Why don't you and the owner go back and inspect the rest of his HP hoses.
To prove what, exactly? That I was just unlucky and got a duff one, or that all his stuff is suspect?
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Why don't you and the owner go back and inspect the rest of his HP hoses.
To prove what, exactly? That I was just unlucky and got a duff one, or that all his stuff is suspect?
If you got the duff one, then you would have to decide if it was luck or setup and your distrust could be reinforced. If there are others like yours, then it may not be a matter of trust but of standards. The problem you describe is just not a big safety issue. But I would expect that most shops would have disposed of such a hose in the trash can rather than used gear sales.
Trust and standards go hand-in-hand; one has to be able to trust that high standards are kept. I was able to spot this problem, but what about all the internal parts that aren't visible? This where trust comes in.
I learned to test and inspect my own gear. It is not the kind of thing I'd trust to any dive shop.
The shop owner was right in that it's just a protective cover (even cracked, it's protecting the inner hose) and not an imminent threat. Even if a HP hose blows it takes about 20 minutes to empty the tank. It's an event you should be able to easily and safely handle.
The shop owner was wrong for not cheerfully replacing it for a customer that just spent $1500 with him and was very concerned about it, whether he felt it needed replacing or not. Very stupid business move on his part.
You were not over reacting because you did not know that it is not an imminent threat and the proper thing to do if you have doubts about the safety of a dive is to call the dive. I would have done the dives and made a mental note to order a replacement hose.
20 mins to empty the tank? Wow, I envisioned maybe a minute or two. Would the reg still function, despite a system pressure drop like that? I.E. is a controlled ascent, with air, still possible?