Water stream in regulator

[Couv]

I feel that slonda never meant to imply incompetence of service techs by any means; he just wanted to point out that it is easy to inspect one's own regulator and do the necessary routine checks - maybe with a twist of humor.

I took it that way too. Especially after seeing that he gave accurate advise.

c

 

[muddiver]

DA Aquamaster has some good points. The only other way around the wet gerulator sanero if it is a design quirk in an inverted position is to add a double exhaust valve. I have only seen such kits for diving helmets and dry suits intended for contaminated water diving.

I do the duck dive most of the time to reach bottom and I do not experience the wet regulator issues, so if it is not a maintanence problem it is probably a design issue with your particular regulator.

 

[Slonda828]

Wow...8 hours....almost as long as you've spent underwater...

499 forum posts and sub-100 dives. More diving, less internet....then poke fun at industry professionals

.and yet i wouldn't ever feel in a position where I should be slinging mud at service technicians...or any other dive professionals in general. To do so reeks of bravado and concealed ineptitude.

So in one post you make fun of a dive industry professional (me), and in your next one you decry people who make fun of dive industry professionals? Here's a couple of points for you:

-I WAS JOKING. I took an 8 hour long repair course. Experience is the best teacher. If you do not think that I have enough experience repairing regulators to make jokes, then I suggest you go to www.vintagedoublehose.com and look in the store where you can buy a repair kit for your US Divers vintage regulator which I manufacture by hand. Several of the divers on this board use them, do not take my word for it, ask them.

-I've been diving for 6 years, which may not be 16, but it counts for something. Just because I didn't get a card until last year does not make me some internet rube.

-I am a regulator repair tech. You have been diving for 16 years (even though you look younger than 30), and apparently you are not. I did not mock you for not having the ability to repair your own gear, yet you mock me because I only began keeping a logbook (a key point of your argument) in 2008.

-Based upon your own logic, you owe me an apology. Fear not, I do not expect one. That would be mature, which is probably something you have not learned by diving 100 times a month for the past 4 years straight.

 

[DevonDiver]

So in one post you make fun of a dive industry professional (me), and in your next one you decry people who make fun of dive industry professionals? Here's a couple of points for you:

Making fun of diving professionals in general - would be to say that (all) newly qualified divemasters are under-experienced and over-opinionated.

I merely commented on an individual.

-I WAS JOKING. I took an 8 hour long repair course. Experience is the best teacher. If you do not think that I have enough experience repairing regulators to make jokes, then I suggest you go to www.vintagedoublehose.com and look in the store where you can buy a repair kit for your US Divers vintage regulator which I manufacture by hand. Several of the divers on this board use them, do not take my word for it, ask them.

Ok, I accept that...but I didn't get the joke. Perhaps next time you could insert a ...... so your humor is illustrated better.

I am just concerned that, as a dive professional and role model, other noob divers would interpret your message to mean.... utilizing the professional capabilities of an industry qualified service technician was unsound.

If we can agree...and display a clear message...that having someone professional inspect/rectify problems with your equipment is a good idea...especially for divers who do not have a clear, detailed and accurate understanding, along with access to the correct tools and technical manuals.... then we can be assured of promoting safe diving practices and attitudes to less experienced divers.

-I've been diving for 6 years, which may not be 16, but it counts for something. Just because I didn't get a card until last year does not make me some internet rube.

Years don't count for anything. Some people do 4 dives a year on their annual holiday. A full-time industry professional does that much per day.

Being an internet noob is a relative thing. We are all noobs in one respect or another. I've never dived under ice or in a (proper) cave. For that reason...I keep my opinions on those matters strictly to myself...ears open, mouth closed. I also try my hardest to ensure that the posts I make on public forums do not contain personal opinions that may be miscontrued by less experienced divers...or, where necessary, I clarify my opinions with rational, specific experiences I have had...or I just stick firmly in the realm of providing prudent advice that is not contrary (or liable to be interpreted as contrary) to agreed industry standards.

