Hi folks,
I've been reading and taking courses and learning a lot lately about SCUBA gear. Combined with a sound idea of calculated risk management, I've really been finding the DIY naysayers to be ignorant and unhelpful when I ask questions in the more general forum.
The ignorance is why they are unhelpfully, and really they are trying to save you because they cannot conceive of anyone who is mechanically inclined enough to service their own gear, since they themselves are not. Somehow they feel there is a magical difference because a "technician" has factory training and they assume it is on all the gear the tech service.
How do you deal with the "it'll kill you; it's life support gear; buy new; throw it out" crowd while still trying to glean intelligent information from someone who might know something? How do you separate the guy who won't have anyone but a certified "reg tech" change his hoses from a real source who knows what she's talking about?
Any stories to share?
As for "it'll kill you; it's life support gear; buy new; throw it out" , for the first two read my tag line, I'm not dead yet, and on the last I tell them to throw it my way. My age stops most from starting in on me 'cause they don't want to hear the "I was fixing double hose regulators before you crapped your first diaper" loud enough for their friends to hear.
Gleaning intelligent information from someone is as hard as it is for any intelligent information you might want to find. As you work on more gear and gain more experience you will weed bad info out faster. In person it is easier, on the Board I skip over the "don't do this at home" and check out the rest of the post in case it was a disclaimer rather than an attitude.
Techs are that because they are interested in gear, have some mechanical aptitude, learn through reading and discussions with other techs, gain experience in hands on work, and if they are good and a shop hires them they may get formal training. If you already have a job you won't get the formal training or as much experience, but you may not be less skilled on your gear.
Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.
You only need two tools in life – WD40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the Duct Tape
