My HOG Regs are Crap

[eelnoraa]

It is kind of hard to see from your picture how bad the corrosion it. It is too blurry. Discoloration of the orifice metal seemed to happen to my HOG 2nd stage as well. The threads on mine turned into dark brown color. I have tried vinegar, ultra sonic and tooth blush, and I can't get those brown color off. When touch, they feel flat and smooth, so I don't think it is corrosion. It is more like the surface finish is missing. Mine has never welded solid, I can always unscrew it easily. I check mine often now.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If you want to, send them to me to check out next time as well. I have more than a few customers in BC and Alberta. So shipping them back is not a big deal.

Time is the critical factor. While the post may be fairly quick it is possible for items to get hung up in customs. That is usually the biggest delay. But not always. Sometimes stuff just goes right through.

I sent two BPW's and two single tank reg sets to BC two weeks ago or so. They were mailed on 9/26 and cleared Canada customs on 10/3. The customer had them in hand on the 6th.

What everyone should realize is that even though the rebuild is recommended every two years it can be required sooner for any number of reasons. Heavy use, lots of exposure to saltwater. My freshwater regs don't need anywhere near the care that the ones I occaisionally use in salt water do. Saltwater is also not very tolerant of lax rinsing procedures. Those very fine particles will work their way into the tiniest places. But they can still be taken care of.

I added another chapter in my book on gear care for the second edition that is out now. Partly due to what I see as less than thorough care being covered in OW classes. When a diver is shown how to rinse gear at the pool it is far different than in real life in saltwater and some freshwater sites with a lot of silt. The pool rinse is in no way sufficient.

 

[PfcAJ]

Another example of a problem with HOG regs.

How many issues do there have to be before people say "you know what, these el cheapo regs suck" and people stop buying them?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The majority of issues I've seen with them could have been avoided with better care by the user. They are also a relatively new item that is constantly being evaluated and improved on where possible. You have soft materials against hard ones. Same as any reg. I'd be willing to bet that if other mfg regs did not have the required annual services and free parts where issues are caught early you'd hear about more issues with them. As for cheap they are not really cheap if you go by the number of people asking for a deal on them even with the current pricing. As long as we keep getting the 99% diving lower cost gear will sell. There are also a lot of people diving these regs in extreme conditions with no problems reported. I had a seat go on one of mine early on before I started selling them. Did it turn me off of them? No could have happened to any reg. It was fixed and no issues with that reg even though it gets used often and has not been rebuilt for 3 years.

 

[lemke]

Any reg is going to have "issues" if you don't maintain them properly. The only things saltwater doesn't F#@% up is fish and saltwater.

 

[undrwater]

Another example of a problem with HOG regs.

How many issues do there have to be before people say "you know what, these el cheapo regs suck" and people stop buying them?

Would you consider them unsafe? That would be the only reason to recommend people not buy them. Consider the products that you like, then do a google search for "<product you like> sucks". How many examples of problems? No...we should not buy products any more.

@Canadave, I own two pairs of HOG regs, and took the class to learn to service them. The money saved helped pay for that.

Your post title is a bit provocative. Maybe it was intentional, but you had one isolated experience. Hard to generalize from such a small sample size. Imagine it had been Apeks regs? Lots of folks recommend those as well.

[edit] Sorry...reading comprehension...your title specifies YOUR regs! [/]

 

[antattack]

If I read the thread correctly, you bought the regs from Ocean Quest and they were happy to sell them to you. When you brought the regs in for servicing... with no complaints about the regulators performance... the manager told you to expect problems. Viola- when they opened up the regs they found problems. That doesn't feel right- maybe the simply gathered some experience in the time from when they sold you the kit and when you brought it in for servicing. It is a bit odd how it was handled, however.

It's really disappointing when we work hard to get great gear and are then disappointed.

Here's the thing- the stuff you've read on ScubaBoard about HOG regulators isn't hyperbole - it isn't '"hype." It's folks like you and me who have had good or bad experiences with a brand of equipment. I'm one of those folks who have thus far had good experiences with HOG. I use a really old Posiedon Cyclon set on my travel warm water kit, a 1996 Zeagle Tech 60D (Apex) kit on my cold water Jacket BCD kit that I use for classes, and HOG regs for my singles wing and my doubles wing. I've only been using the HOGs for two years, but they seem to be problem free thus far and perform as well as my beloved Tech 60D. I expect that all of these regulators should be serviceable when I die- if the manufacturers still sell rebuild kits

Maybe I'll have problems down the road, and because of your warning I'll certainly crack my HOG regs open and take a look at the orifice so thanks for the notice!

 

[divad]

I'll certainly crack my HOG regs open and take a look at the orifice so thanks for the notice!

I just removed the oriface from the HOG back-up second stage I've been using for three years in fresh water, and it looks new. It appears to be either SS or nickel plated brass. Its not plated steel, at least not according to the magnet.

 

[WhiteSands]

Well, I did my research on Scubaboard, listened to the hype and bought a HOG DI cold water package. I thought I got a great deal.

Turns out, not so much. I bought them less than two years ago from Dive Quest in Burnaby, BC. A reputable and established dive shop, BTW.

I recently brought them in to fix a torn hose and for regular 1st and 2nd stage servicing. When the manager saw the regs, he warned me they have had nothing but problems with them. He described them as cheap knock offs of quality regulators that have corrosion issues due to inferior metal components. Admittedly, they seemed to be doing their job. When I needed air, it was there, and I didn`t find them difficult to breathe.

Sure enough I got a call from the shop that my 2nd stage orifices were badly corroded and one was "welded" in place. I have a photo attached but I am new to posting so it may not appear. It is in the members gallery if you don`t see it here and really want to see a badly corroded orifice.

I asked if it may have been something I did, knowing full well that I am meticulous with my gear and always rinse it well. The only thing I did was regularly breathe them in deep, cold salty water! Shame on me. Anyway, the manager assured me that they have seen this so often that they don`t carry them anymore and that it wasn`t any failing on my part. I have learned my lesson and I am now looking at getting a set of Apeks.

So, my question is, why haven't I heard anything about this issue? Has anyone else experienced this? If no one else has had this issue, I suggest you get your regs serviced ASAP and consider this cautionary tale.

Just wondering, did something happen to these regs? I see what I think is the piston on the right, and the body of the piston, which is normally white, is discolored and brown in the photo above.

I am thinking the only way the orifice could get so corroded is if you took the LP hose off or it blew an o-ring and it was left to sit on the bottom of the ocean?

Did you by any way find this 2nd stage on the sea floor somewhere?

 

[Centrals]

Replace the orifice(crown seat). The original one could be from a 'bad" batch. BTW, what is the thread on the valve spindle like?
Use quality lube(eg. Christo Lube MCG111) for lubrication.
Rinse the reg thoroughly after use.
If the same problem reappear then you know what to do!
Good luck.