Bringing two SPGs on trips

[Alex_Garland]

I have been using my current Scubapro SPG for going on 8 years, ~250 dives, and it still works fine. I have two dive trips coming up, a resort at Little Cayman and a liveaboard (Aqua Cat) in the Bahamas, in which I'm looking to enhance my redundancy. I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to purchase a second SPG in case the first one fails.

I'm considering this model here, which is similar to my current SPG, except that this one measures depth too:


So my first question: Is carrying a second SPG a common practice among SB divers? (Not to WEAR two at a time on dives, but to have a second SPG in your luggage in case the first one fails on a dive trip in a remote location where it cannot be immediately repaired.)

Also, if I were to purchase a second SPG, are these generally ready to be hooked up right out of the box, or do they need special testing and/or other work (e.g., o-ring installation) before use?

I'm shopping for a new dive computer with AI, so if I go down that route, carrying a second back-up SPG in my luggage might seem like overkill. But I'm curious to see what people here think.

Thanks,
AG

 

[davehicks]

I carry a full set of: 1st stage, 2nd stage, SPG, and their hoses as spares. I can use them or help out another diver. If there is a problem, I can quickly swap out the offending part to keep diving. Later, I can look into fixing the issue at the end of the day or after the trip.

 

[rongoodman]

If you want to bring a spare, fine, but you can get a plain SPG for $60 plus the cost of an HP hose. It should come with the little spool which goes between the hose and the gauge.

 

[Alex_Garland]

If you want to bring a spare, fine, but you can get a plain SPG for $60 plus the cost of an HP hose. It should come with the little spool which goes between the hose and the gauge.

A great money-saving observation. Does anyone know recommended brands for HP hoses?

 

[rhwestfall]

Get them (hoses, or maybe even a gauge) from Randy at Prianha Dive.... Great prices...

When we travel as a family, we bring one complete spare reg set for the three of us. Travel with a group, the same...

No reason for everyone to bring everything....

Are you on the trip with folks you know? Figure out a contingency plan....

Repair? Nope, either rent or replace (buy)...

 

[Alex_Garland]

Get them (hoses, or maybe even a gauge) from Randy at Prianha Dive.... Great prices...

When we travel as a family, we bring one complete spare reg set for the three of us. Travel with a group, the same...

No reason for everyone to bring everything....

Are you on the trip with folks you know? Figure out a contingency plan....

Repair? Nope, either rent or replace (buy)...

I assume you meant Piranha Dive, right (Piranha Dive Manufacturing, for all your diving needs.) Thanks for the tip, their prices do look reasonable.

I usually dive with my local dive shop in D.C. (Blue Planet SCUBA), so yes, there are usually at least a handful of people I know, including the trip organizers. Indeed, this type of contingency planning would be a good thing to bring up at our pre-trip happy hours/zoom orientations.

 

[rx7diver]

I purchased my Scubapro SPG's (brass and glass) new in 1987 and 1988. They continue to work perfectly--even though I use them without their rubber boot.

Still, there's always the chance that an SPG might malfunction or get smashed. So, I take a second complete reg + gauges with me when I go diving--you know, so that I have a spare first stage, spare 2nd stage, spare SPG, and spare hoses.

I often dive two complete regs on a Y-valve when diving with a single cylinder. So, more things to break. So, having a complete spare reg + gauges increases the odds of having a fun dive trip. (Applies to diving baby doubles, too.)

rx7diver

 

[macado]

Nothing wrong with having spares / backups. I typically travel with an extra regulator set that I can steal hoses, SPG, or first or second stage from if I have an issue.

Consider purchasing a spare HP hose in addition to a spare SPG. Perhaps I am just incredibly unlucky but the hoses are generally what fails for me. They fail at the crimp or the start leaking from the outer liner. A lot of my brass/glass SPGs are ~20 years old.

EDIT: Additional info
No special parts or testing needed. Just try to keep salt water from getting into SPG. keep it in a plastic bag. When you install a new one you will also want to also install new SPG spindle/spool and lube the o-rings.

Best to keep a few of these in your save-a-dive kit

DGX Air Spool w/ Viton O-Rings for SPG Swivel

The standard air spool with a flange in the center and compatible with most submersible pressure gauges (SPG) and high pressure SCUBA swivel hoses.

www.divegearexpress.com

 

[NothingClever]

Same as @davehicks - I carry the spares in my DGX reg bag.

 

[Alex_Garland]

Same as @davehicks - I carry the spares in my DGX reg bag.

Just out of curiosity--don't think I'm ready to go that far with redundancy just yet--for those of you who carry spare 1st and 2nd stages, do you get those serviced at your local dive shop as often as you do your primary regulator set-up?