How can I become a regulator repair technician?

[Rich Keller]

How to become a regulator technician:

1. Buy a regulator.
2. Buy a hammer, a nice big one.

The correct technical term for item #2 is a BFH (Bigger Fracking Hammer).

Seriously though there has been very little real change in regs it the last 40 years, buy and old scubapro reg on ebay and talk to the people in the DIY and vintage sections here and you will get more help then you would have imagined. Try a mark 5 1st and either an R108HP or R109 2nd as these are the most common vintage regs, the R108HP being the easier of the 2nds to work on.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Must a reg tech be affiliated with a dive shop? Why don't we see people advertising on-line to service regs? It seems to me that if someone wants to set up a business doing nothing but servicing regs, with fast turnaround, they could do a good business. My shop charges something like a hundred bucks and, as I said, they make all kinds of excuses when it's not ready when they said it would be. I'd gladly ship it off to a reliable reg specialist. Everyone who services regs is employed by a dive shop or a freelance contractor for a dive shop? It seems to me that the dive shop is the bottleneck.

As for Jim's comment, that's usually a shop's first question: "By when do you need it?" I have learned to bring my regs into the shop well before any planned trip. But if a shop says that normal turnaround is two weeks and I bring my reg in six weeks before a trip just to be on the extra safe side, that doesn't mean I think they should feel I am giving them an extra four weeks to service it. If I bring my car in for repair, they don't ask me when my next trip is scheduled.

Then what you need to do is make an appointment, tell them you need it on such and such a date, and can they do it. If not tell them fine, you'll send it out to have someone else do it. I had an SB member contact me about two months in advance about getting his reg done. I was in the middle of several classes, out of town for training for another job, and told him if he wanted to send it go ahead but I would not be able to get it done until such and such date. On that date it was on it's way back to him. I never take on regs without being totally honest. And when I say it will be done, it is. Barring a major catastrophe or family issue. Family always comes first. But I will call and tell you what the delay, if there is one, is due to.

As for your first question. In many cases not only must a tech be with a shop but that shop must be a dealer for that line. I'm an authorized Oceanic Tech. But since I am no longer affiliated with a shop that sells them, They will not sell me parts directly and I can't do any work under warranty. Some of the places that offer reg service may indeed be able to do it but you need to check with the mfg to see if they are an authorized center or you will be paying labor and parts and if it fails the mfg is likely not going to cover it. And yes the shop, along with the mfg, is where the bottleneck occurs. I could set up a reg repair business for other brands. But if I can't get parts from the mfg what good is it? The mfg has total control, or likes to think they have it, over reg service. They will not sell parts to just anyone. Therefore not just anyone can set up a business just to do regs. They need to have damn good contacts to get parts on the sly or buy out shops that are going out if business.

I heard of one shop that went under and one of the lines they carried wanted the service kits that the shop had paid for back. I never knew what line but they did not want the owner selling the kits to anyone on ebay, craigslist, etc.

 

[leabre]

Edit to add my comments on the classes and kits is mostly geared towards Atomic as that is the mfg you mentioned. To my knowledge only Hog/Edge offers class and kits, though Zeagle does sell kits. Might be one or two others.

UTD now offers a regulator course that certifies for HOG and regs in general. They'll be working with other manufacturers to get approval but there's no guarantees. I took both the TDI Regulator course and the UTD ones and both were really good. While the TDI course certifies you to work only on your own reg unless you work for a shop or are an instructor, the UTD one allows you to service other people's regulators but as I recently learned, my Divemaster insurance does not cover it (I would need a $1,100/year general liability policy to cover serving other people's equipement or a facility policy -- meaning work for a shop). Even if you do get insurance, and were not trained by a manufacturer that requires it and used their official parts, you're opening yourself up for a liability if someone alleges a failure against your service.

Besides that most of everything else has been said: read the AirSpeed Regulator book, the Regulator Savvy book, take a class if you can, and find a mentor then practice practice practice. If you want to get parts for a particular brand you may have to work for a dealer of that brand. Otherwise you just need to know how to find parts and schematics. It is not rocket science. Just make sure you understand the torque specs and some nuances specific to the design or model and you should be good to go. Just make sure if you touch someone else's equipment you are without reproach in terms of meeting whatever qualificaitons and insurance expectations.

 

[akdeepdiver]

Hall's Diving in Marathon, Florida has an extensive 48 hour course which will result in certification for several brands.

Diving Equipment Repair Technician Training/Career in Scuba Diving, Marathon FL Scuba Diving Career Training

Have you been through this course? Or has anyone on this forum? When I talked to the rep at Halls, they told me that you got certified in several brands by Hall's but not a official manufactures certification. If someone who has been through this class could chime in. It seems like a useless certification to me if the manufacture does not recognize it.

