Regulator Choice

[Umuntu]

@Umuntu better solution is to just buy a doubles kit, keep the spare first stage with you, and swap hoses over if you need to if you are that concerned. The last thing I want when travelling is someone I don't know touching my regulators.

I service my own regs and depending on where I'm going I will adjust what I take. Both service kits and tools. But I try to keep it simple.

 

[tbone1004]

I service my own regs and depending on where I'm going I will adjust what I take. Both service kits and tools. But I try to keep it simple.

I service my own as well, but I'd just as soon carry a spare or deal with renting if one fails vs. trying to rebuild. Advantage to that is you don't lose the rest of the dives of the day if it happens early

 

[Umuntu]

If you don't trust the reg set they would rent you, why would you trust them to work on your own reg set (which they aren't even trained on)?

I agree with most of what you say, especially on trust.

But where I disagree is the necessity for a good service technician to be specifically trained on your particular brand of regulator which is practically identical to many others.

The scuba manufacturers need to grow up and have a tech training course that is both thorough and more comprehensive than the silly cert system they currently operate in the USA.

 

[Umuntu]

Your points confirm (in my mind) the somewhat dubious value of having your own service kit in hand. (unless you're going to do your own work, of course)

Exactly. More support for the notion that having a service kit in hand is not as much of a value as some people imply that it is. It's great if you can do your own work. If you can't, then you have to find somebody that claims to be able to do it, is willing to do it in the required timeframe, decide if you trust them, and then hope they don't make a mess of it. Or just rent a reg set and put yours aside until you get home.

@stuartv I disagree with you.

I don't know whether your jibes about having a service kit is specifically aimed at Deep 6's practice of inclusion of a service kit on purchase. Maybe your comments have some relevance to the diving where you live.

But if you are travelling outside of North America or Europe, or even in remote locations within those areas, you cannot take spare parts for granted. Whether you're doing a trans-continental driving expedition or a diving expedition, taking a basic set of spare parts kit is advisable!

 

[scubadada]

@stuartv I disagree with you.

I don't know whether your jibes about having a service kit is specifically aimed at Deep 6's practice of inclusion of a service kit on purchase. Maybe your comments have some relevance to the diving where you live.

But if you are travelling outside of North America or Europe, or even in remote locations within those areas, you cannot take spare parts for granted. Whether you're doing a trans-continental driving expedition or a diving expedition, taking a basic set of spare parts kit is advisable!

Only if you know what to do with them!

 

[Umuntu]

Only if you know what to do with them!

Both with cars and with scuba equipment, I have found there are locals who repair them all day every day. But getting spare parts if they are not available locally can be a long wait.

You don't have to be the person who knows what to do with them.

In the case of scuba equipment, a spare first stage and second stage, as well as service kits to repair the decommissioned equipment is essential.

Long before I read about awap'ing seats on Scubaboard I had met service techs who were punching out Regulator seats in Africa.

 

[stuartv]

I agree with most of what you say, especially on trust.

But where I disagree is the necessity for a good service technician to be specifically trained on your particular brand of regulator which is practically identical to many others.

I'm not saying it's a necessity. I'm saying that without it, there are two issues:

Will a shop agree to work on something their tech is not trained on? My shop won't.

Do you trust a tech at some random shop at a dive destination, whom you have no prior experience with, and who does not have training on your reg? I agree that if they have training on a similar type of reg, they SHOULD be able to work on a Deep6. So, it's up to the person with a broken reg and a decision to make.

@stuartv I disagree with you.

I don't know whether your jibes about having a service kit is specifically aimed at Deep 6's practice of inclusion of a service kit on purchase.

My comments about the service kit are not a jibe at Deep6. I think it's great that they do that. My comments are simply a response to other posts here on SB (but not necessarily in this thread) touting the benefit of coming with a service kit. Yes, it has some value. I'm only saying that it does not have as much value as I feel like some people suggest.

Posts I have seen make it sound like (to me, anyway) if you have a Deep6 reg and a service kit, and if you have a problem with your reg, then no matter where you are in the world, if it's a dive destination, you should be able to get your reg fixed. I'm just trying to be more realistic about what the true value is of having that service kit. No matter where you are - at home or on a dive trip - you may not be able to find a reg tech at all (because they outsource reg work or maybe just because the reg tech only comes in on Tuesdays to do whatever work has come in). Or you may find one, but they may not be trained on Deep6 and also be unwilling to work on anything they don't have training on (a la my shop). Or, worst of all, they may be willing to work on it, but turn out to be incompetent and make a complete mess of it.

All of these things detract somewhat from the value of having that service kit in your hand. Yes, it's valuable to have. Just not AS VALUABLE (in my mind) as what some poster's make it sound like. It is not a guaranteed silver bullet. The real value really seems to depend on the diver's particular situation. Thus why I am trying to just bring out a full discussion of what the benefits really are. So that the person contemplating a reg purchase can have the most accurate understanding of all the pros and cons and decide for themselves what will be best for him/her.

 

[scubadada]

Both with cars and with scuba equipment, I have found there are locals who repair them all day every day. But getting spare parts if they are not available locally can be a long wait.

You don't have to be the person who knows what to do with them.

In the case of scuba equipment, a spare first stage and second stage, as well as service kits to repair the decommissioned equipment is essential.

Long before I read about awap'ing seats on Scubaboard I had met service techs who were punching out Regulator seats in Africa.

I only have 1500 dives. I do a reasonable, but not excessive, job of having my regulators serviced. I have never had a regulator problem. I appreciate that your experience may be different.

 

[Umuntu]

All of these things detract somewhat from the value of having that service kit in your hand. Yes, it's valuable to have. Just not AS VALUABLE (in my mind) as what some poster's make it sound like. It is not a guaranteed silver bullet. The real value really seems to depend on the diver's particular situation. Thus why I am trying to just bring out a full discussion of what the benefits really are. So that the person contemplating a reg purchase can have the most accurate understanding of all the pros and cons and decide for themselves what will be best for him/her.

I agree that in the context of living in North America and diving there and Mexico, a free (and easily accessible) service kit may seem to be of limited value.

However, I commend Deep 6 for making their service kits available to anyone to buy. I hope it lasts.

 

[tr3a]

No matter how well you try to plan, gear eventually will need emergency repair of some sort while traveling (if you travel enough). A few small parts and any uncommon o-ring sizes weight a lot less than complete regulators.
Dive operations I have used while traveling through out Indonesia could care less about brands, they will do what is needed to get you up and running.