Reg semi came apart, breathing wet a day later

[TooManyHobbies]

Diving in Cozumel with a DIN Atomic Z2 that’s nearly brand new. The threads on the tanks here are all corroded so it has been rough getting the reg on the tanks (boat driver even chipped chrome off my reg). Last night we were dealing with this again and the divemaster somehow got the DIN portion to unscrew from the main body. I got it all put back together and it worked totally fine.

Now, 24 hours and 3 dives later, it has started to breathe wet. Every now and then I’m getting a mouthful of salt water.
Unless I find out otherwise, I’m going to take my 2-month old regulator in for service when I get home.

What can I do in the meantime to minimize damage?

 

[runsongas]

rinse with fresh water then blow air through to dry. get the salt out.

 

[BoltSnap]

rinse with fresh water then blow air through to dry. get the salt out.

Before you do this, remove the HP hose or transmitter from the first stage and put the HP port plugs back in. You do not want to be blowing the water into the HP hose if there was indeed water inside your first stage.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

Before you do this, remove the HP hose or transmitter from the first stage and put the HP port plugs back in. You do not want to be blow the water in the HP hose if there was indeed water inside your first stage.

Should I put the LP plugs in too? Or leave those open to vent the air?

 

[BoltSnap]

Last night we were dealing with this again and the divemaster somehow got the DIN portion to unscrew from the main body. I got it all put back together and it worked totally fine.

Now, 24 hours and 3 dives later, it has started to breathe wet. Every now and then I’m getting a mouthful of salt water.

You think that seawater is getting in the first stage somehow underwater when the first stage is connected to the Tank and under pressure?????

 

[BoltSnap]

Should I put the LP plugs in too? Or leave those open to vent the air?

Put them back in and just use your second stages to let air out by pressing the purge buttons on both primary and octo. Do that for a while.

 

[BoltSnap]

The threads on the tanks here are all corroded so it has been rough getting the reg on the tanks (boat driver even chipped chrome off my reg). Last night we were dealing with this again and the divemaster somehow got the DIN portion to unscrew from the main body.

They should have just cleaned the DIN threads on their TANKS and had nothing to do or touch your regulator for that.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

You think that seawater is getting in the first stage somehow underwater when the first stage is connected to the Tank and under pressure?????

Just what the shop owner here said. I’m definitely getting seawater through both second stages.

 

[BoltSnap]

Just what the shop owner here said. I’m definitely getting seawater through both second stages.

Did he offer an explanation on "how" that would happen under pressure from Tank? Did the Tank have water inside it already before the dive?

I don't see how it would happen. The only times I "tasted" water from a regulator when there was something wrong with the mouthpiece, exhaust valve or the diaphragm in the second stage.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

We had one more dive on the day. The reg was perfect for it. Maybe there was water in the tank or something, as unlikely as that seems.
We saw no leaking from my first stage on any dive, so it does seem unlikely that saltwater got into it. I just took the first stage apart as much as I could without more than an Allen wrench. There is the slightest bit of moisture around some of the ports, but I’m not sure if it’s seawater or condensation.

I’m diving a different reg tomorrow. I’m hesitant to soak my first stage in freshwater since I can’t verify if it is actually wet inside.