Regulator Technician Training - 2023

[rsingler]

E-mails or DM's have just gone out to the first batch of folks who have previously expressed an interest in learning scuba regulator repair and restoration.
In seven small seminars, we've now graduated over fifty students from the US and all over the world, including Aruba, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Finland, Germany, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia and Sweden! At least two students have used their diploma as an entry to a repair technician job in a dive shop.

After a brief delay to recharge, we're starting again!
The next seminar will be held May 5-7, 2023, and seminars are planned for the summer months at least until we polish off our waiting list.
As always, previous grads are welcome to audit for free as a refresher.
Tuition remains $300 for now, but I confess that my video constraints are soon going to mandate a special computer and an enhanced Zoom subscription. Parts costs for the components in the swag bag have also risen over the past two years. I'm afraid that the cost will go to $350 after May. I hope that's not a deal breaker for some of you. The cost of specialty tools remains the bigger obstacle if you want to do this seriously.

The curriculum has evolved since the original thread and its spinoffs

Regulator Service Technician Training - Unrestricted

As so many threads have demonstrated, there is no small interest in Do It Yourself regulator service. My position has consistently been, "It ain't rocket science, but it is precise." Dive Shops (despite your $200 repair bill) are not paid what they deserve for properly performed reg service...

scubaboard.com

Regulator Service Tech Training - Tool Splitoff

The single most common question as participants prepare for the Seminar, is "what tools to buy?" You can almost fix regulators with a bolt, a screwdriver and a spoon (okay, I exaggerate), but the point is that you can have a budget of from $100 to $1600 depending upon how easy you want to make...

scubaboard.com

Benchtop Vise Recomendations- split out from Regulator Service Technician Training - Unrestricted

I had the same experience with the thin wrenches, although the combo 9/16 and 11/16 is nice to have on hand for hose removal. Tools that you will constantly be working with (other than hose wrenches and a hex key for port plugs) are some wooden dowels that Robert will send you and a couple of...

scubaboard.com

Review of Class #1 of Regulator Service Technician Training - Unrestricted by RSingler

If you've ever read a review by me, you know it will be many things -- including LONG... Have your beverage handy! This is in review of @rsingler's recent Regulator Service Technician Training class...

scubaboard.com

Regulator Technician Training - Summer 2022

I have chosen dates for the summer sessions of Regulator Technician Training. The dates are Aug 12 (pm), Aug 13, Aug 14 and Sept 16 (pm), Sept 17, Sept 18. The August seminar is full, but I have yet to hear back from 3 folks, so there may be an opening or two. The September seminar has 3...

scubaboard.com

Review - Updated Write-Up for Regulator Service Technician Training - Unrestricted (December, 2021)

Yet another patented write-up by @tmassey. Like always, it's LONG... Get comfortable. This is a write-up of my experience in the latest iteration of @rsingler's Regulator Service Technician Training class: https://www.scubaboard.com/communit...rvice-technician-training-unrestricted.605706...

scubaboard.com

We'll cover
Friday Evening -
Inspection and Testing
Workspace Organization
Tool Handling
Disassembly Tricks
Practical:
- Piston Disassembly
- Diaphragm Disassembly
- Second Stage Disassembly

Saturday -
Scuba Theory 101
O-rings
Levers
Torque, Galling and Corrosion
Valve Basics
Practical:
- Hose Service
- Piston Reassembly
- Diaphragm Reassembly
- First Stage Tuning
Introduction to Second Stage Theory
Optional Late Q&A

Sunday -
Second Stage Servicing Fundamentals
Tuning Balanced Second Stages
Tuning Downstream Second Stages
Practical:
- Complete Reassembly and Tuning
- Problem Solving/Q&A
Unusual Regulator Designs
“Problems I have seen”
Dynamic Flow Testing
Optional Late Q&A

As always, if this piques your interest, take a look at the original thread and send an email to napascuba@gmail.com and we'll put you on the list.

