I'll be doing my first ever reg servicing. What should I be sending in? Do I send everything as it currently is, completely hooked up, or am I supposed to send only the first and second stages, without the hoses and SPG?
Hey divinh- Thanks for the question. There's no need to disassemble anything- send us your reg as you use it. Please note, if another brand component is attached, we will not be servicing that part- we only service our products. If you have, let's say, a different brand 2nd stage for an octo, you can remove it if you wish or you can send it... just know that particular 2nd stage will still need servicing. Also include the service kits that were originally provided to you. We'll use those and send you replacements. Last, and possibly most important, please include a note in the box stating what you would like us to do... in this case, a note saying "Please service and return" is sufficient. If no note is included, we won't know why you're sending them to us and it will take considerably longer to get them back. Including your original order number, if known, is also useful but not required- we can look up your name on the package and match it to our records.
How do most people send it? In a Priority Mail Box 11 1/4" x 8 3/4" x 6"? What about return shipping?
The ideal way to send it is to find a box big enough to accommodate our dry box and ship it in that. The padding from our dry box will help ensure your regulator stays safe (while the box the dry box goes in protects your dry box from damage). If you choose to ship it out of our dry box, please make sure to package the regulator in such a way that it won't get damaged during shipping. If you're in the continental US, we'll cover shipping it back to you- you just need to make sure it gets to us (UPS and USPS are preferred, but it's your choice with how the regs get to us).
I ordered my single tank reg setup Thanksgiving weekend of 2017, but didn't get to really dive with it until June 2018, with some pool test dives in February 2018 and just prior to the trip. When I log into my Deep6 account, I don't see it listed, just the 3mm boots I ordered in January. My original purchase date is still on record, yes? Or should I send a note with my Deep6 account so it can be added?
We did a complete overhaul of our website in early 2018. Due to the change, old customer accounts could not be carried over. We still have it on record, and you can currently still see your order by visiting our legacy site- legacy.deep6gear.com. Please note, that site is only for customers to view their previous order history. The site may be taken down in the future, however we will always retain a copy (and multiple backups) for record purposes. Your order history hasn't disappeared.
Since June 2018, I've logged 113 dives. Is that about right for servicing time frame, or can I wait til 200?
and...
You will get lots of "opinionated" answers that claim to be "authoritative".
Here's a non opinionated answer that is authoritative, as it's coming straight from us, the manufacturer. We highly recommend following our 2 year / 200 dive (whichever comes first) service interval. Unlike some other manufacturers, however, we do not mandate it to be followed in order to continue receiving free service kits, etc. O-rings and other things wear and degrade over time, so it's important to get regulators serviced regularly. But, we also understand that things happen and that timeline might not be ideal for your needs. As an example, lots of Military folk dive our regulators. It makes no sense for them to get their regulator serviced after 2 years if they're going to be deployed the following year to an area where they can't dive. It makes much more sense for them to get it serviced upon returning, making that particular service interval 3 years. Another example would be if a diver plans on staying out of the water for an extended period of time- just get it serviced before you jump back in. All that said, if you're not planning on diving between Nov 2019 and June 2020, it would make more sense to continue diving it until that time period and send it in during your 'off' season. We don't recommend continued diving after 2 years or more than 200 dives without getting it serviced.
Or you could buy an inexpensive IP gauge and learn how to use it. Takes a lot of the guesswork out.
Owning an IP gauge is always a smart choice. Sometimes things happen, like accidentally dropping a scuba unit. In events like that, having an IP gauge is handy to help determine whether your regulator is still functioning properly. However a regulator should not be serviced only when it begins to malfunction. You should be getting your regulator serviced long before that ever happens. Following the recommended service interval is the better option compared to relying on an IP gauge. Besides, having a stable IP is only one reason of many for having a regulator serviced.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Bill
