Regulator help - Rebuild or New?

[ScubaGreen02]

I’m getting back into diving after a 12-year hiatus, and the whole family is going to join in. My wife and three kids are planning on getting certified mostly as vacation divers, but for my 17 son, we’re buying his own gear, he is more interested.

I have a Scubapro MK2 1st stage with an R380 2nd stage collecting dust. The full service is around $300 — do you think it’s worth servicing or should I just go for a new setup? Thinking maybe I should match regs with my son for simplicity and spares, but open to advice on whether standardizing is a good idea?

We’re diving primarily in east central US freshwater with some tropical trips. Water temps range from about 45°F up to mainly above 65°F.

I’ve been eyeing the Hog D1X for budget reasons and also the Deep 6 Excursion regs. My son will be diving with a vest to start, and my local dive shop is letting me demo some backplate/wing and single sidemount rigs. Should that sway my choice on regs? Also both of us will be nitrox certified. I have about 75 dives under my old belt. And yes I am going through a refresher course sanity.

 

[BoltSnap]

The full service is around $300

$300 for one regulator service??? Wow! That is WAY too much. Something isn't right here. Is this standard regulator overhaul service, or is there more to it?

 

[ScubaGreen02]

$300 for one regulator service??? Wow! That is WAY too much. Something isn't right here. Is this standard regulator overhaul service, or is there more to it?

This would be a complete overhaul since it has been out of the water and not services for 13 years. Not sure what parts will be needed. This is just an estimate, I am talking to the shop owner today. It will be to check the pressure gauge, 1st, 2nd, and air2 inflate. I know I need one new hose.

 

[chrisch]

The reg is worth keeping in my opinion. I have one that is as old as your son. The service would be quite a bit less than that at my local shop.

 

[inquis]

Check with a different shop. A first and one second stage service should be under half that.

For open water, recreational diving, a BPW is a great choice. Sidemount (even single-tank), not so much IMHO. It is so much more "fiddly" compared to back mount.

 

[chrisch]

This would be a complete overhaul since it has been out of the water and not services for 13 years. Not sure what parts will be needed. This is just an estimate, I am talking to the shop owner today. It will be to check the pressure gauge, 1st, 2nd, and air2 inflate. I know I need one new hose.

OK that makes sense. Throw away the air2 and keep the reg.

 

[Mobulai]

Wha

have a Scubapro MK2 1st stage with an R380 2nd stage collecting dust. The full service is around $300 — do you think it’s worth servicing or should I just go for a new setup? Thinking maybe I should match regs with my son for simplicity and spares, but open to advice on whether standardizing is a good idea?

I think you can even buy already serviced used ones for half that price
You should find a new service shop/provider for starts

Fair bet, if you simply flip the LP seat on the r380 everything might work as speced

As for the set itself, I personally prefer balanced 2nd stages (on balanced firsts as well) — so I’d upgrade either
If I have to choose, I’d upgrade 2nd stage (get a new one and keep the r380 as a spare/octo.., and ditch the Air2)

 

[ScubaGreen02]

Just confirmed $200, for complete rebuild with 2 new hoses and 2 new mouth pieces. So not as bad as first thought.

 

[Geo7]

I have recently seen a few of our students with regs that were just serviced, where the tech was well meaning and left all the old hoses on to keep cost low. These were old hand-me-downs, and several HP as well as LP hoses failed the first day. If you see any brittle rubber, bubbling rubber, kinks, or leaks etc, I'd replace the hose in question (with rubber hoses that last decades, not braided hoses that have a shelf life of 5 years).