 

[DAJ]

I’m in, email sent

 

[davehicks]

Congratulations to the students who turned your Certificate into a job!

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

Congratulations to the students who turned your Certificate into a job!

The dichotomy is scuba shops wont hire you unless you have OEM training and OEMs won’t give you their training if you don’t work for a dive shop. Until now... Rob is so well-connected his training is recognized in the industry. I am proof of that.

 

[andrewmcc]

Out of curiosity, what type of equipment would you recommend to have to take this class? A piston and diaphragm 1st stage with a 2nd stage? Should we have service kits? Should they be older regs in case they get damaged?

 

[rsingler]

Out of curiosity, what type of equipment would you recommend to have to take this class? A piston and diaphragm 1st stage with a 2nd stage? Should we have service kits? Should they be older regs in case they get damaged?

Best would be just as you have described. And finding service kits for some of the brands like Scubapro can be a challenge. That said, lots of folks have successfully jumped right in with their own primary gear and have done just fine! We cover proper tool handling and all the tricks to keep you out of trouble. As long as you have the correct tools and patience, this ain't rocket science. It's just very precise.

 

[rsingler]

E-mails from several new students have made it obvious that I was unclear in my recent announcement.

Yes! We're back up and running, with Seminars planned every 6-8 weeks starting in May.

But the waiting list from when I hit "Pause" at the end of last year has continued to grow.
The May date is full, and has been for quite some time now. There are currently about thirty forty folks waiting after that. I apologize for not making that clearer.
As of today, new sign-ups can expect their earliest opportunity around mid-late summer. But it'll take you two months to get ready, between tool purchases, finding service kits and hopefully studying service manuals and Regulator Savvy. So the wait isn't completely wasted!

As noted above, to try to maintain the improvements we've made in video delivery and swag, tuition has risen to $350 for Seminars after May. But compared to manufacturer technician training, I still think you'll find it worth it.

Reviewing the threads mentioned in post #1 should tell you everything you want to know about the class.
Just drop me an email at napascuba@gmail.com if you'd like to reserve a spot on the list. If you can't make a date when it's offered, don't worry! I'll keep you on the list and ping you for the next seminar...or the ones after that!

 

[rsingler]

There are now enough folks on the waiting list from countries east of the Atlantic for me to offer (this fall) a second International Course with modified hours.
The International Seminar will be offered over a weekend during the following UTC hours:

Friday 1800-2030 UTC for basic technique, disassembly and discussion of parts cleaning

Friday evening (on your own time) - clean your parts and get ready for seminar next day

Saturday 0500-1300 UTC
Sunday 0500-1300 UTC
While this may not be ideal, it's even worse on my side of the pond. But it's my pleasure to see divers take over their own maintenance.

If this course is of interest, I am discounting the US$350 cost to be more in line with your local costs, and am reducing it further due to the difficulty of mailing and your paying customs duty on the "swag bag" of small parts overseas. I'll help you find what's usually included.

I'll have a date scheduled in a month or two...

If you have been interested in the seminar but the hours have been problematic, perhaps this will help! DM me here, or email me at Napascuba@gmail.com

Thus far, we have graduated participants from thirteen overseas nations! Anywhere there are divers and Zoom, I'm happy to help.

 

[Tracy]

Put me down for a fall/winter course.
Spring and summer are way too hectic to devote any time to anything else, but I am definitely interested in learning new ways to break expensive things.

 

[rsingler]

Contact from my Pacific Basin colleagues on the waiting list after announcing the International Seminar will probably prompt another modified-hours "Pacific Basin Seminar" for Australia, the Philippines and points west. Hawaii gets screwed either way, sorry to say, but if the hours work better in the Pacific seminar, I'm happy to move my Hawaiian registrants there.
Just awaiting critical mass for that group before I commit to getting up that early in the morning, lol! If you're from Australia, are interested but haven't signed up yet, let me know - that may be enough to push me over the edge.