BINGO....we have seen regs, only one year old and about 25 dives come back for service and be almost trashed. They were put away wet....Salt water does like to paint the inside of your reg green....that corrosion will cause pitting. Regulators rely on a clean sealing surface to "lock up". With severe pitting, you can quickly ruin your regulator body. I have seen regs cost alot more money after 2-3 years of non service than it would have just cost to have it done each year. Sometimes, it comes to the same amount, but now they have a reg that is in much worse shape.
There is no grand scheme for Dive Shops to just take your money for foolish service. Some regs don't need service, some really do.....it all depends on how well you take care of your equipment. Your car doesn't always need an oil change either...how far do you push that before damage?
We have seen all sorts this last few weeks. This is the busy time, everyone has regs they need serviced ASAP for a trip....most are really beat up this year
My tech can't grab a break and get an easy one.
Take care of your equipment, get it serviced and let it last in beautiful shape for a lifetime. It's a small price to pay(we charge under $50 in labor) to not have to buy another reg in a few years....unless that is your goal