The diagnostic information contained in your original post was excellent...I just felt that your joke undermined your good advice...and that your relative inexperience as a diving professional should be highlighted to ensure that readers of the post understood that such a comment was not the product of any extensive professional experience in scuba diving.

-I am a regulator repair tech. You have been diving for 16 years (even though you look younger than 30), and apparently you are not. I did not mock you for not having the ability to repair your own gear, yet you mock me because I only began keeping a logbook (a key point of your argument) in 2008.

Thanks...I am 36

I said I was not a qualified service technician, but you would be wise not to mock me for "not having the ability to repair my own gear" I simply choose to defer that task (with regulators) to people with more experience and focus in that field. See the subtle difference?

As manager of a 5* IDC center... I also choose to defer tasks such as driving the boats and filling the tanks to those who can specialise in those tasks (although I am more than qualified to do those tasks). I don't clean the showers here either...

-Based upon your own logic, you owe me an apology. Fear not, I do not expect one. That would be mature, which is probably something you have not learned by diving 100 times a month for the past 4 years straight.

I do apologise if I failed to see the humor of your post. My response was meant as a reality check...and to add a little balance to the message that newbie divers may have construed from your remark.

I hope we understand each other. Happy diving!

Oh...btw...sorry to the OP if I caused this thread to be hijacked.

 

[Slonda828]

Devondiver,

Fair enough. Divers, if you read this, here is exactly what I meant:

-If you are confident enough to inspect your own gear, then do so.

-If you are not, or choose not to, then take it to a qualified regulator repair technician.

-I have a wry sense of humor, so do not take anything that I say in humor to be gospel.

-My recommendations on this poster's regulator still stand.

Andy, you seem like a nice guy, I'm sure we just off on the wrong foot because it is hard to tell context on the interweb. If I offended you, then I am sorry as well.

 

[helimvee]

Getting back to the OP's question .... What kind of reg are you using? Is it brand new? Has it recently been serviced?

I would certainly have someone at your LDS take a look at it. A small stream of water does not sound right.

 

[Slonda828]

Getting back to the OP's question .... What kind of reg are you using? Is it brand new? Has it recently been serviced?

I would certainly have someone at your LDS take a look at it. A small stream of water does not sound right.

As I said earlier though, lots of wets breathe a little wet when you are totally face down. The exhaust valve design and case geometry on some second stage regulators is such that a small amount of water can enter the second stage while you are exhaling, depending on the angular relationship of the second stage to the water column. An LDS will be able to verify that his valve is good, and that his mouthpiece and diaphragm are serviceable, but they typically are not going to be able to dive the regulator for him to subjectively evaluate if the wet just simply breathes wet.

 

[halocline]

Hi Slonda, I think you mean "face up", like on your back looking at the surface, or upside down, head towards the bottom. Face down is more like a normal swimming position. Basically any position that puts the mouthpiece at the lowest point will make the reg more susceptible to wet breathing, as the small amount of water that leaks in the exhaust valve will drain into the mouthpiece flange rather than back out the exhaust valve.

I'm sure you meant that.

 

[NeedABiggerBoat]

Wow this thread went south in a hurry! To the T.S., I have a Dive Rite RG2500 that breathes wet when upside down. No bigee, just dont swim upside down when using that reg. I bought a Zeagle 50 D to use as my main: problem solved!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Well since we have digressed so nicely, an industry professional who does 100 dives per month probably better know an awful lot about reg maintenence and repair in the same manner that a professional pilot may want to know na awful lot about airplane design and maintainence. They don't have to be an A&P but they better know an awful lot and they need to know enough to spot a bad mechanic or an unsafe airplane. The same applies to a dive industry "professional".

I'll be honest that I am both biased and jaded. The industry professional terminology and all the "I wanna go 'pro'" threads pretty much annoy me as many DM's and recreational instructors are anything but professional in terms of either diving being their primary source of income or in terms of profesional knowledge, experience and conduct.

You can get a DM or instructor card and get a job in diving but that is not even 1/10th of what it takes to be a "professional".