what O-rings? HP seats? What were they using before and what are they using now that is twice as good?
What about parts kits that were manufactured and were in inventory before the big change? Why was the exact same physical kit only good for one year before but now all of a sudden two years?

I am getting my information from the inside sources at the manufacturers. We are not talking about a year or two, we are talking decades. I have also mentioned, but you choose to ignore, experience. Experience supported by data from the field that was generated over decades allowed the manufacture to extend the service interval for SOME products to 2 years instead of 1 but with the stipulation a "through check" in the middle.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I am getting my information from the inside sources at the manufacturers. We are not talking about a year or two, were are talking decades. I have also mentioned, but you choose to ignore, experience. Experience supported by data from the field that was generated over decades allowed the manufacture to extend the service interval for SOME products to 2 years instead of 1 but with the stipulation a "through check" in the middle.

I’m sorry, I don’t buy any of it.
Thank you for your contributions never the less.

 

[BoltSnap]

I’m sorry, I don’t buy any of it.
Thank you for your contributions never the less.

I still love you man, you are a great guy and a very good sport!!

 

[Scuba_Store_int]

recommend servicing every year or every 100 dives which ever comes first