Gas Analysis and Regulator Maintenance

[Dive-aholic]

Before people start having heart attacks over that, they need to consider the average "certification" course. Those tend to be one or two day events with limited hands on experience and even if hands on it tends to be one shot, working on one reg only of each model the company sells, and may not include any information non the other models that they sold but have discontinued.

I'm not sure what courses you've been through. All the manufacturer sponsored courses I've been through were 1-2 hours! Look at the DEMA schedule any given year and see how long the manufacturers slot for the reg servicing clinics. 1-2 days is a lot of time and just doesn't happen, at least not any more. I do have to commend HOG on their sponsored course It is a 1-2 day course that requires participants have a tech certification, own a HOG reg, and dive the regs after they service them. The length of the course depends on the experience of the participant. And the requirements to become an instructor for the course are pretty stringent.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Rob, the refresher courses are indeed often just a couple hours although Scubapro still does one day refresher courses and there initial certain is a two day class - but it is still inadequate unless the student shows up with some knowledge and experience and has some mentoring support back in the shop.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

With regard to internal diaphragms, Mares includes neither seats nor diaphragms and regards them as items to be replaced only on an as needed basis. Scubapro also has different annual service replacement part standards. Perhaps the UK is different than continental Europe.

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External diaphragms used to seal ambient chambers can leak and need to be inspected. If the diaphragm is clear the diver can note condensation or salt crystals. With an opaque seal the diver has to remove the seal to inspect for a leak. Zeagle regs at least allow the seal to be removed without tools.

If you remove a seal just be aware you should pressurize the reg, then replace the seal. That will leave the seal sucked nin slightly when the reg is depressurized. That can serve as an indicator of a leak, but more importantly it allows for correct IP and depth compensation in use.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Rob, the refresher courses are indeed often just a couple hours although Scubapro still does one day refresher courses and there initial certain is a two day class - but it is still inadequate unless the student shows up with some knowledge and experience and has some mentoring support back in the shop.

Larry, I'm not referring to refresher courses. These are the full on initial courses fir reg servicing. Sherwood, Aqualung, and Tusa are 3 that come immediately to mind as manufacgurers that offer 1-2 hour clinics at DEMA. No prior experience required. Watch the ppt, disassemble and reassemble, get your certification. I've been through some just for the cert for a particular model and learned nothing. I shuddered at the thought of others in the clinics who had absolutely zero experience servicing regulators. And they openly admitted it in the clinic. But at the end of the clinic they were certified regs techs! The exhibitor seminar schedule should be out in a few weeks on GENERAL INFORMATION.

 

[Ste Wart]

With regard to internal diaphragms, Mares includes neither seats nor diaphragms and regards them as items to be replaced only on an as needed basis. Scubapro also has different annual service replacement part standards. Perhaps the UK is different than continental Europe.

Apeks and Aqualung include diaphragms in their kits regardless of region. Mares & Scubapro are largely known as Piston reg manufacturers, so they may have different servicing suggestions.

Cleaner or servicer? I'd say I was both. I service my 1st stages, replacing all O-rings and using service kits. But with my 2nds I just check my O-rings and give all other parts a good clean. I've been doing this for five years with my Apeks regs, they haven't suffered at all. I do find it funny the price Apeks want for a "2nd stage service kit", when all it contains is replacement O-rings.

 

[cbrich]

Rob, the refresher courses are indeed often just a couple hours although Scubapro still does one day refresher courses and there initial certain is a two day class - but it is still inadequate unless the student shows up with some knowledge and experience and has some mentoring support back in the shop.

I too have heard most of the brands service classes are only a couple of hours, with the max being 4 hours. IMHO Scubapro has the best service classes around, but with that said, they just cover the basics but in more detail. If the technician does not have support at the shop, they do have support from Scubapro. You can't expect them to give you 40+ years of knowledge in 2 days, just not going to happen, you won't even be able to get that in 1/2 the time. Most of the training will come after the class with actual hands on experience. It's like diving, was your bouyancy perfect after your OW class? Of course not, it took time with several 100 dives to get better at it, and a mentor to guide you; the same goes with a technician. This goes with any job field, only with experience do you get better at, but you need the fundamentals to get your feet on the ground, and a mentor to be by your side when you have issues.

It took me a good 4 months to be able to install the poppet on a second stage the correct way. For the life of me, I could not remember, until my mentor came up with a saying; "feet go down, and arms stick up; it's just like walking."

Another anology: Think about your life growing up as a kid: your first steps, first time riding a bike, learning to swim. Who can tell me, when they got out of womb, they did a triathalon!!! Everything you have done in life, you had someone to help you on the way. Who was holding your hands when you took your first steps, who was holding your hand when you learned how to ride a bicycle, who was holding your hand when learned to swim. Of course your mom and dad helped you with walking, riding bicycle, and swimming (some could have been an instructor). But it's not like you were beat for not walking, or hears you bike get on it, or thrown in a deep body of water expecting to swim, just does not happen. The same applies to Scuba, everybody has someone to help them.


Sorry if I went off on a tangent, and Sorry to DA if I missinterpret your message. But I got annoyed with this particular post of yours, after reading your last post. I thought the course was very adequate for the basic fundamentals. Your previous post was awesome, and very well thought out; I agreed with it 100%. The "parts changer" I was referring too, did take the service course, but you nailed it on the head about him; he is only in it for the money. The quicker he can do them, the more money he can make, and the quicker the LDS makes money. I do not agree with his practice, but then again my regular day job pays bills, not being a scuba service technician (I am one of those technicians that does it in the evenings, and on the weekend.) My LDS probably gets several hundres regs in every year to get serviced (I can't provide an accurate number, since my LDS has 3 shops), and I maybe will work on 100 regs (that is a big maybe). Not only does my LDS shop might not get in enough regs to support 4 technicians, but I personally have to compete with 3 other technicians, and 1 of those technicians is a "parts changer" that has more free time than I do.