Liability for repairing regulators

[Dr. Lecter]

Maybe the notion of 'friend' has gotten diluted with all the social media stuff but why not service a reg as a favor to a friend? Same goes for break repair, electrical wiring, etc., assuming you are sufficiently competent. For pay, or if it's just an acquaintance, sure, you don't know what you're getting into. And if it's a newbie diver who doesn't know what to do if a reg free flows, sure, they may benefit from hand holding provided by a dive shop until they become more competent. Otherwise, just do it. The accident stats indicate that regulator failures are not a significant cause of dive fatalities. For a reasonably competent recreational diver, what's the worst that can happen to a reg that cannot be addressed by appropriate diver reaction? It seems to me that the overall likelihood that a friend encounters a dire situation from regulator failure and decides to sue is less than getting hit by lightening. In a sport where calculated risk management is an essential component, worrying about a friend suing seems irrational at best. Unless one is surrounded by 'friends' who are opportunistic a&*holes and just waiting to take you to the cleaners. Let's not call them friends then.

Whatever you like. Just ask youself if you're as confident about what your friend's wife will do when your friend dies while diving and she's looking for someone to blame only to find out you "helped him out" by servicing his reg. Me...I'd at least ask my friend how much life insurance he was carrying. Poor widows are a lot more sue-happy than rich ones.

 

[fire_diver]

Whatever you like. Just ask youself if you're as confident about what your friend's wife will do when your friend dies while diving and she's looking for someone to blame only to find out you "helped him out" by servicing his reg. Me...I'd at least ask my friend how much life insurance he was carrying. Poor widows are a lot more sue-happy than rich ones.

And to continue that thought, lawyers sue everybody in a shotgun approach to somebody a jury will assign blame too. Even if you are eventually found completely without blame because the regs you serviced has zero faults, it is still going to cost you years of time and a huge lawyer bill to defend yourself. You could wind up just as broke as losing.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Beyond the possible liability issues that have already been discussed, there is an important question to ask yourself as a DIY'er contemplating servicing other folks regulators (and it must be answered honestly):

• Am I truly competent to perform the service requested?

It is one thing to be comfortable servicing your own gear, but a different animal when you service a friend's gear.

I believe I would assume a whole new level of duty and moral and ethical obligation if I were to volunteer to service a friend's gear.

Best wishes.

 

[boulderjohn]

The law that is by far the most on your side is the law of probability. There are not many dive fatalities that include a failed regulator as even an unrelated part of the affair, let alone a cause. If you want to play the odds, they are on your side. On the other hand....

 

[spectrum]

As said if you want to do this for cash then it's a business and you need insurance. Availability and cost of that insurance will be somewhat driven by your qualifications/ training. If you are DIY gone wild good luck.

A waiver is a hail Mary prayer at best. It may protect you from a verdict but you could go broke representing it. It is said that only a fool acts as his own lawyer and I'd extend that to waiver writing.

No waiver or insurance will protect you from negligence. Do you really want to go here?

In electrical wiring under similar circumstances one tactic it to "help" the person needing assistance. They do the work, you guide for free. How they accommodate their helper in a non quid pro quo manner is up to them.

Do or do not, there is no try.

Pete

 

[yardpro]

Would never touch anyone's else's rig

 

[redacted]

I tend to help people in need of help; whether it be a lady on the side of the road with a flat tire or a diver with a regulator problem. I also help friends learn to service their own gear.

 

[halocline]

Don't let your friends commit suicide by regulator neglect when you could prevent it.

Nobody dies from regulator neglect. Occasionally divers die from bad judgement and reckless dive behavior. If you dive in a manner that you would die if your regulator failed, you are diving recklessly.

Over and over and over again people on this and other forums, and in thousands of dive shops, talk about regulators as if they are 'life support' or as if our lives as divers are threatened by regulator failure. Total fallacy. Sure does sell regulators, though!

 

[fire_diver]

Nobody dies from regulator neglect. Occasionally divers die from bad judgement and reckless dive behavior. If you dive in a manner that you would die if your regulator failed, you are diving recklessly.

Over and over and over again people on this and other forums, and in thousands of dive shops, talk about regulators as if they are 'life support' or as if our lives as divers are threatened by regulator failure. Total fallacy. Sure does sell regulators, though!

Unless you have figured out how to breath under water, then the regulator is absolutely life support. Not being able to make a direct and immediate ascent doesn't mean a person is diving "recklessly".

 

[halocline]

Unless you have figured out how to breath under water, then the regulator is absolutely life support. Not being able to make a direct and immediate ascent doesn't mean a person is diving "recklessly".

I'm not sure where you learned to dive, but if you do not have access to an alternate source of air, like a buddy or the surface or a redundant air supply of your own, yes you are diving recklessly. In fact, those things are the most basic concepts of safe recreational diving. If regulator failure really caused death, there would be MANY more diving deaths, and there would be actual licensing for regulator technicians, with meaningful training and peer-reviewed evaluation.

I understand about needing the reg to breathe underwater, although really what you need is air, and the regulator doesn't supply the air, it only steps it down to ambient pressure, making it convenient to breathe. The problem with calling this "life support" that lots of things in our lives also qualify by this logic. Is a warm coat life support? How about a car? Your house? Dinner? Maybe we shouldn't be allowed to sew, work on cars, do house repair, or cook for friends without a liability release or insurance.