CDX5/GT3 High Pressure Seat Problems

[Mayor]

I have to say it is a bit disconcerting to go on this long without any sort of statement from the manufacturer. I went diving with my GT3/CDX5 anyway, although it was pretty shallow. No problems for what its worth, but it does make me a little nervous.

jds

You are so right. I will look long and hard at other regs the next time around!!! I understand Atomic make some nice stuff.

 

[Reef]

Reefwatcher, you did not make a mistake in buying Oceanic products. They have a small HP seat issue which will be corrected soon. You should hear some information from Oceanic in a very few days. That being said, if you have any Oceanic product problems, you may feell free to phone me and I can give you the skinny and arrange to get a repair done. Thanks.

Phil Ellis

Phil thanks for the info sir.

 

[contender]

FYI Oceanic has put out the recall on these. They posted it on thedecostop, and their website.

 

[PhilEllis]

Obviously, I have been constrained from speaking much on this issue for a number of months. We have been repairing these since June. You can use Oceanics serial number search feature to check and see if your regulator is affected by this issue. Of course, if you have one that has blown a first stage soft seat, it doesn't much matter what your serial number is. If anyone needs help with this recall, simply give us a call and we will get it fixed for you. Thanks.

Note: Don't blame Oceanic if you feel that the response to this problem seems slower than it should have been. Once the CPPS is notified, it must move on THEIR timeframe, not that of the manufacturer.

Phil Ellis

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Obviously, I have been constrained from speaking much on this issue for a number of months. We have been repairing these since June. You can use Oceanics serial number search feature to check and see if your regulator is affected by this issue. Of course, if you have one that has blown a first stage soft seat, it doesn't much matter what your serial number is. If anyone needs help with this recall, simply give us a call and we will get it fixed for you. Thanks.

Note: Don't blame Oceanic if you feel that the response to this problem seems slower than it should have been. Once the CPPS is notified, it must move on THEIR timeframe, not that of the manufacturer.

Phil Ellis

Thanks Phil. Just checked my CDX-5 SN this morning and it's not one of the affected units.

 

[reefduffer]

Obviously, I have been constrained from speaking much on this issue for a number of months. We have been repairing these since June. You can use Oceanics serial number search feature to check and see if your regulator is affected by this issue. Of course, if you have one that has blown a first stage soft seat, it doesn't much matter what your serial number is. If anyone needs help with this recall, simply give us a call and we will get it fixed for you. Thanks.

Note: Don't blame Oceanic if you feel that the response to this problem seems slower than it should have been. Once the CPPS is notified, it must move on THEIR timeframe, not that of the manufacturer.
Phil Ellis

I see some positives here, and some room for improvement.
Thanks for the heads-up wrt the Oceanic site.
I am pleased that I can go to their site, see a red link "Important Safety Notice",
click through, get a clear explanation, enter my CDX5 serial number, and get
told whether I'm affected. I am. I'll contact my dealer as soon as they open,
assuming they will (San Diego county).

Good job, Oceanic.

Room for improvement:

Scubaboard: Needs an alert at the top of the Oceanic forum much like
the computer recall last year. PLEASE!

Oceanic:

1) IMO, the red link isn't visible enough. It should say something about "Recall"
and CDX5. If I wasn't looking for it, I might have missed it, assumed it was
boilerplate like "register your gear".

2) I registered my regs with Oceanic. They have my email address.
They know my S/N is affected. I should have received an email notification.
I will accept that maybe the recall is brand new and they're working on that,
and I will get that notification in a day or so. That's very reasonable.
But if that's not being implemented, it needs to be.

My goal is not harping on Oceanic, but to suggest how other affected CDX5
owners can get notified before they dive with these regs.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I read the latest post above and then went to check my email and found the following email from Oceanic:

Dear Valued Oceanic Customer,

Our records indicate that you purchased an Oceanic Regulator featuring a Diaphragm First Stage.
Oceanic has been notified by its supplier (ROMI, Ent.) that they have received isolated reports of DX type Regulator First Stages exhibiting uncontrolled flow of air to the Second Stage.
Evaluation has shown that a specific batch of HP (High Pressure) Seats contained material that can deteriorate and fail to properly perform its mechanical sealing (shut off) function, causing an uncontrollable free flow which could result in serious injury to or death of the user.
In cooperation with the U. S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), ROMI is initiating a voluntary recall of all affected CDX5 and FDX10 (diaphragm) type First Stages.
The affected First Stages include those that were shipped to Oceanic Retailers from the factory between May 1, 2006 and November 15, 2006. Other model DX type First Stages, such as the CDX, DXi, DX3, DX4, and TDX5, that received annual service between May 1, 2006, and October 22, 2007, may also be affected.

NOTE: Due to the random nature utilized to assign SNs (serial numbers) to First Stages, there is only a small quantity of affected units within the large range of SNs. Since the extent of listing the actual SNs of all affected units would be impractical and not user friendly, Oceanic has created a data base on the Oceanic Worldwide web site that product owners and retailers can easily access to determine whether a specific First Stage is affected and if it has received the retrofit.

Determine whether your fist stage is affected.
Locate an Authorized Oceanic Dealer closest to you.
Instructions for returns direct to the factory.

If you have an affected unit, you must discontinue further use of it and take it to the Oceanic Dealer where you purchased it, or a local Authorized Oceanic Service Center, for a component retrofit at no charge.
Should you have any questions, please contact our toll free Recall Help line at (888) 636-9390 or locally at (510) 639-5448 between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday Pacific Time.

If you no longer own the DX (diaphragm) type Regulator First Stage, please forward this letter to the new owner or have them contact us directly.

WARNING: DO NOT CONTINUE USE of the Regulator First Stage until it receives a Retrofit. Only Authorized Oceanic Dealers and their trained service technicians must perform this Retrofit. Non authorized persons who attempt the Retrofit procedure risk voiding the product’s warranty and rendering the product dangerously unsafe for SCUBA use.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Oceanic Technical Support

 

[reefduffer]

I read the latest post above and then went to check my email and found the following email from Oceanic:
...

And I received mine at 10:43 AM.
Good job Oceanic!

 

[reefduffer]

... And there's Doug Krause's sticky alert post at the top of the forum.
I'm very sure all of it was underway before I said anything.

Great job everybody. Thanks.

 

[qjktx]

I assumed that because this was a recall the repair would be performed at no charge. However, I received this from my LDS yesterday afternoon:

"If your first stage is affected, bring it to ****** Scuba for service. Oceanic pays for the replacement parts, but the is a nominal labor charge to change the parts. If your regulator is due for annual service, we can make the change as part of that service."

Is this Oceanic's standard policy regarding the recall?