The endless SEAC saga is winding down and I need some advice

[Pressurehead]

I bought a pair of SEAC Synchro regs off Craigslist

How much did you pay for these regulators? If not much , take the advice below.

it's about not learning from it as you move forward

 

[Cthippo]

How much did you pay for these regulators? If not much , take the advice below.

I paid $300 for two first stages and two secondaries set up for sidemount.

What do you recommend for a set of regs at a $250 or less price point?

 

[davehicks]

There are any number of ScubaPro Mk10 reg sets on ebay in this price range, a few paired with a g250. A killer combo.

 

[Island23]

Don't buy SEAC. Palantic is geared towards tech, just not popular. They're actually good & economical. There are service centers but if you plan on investing in your backside, get service kits for the next 10 years first. I wouldn't mess, with Palantic though.

Forget both of em & forget the MK10, its too old.

 

[madamimadam]

Wow, what a mess. This is exactly why you should not buy off-brand gear that does not have a service and parts story in your region. There are so many other great options available from actual functioning companies at all price points.

I wrote about this at length in this article from a year ago:

Info - How to Choose a Regulator

How to Choose a Regulator (an overview of features and their value) One of the first pieces of equipment that every diver will acquire is a set of Regulators. This is one of the most critical pieces of your gear as it enables you to breathe underwater and are considered to be life safety...

scubaboard.com

It's unfortunate that the importance serviceability isn't emphasized more by sales people in shops (i.e. can it be serviced if you move or if you're traveling?). Although, considering how many new divers bypass their LDS to shop and buy online, the opportunity to educate new divers about serviceability really falls on (or should) the new-diver training.

Great article/series, Dave. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

 

[diveKi]

to me it doesn’t look like the OT’s problems wasn‘t mediocre serviceability of the reg but lack of skill of the workshop.

SEAC regulators aren‘t very fancy and every averagely skilled service tech should be able to service them without breaking any parts of it.

Also, service parts for SEAC regs are easyly obtainable, even from eBay.

It is always good advice, to have a spare set of service parts with you, no matter which brand you dive, even if it is a major brand like mares, Scubapro, or Apeks e. g.

So, that when you are traveling and your dive center just doesn't support your brand, you have spare parts with you. If they ain’t able to service your gear with them, I wouldn’t trust them to be a competent dive base.

In the very unexpected event, that something else than a piece contained in the service kit breaks, you probably would face the same problem, no matter which brand you dive with. In such a rare case, you just have to rent a reg, anyway.

 

[scubadada]

Seac used to have an AI computer, the Guru, that used a Ratio transmitter. I'm not sure who the OEM was for the computer. The computer disappeared after a short life. Seac and Ratio, both Italian, neither with wide adoption in the US

 

[ams511]

I paid $300 for two first stages and two secondaries set up for sidemount.

What do you recommend for a set of regs at a $250 or less price point?

First, I am sorry that some of the more experienced divers are throwing shade at you for buying a lesser known brand. As a newer diver, equipment buying can be confusing. Many of the brands recommended on SB like DGX, HOG, Deep6, are lesser known brands.

Second, your LDS can be a SEAC dealer but that may only be for a limited selection of products such as wetsuits. masks, fins, etc. They may not sell regulators, BCs, etc. There is nothing special about servicing SEAC regulators except for the parts. There is something shady about your LDS, they should have known within a week if parts were going to be a problem and communicated that to you.

Third, a new reg set for $250 or less is a pretty difficult to find. Prices for scuba gear have increased rapidly over the past few years. If possible wait for a Black Friday sale from Scuba.com, DRIS, Diver's Supply and Deep6. If you buy used off eBay you are looking at $100-$150 for service of a first and second, unless the reg is new or already serviced.

 

[ams511]

It is always good advice, to have a spare set of service parts with you, no matter which brand you dive, even if it is a major brand like mares, Scubapro, or Apeks e. g.

So, that when you are traveling and your dive center just doesn't support your brand, you have spare parts with you. If they ain’t able to service your gear with them, I wouldn’t trust them to be a competent dive base.

Back in the day, the manufacturers used to sell "travel kits", which was a service kit, in case something went wrong at a destination. In the US, most (if not all) of the major brands do not sell service kits to divers. Also, certain brands prohibit dive shops in the EU from selling their products to divers in the US and other places.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I paid $300 for two first stages and two secondaries set up for sidemount.

What do you recommend for a set of regs at a $250 or less price point?

Scubapro Mk2 Evo plus G260.
Or Mk17evo plus G260, if you want sealed diaphragm.
Also made here in Italy with high quality, but serviceable all around the world for the next 40 years