Service Tech Liability

[halocline]

I'm still surprised that some people are stupid enough to believe that their life depends on their regulator in recreational diving. Whatever happened to the buddy system, CESA, air sharing, you know, VERY BASIC open water diving principles.

Of course its the very same PADI shop teaching students how to easily solve OOA situations, that then turns around and spews this "life support" crap. You'd think people would be smart enough to see the obvious hypocrisy in these two practices.

Then again, udtfire is clearly delusional if he thinks that dive shop techs are held to any reasonable standard of accountability for performing a "life support" service. Want to be a "certified" service technician for a dive shop? All you have to do is work there and attend a one-day no-fail seminar. If working on regulators really had any real-world connection with life or death, you can bet that there would be government regulations and licensing requirements with real consequences for not observing them.

 

[Wookie]

Wookie, are these things you discover in the course of a dive, or mostly because a diver grabs his / her newly serviced regs from the shop on the way to the plane / boat?

I wouldn't put my gear in the open water without testing it first, but am finding I am in the minority.

You are for sure in the minority. Fastest way to ruin a dive trip is to service gear right before the trip, then not test it. Divers trust their shop technician to always service their regs correctly. Sadly, correct servicing isn't always the result.

Back on the liability aspect, I don't service the regs I've not taken a class for. If you have an Aqualung or a Apeks, don't hope I can fix it or have parts or tools for it.

 

[Couv]

Hey Frank, when's your next FGB trip? I need my reg tweaked.

Seriously though, from a practical standpoint, why not just stock a healthy set of same type regulators onboard and rent/loan them out to those who don't subscribe to the Usual Suspects sticky thread? http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/346813-regulator-inspection-checklist-rev-7-a.html I would think it would be simpler and cheaper than being set up to service a plethora of equipment.

 

[redacted]

Hey Frank, when's your next FGB trip? I need my reg tweaked.

Seriously though, from a practical standpoint, why not just stock a healthy set of same type regulators onboard and rent/loan them out to those who don't subscribe to the Usual Suspects sticky thread? http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/346813-regulator-inspection-checklist-rev-7-a.html I would think it would be simpler and cheaper than being set up to service a plethora of equipment.

I would expect that the overwhelming majority of problems are cured by a simple adjustment or the correction of an assembly error. And then most others by the replacement of an o-ring. And I'm sure there are a couple of those Atomic sets laying around that can be loaned to customers.

 

[Couv]

....would you rebuild your scba

Yes, I would. I'm surprised that anyone who uses "life support equipment" doesn't.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Wookie, I agree, you probably tweak it a little to work a bit better or tighten, replace a few o-rings, etc.

I have given Lds the work to rebuild reg sets, to my suprise, each one has failed. Even to my atomic, I get it back and it still leaked out of first stage, I opened it and changed o-rings, still leaked. could it be fixed not sure, I Know for sure I put at least 250 dives on it in 99, 141 dives in 2000, and 213, in 2001. Took in for recall, and it leaked dove maybe 50, on it 2002.

I tried the atomic, as they were the scuba pro employees that started it.
Ok you see a heck of a lot of dives and never touched.
Took it in 2008 and now it still leaks as I said not sure if I could fix. Problem, probably wore out. they only put new kit in and its now still not working. Same time took in seaquest reg, and they rebuilt and said after rebuild they found out housing is cracked. So it is like my USdivers, beachuet, so internal parts are still good.

I have had this type of service go on my whole life. Tried again this last decade.

I Buy scubapro regs from brett at leisurepro, and will never take them in for service ever. only a nice proper rinse. After 500 dives I get Another, I have many sets, and all work great when never serviced.

That tells me how the odds are. I tell divers here to buy new and spend money on new instead of rebuild, its cheaper and guarateed to work.

I waste time, gas money, a burnt dive(actually learned to bring backup, but still) and a feeling of not happy with the tech that built. So I can be happy in a dive shop when I go in to just buy new.

I Have worked on more gear on my surface intervels going to next sight, on my dive holiday in warm water diving, too Know completely what Wookie is saying, what I see is the norm.

And for the ones that suggest you need a good tech, aint worth a few bucks more for a new reg, waiting at home, or delivered when home.

I haven't a clue of why there are not many gear failures in accidents, except they fail before you dive, and thats why I help fix before a dive.

Happy Diving

 

[Couv]

I would expect that the overwhelming majority of problems are cured by a simple adjustment or the correction of an assembly error. And then most others by the replacement of an o-ring....

Master, this is true. However, it would be much faster and easier to hand over a rental/loaner than even to tweak a regulator. If liability is the issue, I would much rather a customer use a regulator that I totally rebuilt/checked than one I did a quick adjustment on. E.g. let’s say someone has a slight free flow; most likely the second stage just needs a small adjustment. But it could turn out to be a high IP, so you have to check for that as well. What if you correct one problem, but due to the shoddy service it previously received something else goes wrong? Now you've assumed liability for someone else's work.

 

[superstar]

Wookie,
Do you know of the dive boat RV Tiburon. My daughter and I spent a week diving with them.

 

[vladimir]

You are for sure in the minority. Fastest way to ruin a dive trip is to service gear right before the trip, then not test it. Divers trust their shop technician to always service their regs correctly. Sadly, correct servicing isn't always the result.

A lot of divers only dive on vacation. I usually squeeze a few in each year and I don't service my regulators very often, so the chances of it happening to me are somewhat lower, but, if my regulator does fail after servicing, it will be on vacation. That's the only time I dive.

 

[Wookie]

Wookie,
Do you know of the dive boat RV Tiburon. My daughter and I spent a week diving with them.

Yes, I know Tim and the R/V Tiburon. Mostly by reputation, but we are friendly when we meet offshore.

A lot of divers only dive on vacation. I usually squeeze a few in each year and I don't service my regulators very often, so the chances of it happening to me are somewhat lower, but, if my regulator does fail after servicing, it will be on vacation. That's the only time I dive.

I think the point JAX was making was to give a newly serviced reg a shot in the pool before a trip. Prevents a big surprise on the boat.

Those who end up on the Spree with a failed reg end up with one of my deco regs until I can get theirs going again. I hate to have folks miss a dive because their reg failed.