Regulator manufacturers that provide service kits

[icouldcarelessbutdont]

Super long time lurker but wanted to register to ask a question that I cannot seem to find straight answer on: What brand(s) of regulators offer their service kits to the public here in the United States?

My reason for asking is we're about to get all setup as a 501(c)3 for helping at risk youth in South Florida obtain their DM, learn to work on and with boats, and when of age become instructors to provide them a means to escape their present reality with a skill they can use to travel away to figure out their lives and what they want to do next, as we've witnessed that most times the issue starts with being "stuck" in a bad situation.

All this being said we have plenty of BCDs, masks, fins, snorkels and wet suits we've acquired but we now need to determine regulators. This is where we've made the determination we would service our own regulators to keep what money is provided to us within the non-profit for actually running it for the kids. Training for our current, personal, regulators has been graciously provided by others in the community to validate our understanding of the mechanics and tear-down and rebuilding of one, plus we've acquired two well known books for self study, and our backgrounds are based in an engineering field so none of this is foreign to us.

From what we have gathered these are the most "known" brands which offer full service kits to the public, are there others?:

1. DGX (are these just a rebrand of another brand?)
2. Edge (HOG)
3. DiveRite
4. Deep6
   

 

[Bigbella]

Poseidon service kits have been available from retail outlets for several years . . .

 

[-JD-]

There are some minor "Quirks" with HOG and Deep6 with regard to service manuals and parts. Things could have changed by now, but from my personal experience of direct questioning of and observation of publicly posted statements posted by owners/managers.

HOG service kits are freely purchasable from retail sources. HOG service manuals are only available (officially) if you have taken the OFFICIAL HOG/TDI service course (Ref. I approached HOG at the Beneath the Sea show a couple years ago after taking Rob Singler's EXCELLENT highly-recommended 2.5-day regulator service class and was told by Bob Collins that no, that would not suffice - only the official class.)

Deep 6 service manuals are freely downloadable (latest revision written by Rob Singler, BTW), but (beyond the kit that is included with their premium-line regs) you have to provide evidence of suitable training/experience in regulator repair in order to purchase service kits.
Ref: Looking for a regulator


The one other comment that I have is a strong suggestion to ensure that you have waivers and insurance that cover all parties involved in the equipment repair and testing process. Standard dive-training or other organizational waivers and insurance might not cover the service and test aspect and/or may require some specific "Official" training/skills-currency maintenance.


ETA: Love what you are doing!

 

[tursiops]

(a) You may want to form an LLC to do the servicing, to further insulate yourself from liability claims.
(b) In the same spirt, you would usually be advised to take the service course for the regs you are servicing, and get a manufacturer's service cert, or at least a TDI cert. There are lots of tips and tricks that are worth knowing.

 

[macado]

As far as I know, things changed when Bob Collins took over (management?) of HOG/Edge. They would not sell me any HOG parts directly unless I had taken the official HOG/Edge service course even though I have taken other regulator service seminars and worked for a dive shop/dive charter.

Retailers seem to be still free to sell HOG/Edge parts. Granted my last email was 2018 with him. I have slowly been dumping my HOG regulators after this interaction. Apparently I can't install an environment service kit because it "modifies" the reg..

 

[icouldcarelessbutdont]

Poseidon service kits have been available from retail outlets for several years . . .

I mean, I've never used one of their regulators and I'm sure they're great, but wow...they're expensive!

 

[icouldcarelessbutdont]

(a) You may want to form an LLC to do the servicing, to further insulate yourself from liability claims.
(b) In the same spirt, you would usually be advised to take the service course for the regs you are servicing, and get a manufacturer's service cert, or at least a TDI cert. There are lots of tips and tricks that are worth knowing.

Thanks for this, I'll look into both points, I didn't know TDI offered a course for this?

 

[icouldcarelessbutdont]

As far as I know, things changed when Bob Collins took over HOG/Edge. They would not sell me any HOG parts directly unless I had taken the official HOG/Edge service course even though I have taken other regulator service seminars and worked for a dive shop/dive charter.

View attachment 878284

Retailers seem to be still free to sell HOG/Edge parts. Granted my last email was 2018 with him. I have slowly been dumping my HOG regulators after this interaction. Apparently I can't install an environment service kit because it "modifies" the reg..

Is Bob Collins the guy with Divers-Supply who has a monumental amount of fluid built up in his elbow? I didn't realize he bought HOG/Edge. Essentially he's saying you have to take HIS course in order to get the kits?

Are the regulators good? I've heard mixed reviews of them, but I've heard raving reviews of the DGX D6, which someone told me was a rebranded Deep6....maybe?

 

[tursiops]

I didn't know TDI offered a course for this?

They offer a card, used by several mfgs (like Deep6) that certs you for that mfg's training on their regs.

 

[icouldcarelessbutdont]

They offer a card, used by several mfgs (like Deep6) that certs you for that mfg's training on their regs.

I'll look at their catalog to see. Is DGX just rebranded Deep6 though? I can't seem to find anyone to give me a straight answer on that :-/