Buying Online

[Superlyte27]

nevermind.

 

[Starcruiser]

Just my two cents worth, but I'd rather give the LDS the business if they can come close to the online price. It's nice to walk into the LDS with a problem and have them maybe look it over right then and decide to help you out than having to send it out for what may be a nothing problem. That being said, if the LDS won't move on the price, I'd buy it online.

 

[redacted]

Besides HOG and Zeagle who else offers the service kits to the public?

You should probably add Dive Rite (and maybe Atomic) to your list but I'm afraid the real answer is that no scuba gear manufacturers offer service kits to the public in the USA. What seems to be happening is that manufacturers have exercised varying restrictions on their authorized dealers in the USA when it comes to selling service kits and parts to divers. But I am fairly sure that all Scuba manufacturers who do business in Europe must make service kits and parts available to the public through their authorized dealers.

The fact that you can buy an XYZ service kit from some authorized dealer today (in the USA) does not mean that it will still be available tomorrow. For example, when Scubatoys first opened, they said they would sell parts kits for all the regulators they sold. That appears to have changed quite a bit. They stopped selling Oceanic kits quite some time ago. They apparently recently stopped selling Mares kits. At one time they sold Zeagle kits. Then they stopped for a while and I believe started again.

Until something (like USA laws) changes, the scuba retail industry has a pretty firm grip on parts and tends to deny access to the general diving public. I believe this is done to force divers to support local authorized dealer. There are still plenty of cracks in their dam, but we are stuck with finding the few renegade dealers and other back door supply lines for service kits and parts.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Besides HOG and Zeagle who else offers the service kits to the public

?

I know Diverite does also

I would tell everyone you know to patronize these companies as they are bucking the industry in a way that benefits the customers.

 

[mdb]

We offer service kits, tools, instructional downloads etc: www.diveapollo.com

 

[Firefishvideo]

I have only serviced my Atomic M-1's and don't know how complex an opperation it is to service the other brands......That being said, I only serviced them with a REAL CERTIFIED TECH watching me to make sure I didn't f-up and kill myself.
It is supprisingly easy to forget how all those parts went together, and I am mechanically inclined enough to have built my own video housings, and lights.
...Also, this type of opperation, really needs a dedicated service area, with oxygen clean - specialized tools, and a ultrasonic cleaner to bathe the parts in.
One Reg will take an experienced service tech about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete , start to finish ( takes me a little longer)
I guess my point is buy from the local guy, see if he will match the online price - I know mine will if possible. + If you are new to BUYING regs, you shouldn't even consider REBUILDING one.... remember....LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT.
PS: Atomic M-1's as well as a few other brands have a 2 year service interval, most are 1 year, and Its not a scam, if you use your gear it ages quickly because of high PO2's , salt, UV, ect. ....even flourescent lights will give off enough UV rays to degrade any exposed rubber components.
PPS: not to rant, but I have seen quite a few divers have problems or forfeit dives because their gear gave out due to stretching of the service interval......what did that cost them?

 

[Aqua-Andy]

LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT.

And don't forget to buy the most expensive regs you can find because YOUR LIFE IS WORTH IT. And don't forget if you purchase your regs online they wont have any warranty "BTW most online retailers I have seen are authorized dealers".

 

[redacted]

PPS: not to rant, but I have seen quite a few divers have problems or forfeit dives because their gear gave out due to stretching of the service interval......what did that cost them?

I must have been on a different boat. By far, the majority of dive canceling problems I have seen were with recently "serviced" regulators.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

PPS: not to rant, but I have seen quite a few divers have problems or forfeit dives because their gear gave out due to stretching of the service interval......what did that cost them?

Meh. If the divers purchased their regs at a good price (new from an online retailer or used on Ebay/Craigslist/etc.) and did DIY servicing when the regs actually needed it, they'd have saved enough money to purchase a backup reg setup (which they'd, of course, service on an as-needed basis).

 

[Teller]

How often do I really need to get my regs serviced. I only do about 100 dives a year. Not sure if it matters but my regs only touch salt water on vacations. Mabey 2-4 dives a year. Do I really need to get them serviced yearly.