"disposable regulators" vs servicing?

[brsnow]

I have found diving regs until they need service then selling and buying new to be pretty cost efficient. That being said I picked up numerous new sets during Covid based on extreme discounts and am likely set.

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

I think (and this is me speculating without any chemical or manufacturing knowledge) that some of the newer "environmentally friendly" materials and manufacturing processes don't last as long. I've seen this in outdoor gear, particularly tents, where coatings and materials that would last a decade now deteriorate in a few years under similar storage conditions. I tried to return a couple tents with "lifetime" warranties that essentially disintegrated, and the manufacturer told me it was due to more environmentally sound materials and that "lifetime" now means about 3 years. Contrast that with a 20-year-old tent from the same brand that's totally intact.

I don't know whether things balance out on a product lasting twice as long but producing significantly more environmental hazards during manufacturing, but it seems like yet another instance of the universal law that "there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

That holds so true with many items, including much of the ‘newer’ SCUBA gear I see in many shops. Don’t let this be a ‘killjoy’. 1st stages have to handle the pressure. They usually last. Components wear out and have always been meant to be replaced, such as o-rings, seats and diaphragms, however these parts are now being made of better grades of silicone rubber. The challenge is finding these components. Now the big disappointment. The 2nd stage housing. That is where most modern regulators ‘fail’. Wear and cracked plastic housing makes newer gear no longer usable after a short life. That is why I prefer the older regs with chromed metal 2nd stage housings….just replace the worn components…if you are willing to pursue the vintage SCUBA route you will not be disappointed. The biggest thing is taking care of your gear and regular servicing and you won’t be disposing of gear with a short life-span. Others that see this know many divers have owned gear through out the years and have seen the stuff tossed in storage boxes and floorboards of pickup trucks without cleaning. I believe you get the ‘picture’ I am presenting.