 

[daniel f aleman]

The purpose of the Hall's course, or any other, is to teach you how to service equipment; certified means that you passed the academic program offered. Manufacturer certification only comes from attending a seminar/class put on by a company service technician (only for shop employees).

Another resource: Dive Industry Technician Service Course, scuba regulators spare parts, compressors, scuba tanks, regulator service manuals

A very detailed article on the subject: DIY Servicing

According to Stewart Meinert of the Association of Scuba Service Engineers and Technicians (ASSET), the law considers regulators to be "personal protective equipment" rather than sports equipment.

So manufacturers, dive centres and technicians must consider their legal position, regardless of the wishes of the diver who, as an amateur, is not bound by health and safety law.

"Future European legislation will undoubtedly cause greater restriction on those who service," says Meinert. "The need for formal qualification and approval will be a feature."

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Thanks a lot for all the info guys. This has been very helpful. Now if you become a Divemaster (PADI) or a DCS (SSI), is it not part of the training to fix regulators? I was told by someone that he learnt how to service his own regulator when he was doing his SSI DCS course.

 

[tracydr]

Thanks a lot for all the info guys. This has been very helpful. Now if you become a Divemaster (PADI) or a DCS (SSI), is it not part of the training to fix regulators? I was told by someone that he learnt how to service his own regulator when he was doing his SSI DCS course.

Not part of PADI Divemaster course that I've been taking and am nearly done with.

As far as tips for rebuilding and working on regulators and other mechanical stuff-
My husband can fix anything with a You Tube video and a downloaded manual. I've never seen him not be able to tear something apart and fix it. One tip-he always takes pictures of everything before he takes it apart and during the process. Helps him figure out how to get it back together if something doesnt quite make sense.
I get to enjoy carburetors, computers, all sorts of mechanical parts on my counter-top and living room floor. He used the same process to work on regulators the first time.BTW, he's an engineer and was a mechanic for many years before that. He rebuilds old cars/jeeps for fun.
The good about having a guy like this for a husband is that when I burn up the motor on something like my Kitchen Aid Mixer he rebuilds it. (Bad thing is I don't get to toss it and upgrade to the fancier mixer!)
Today he replaced the hard drive on my computer and his.

 

[akdeepdiver]

The purpose of the Hall's course, or any other, is to teach you how to service equipment; certified means that you passed the academic program offered. Manufacturer certification only comes from attending a seminar/class put on by a company service technician (only for shop employees).

Another resource: Dive Industry Technician Service Course, scuba regulators spare parts, compressors, scuba tanks, regulator service manuals

A very detailed article on the subject: DIY Servicing

I dont wish to start a argument, but what I am saying is if Halls is not recognized by the manufacturer, then who is to say it is a recognized certification. If the manufacturer does not accept this training, then the person who is working on the equipment opens himself up to potential liability. To me it seems like it is bordering on false advertising to say a person is "certified on brand X reg" if Halls is the only one that will recognize this training. For the LDS's I have worked for in the past, even with experience on similar regs, they want a technician to go through the manufacturer class in order to do customer work on whatever brand of regs they are servicing. Strictly from a liability point of view. I am not saying the Halls class isnt a good overview of reg and reg operations. I have not been through it, so i dont know. But I have a issue with saying a person is certified on Brand X reg if the manufacturer does not recognize it.

 

[Doppler]

Thanks a lot for all the info guys. This has been very helpful. Now if you become a Divemaster (PADI) or a DCS (SSI), is it not part of the training to fix regulators? I was told by someone that he learnt how to service his own regulator when he was doing his SSI DCS course.

Regulator service is most certainly NOT part of any DM (or equiv.) program from ANY of the major agencies such as PADI, SDI, SSI, NAUI. The curriculum may cover the basics of regulator design but does not involve ANY hands-on reg tech skill development.

The program offered via HOG is aimed at punters working on their own gear... to work on OTHER PEOPLE'S gear in the US, Canada and the EU (the only jurisdictions I know anything about) there are other considerations such as but not restricted to having a business license, having insurance, meeting/exceeding manufacturer's minimum prerequisites.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . . I could set up a reg repair business for other brands. But if I can't get parts from the mfg what good is it? The mfg has total control, or likes to think they have it, over reg service. They will not sell parts to just anyone. Therefore not just anyone can set up a business just to do regs. They need to have damn good contacts to get parts on the sly or buy out shops that are going out if business.

I heard of one shop that went under and one of the lines they carried wanted the service kits that the shop had paid for back. I never knew what line but they did not want the owner selling the kits to anyone on ebay, craigslist, etc.

This seems like an anti-competitive racket. I'm not required to get my Toyota serviced by an authorized dealer, and independent shops are able to get genuine Toyota parts.