Question Working on your own kit...

[MCKNGBRD]

OK, so some background. I've worked as a gunsmith and am currently an A&P mechanic (working on airplanes). I'm mechanically inclined, and prefer to work on my own stuff, if at all possible.

Last summer, I got back to blowing bubbles with my whole family here in central NC, and I'm now looking at getting some gear and expanding my underwater knowledge base. We were certified through SDI, and I'm doing the Advanced Adventure and Nitrox courses with my oldest son (17) first weekend of July.

What I'm interested in doing is non-tech wreck diving (I REALLY want to get to the U352), looking for meg teeth, and lionfish hunting. Warm water, 10-20 dives per year, and enjoying a new hobby with my family.

Where the question comes in is about Dive Gear Express regs & BP/W. Most reg manufacturers seem to be averse to having mere mortals work on their own stuff, but DGX offers videos, manuals, and spare parts for their equipment.

I'm not afraid to work on my own stuff; the DGX stuff seems to be good quality, and reasonably priced. Is there another alternative that is similarly priced, that allows end users to service their own stuff?

I'd love to support Scubapro, Aqua Lung, or Dive Rite, but their price points are up there, and I'm forced to go to someone else to get it serviced. If I'm on a liveaboard and have a problem, I'd like to know the equipment good enough to fix it myself and not lose dive opportunities because of gear issues.

Is there any reason to not go with a DGX D6 reg and BP/W setup? I like the streamline setup, I think I can configure the BP/W to handle anything I want to do and future-proof myself (in case I get antsy and go down the path of more training and certs).

The other factor is that I've got 4 divers in the house and will probably end up buying at least one more complete setup for whomever ends up being my dive buddy going forward. I'd like to have similar equipment to prevent confusion and simplify maintenance.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Wants2divemore]

I think everyone here will recommend the BP/W setup. Here's a guide that was posted earlier.

Info - Beginners Guide To BP/W

Intro to Backplates and Wings This thread is to help beginners or those interested in backplates and wings (BP/W) understand the concept and design features. I will try to cover the majority of your questions in this guide. However, this guide is not fully inclusive and it is written to...

scubaboard.com

I don't have any personal experience with then, but I've read very good things about Deep Six regulators. They also allow for user servicing.

Regulators

www.deep6gear.com

@rob.mwpropane posted a review of the servicing class he took in 2020.

Review Deep 6 Regulator Service Class

I'll preface this review by saying I've been diving for 3 years, so this is from my perspective. I'm sure the other guys in the class (who I'm sure all had WAY more dives than me) will have a little different take on things. I decided to post this in the beginners section (move if needed)...

scubaboard.com

 

[Wants2divemore]

What I'm interested in doing is non-tech wreck diving (I REALLY want to get to the U352), looking for meg teeth, and lionfish hunting. Warm water, 10-20 dives per year, and enjoying a new hobby with my family.

Since you live in NC, check out diving with Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, NC. They're a quality shop and run lots of non-technical wreck trips.

The Better Way to Dive North Carolina - Olympus Dive Center

All about Olympus Dive Center

www.olympusdiving.com

 

[RyanT]

Deep6 hands down, they make quality gear. Take their service course and then service your family's regs when required. It saves a ton of money if you've got multiple reg sets to service.

 

[MCKNGBRD]

Just to clarify, I'm looking at the DGX Gears D6 reg set. As I understand it, DGX sourced them from Deep6 previously, but they're doing their own thing now.

Specifically, this setup:

DGX Custom - DGX Gears Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing + DGX Gears D6 Reg Package

A basic DGX Harness / Backplate / Wing and our DGX D6 regulator package for single tank diving at a value price.

www.divegearexpress.com

 

[MCKNGBRD]

Since you live in NC, check out diving with Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, NC. They're a quality shop and run lots of non-technical wreck trips.

The Better Way to Dive North Carolina - Olympus Dive Center

All about Olympus Dive Center

www.olympusdiving.com

Yep, Olympus is one of the shops my instructor recommended. They have a great rep in the area and I think he & I will be going down for a weekend with them later this summer or into the fall.

Thanks!

 

[rob.mwpropane]

As @Wants2divemore pointed out D6 is great. The 1st service kit is included, and if you can persuade them you're mechanically inclined (which you can given your background) they'll sell you service kits.

There are videos online for both 1sts and 2nds that are very well done or you can take a class via @LandonL (either in person or virtual). If you take the you'll get free service kits for life.

Get an ip gauge and check every 6 months or year to make sure that's solid. No need to "rebuild every 2 years" like some manufacturers state. Of my ip is good I normally don't rebuild (maybe if it sees a lot of salt, but that's rare for me).

For the limited amount of diving you'll do (10-20 dives / year) it will take a really long time to recoup the money you'll spend on tools (unless you already have most of them, they're specified in the manual). Personally I am glad I took the class. Our family has 7 divers and I have all but 1 switch to D6 for the ease of maintenance. Great reg, great company.

Good luck. It's not hard, a lot easier than working on small engines or even planes for that matter.

 

[Wants2divemore]

Our family has 7 divers

Damn. Now I feel like I got off easy only having to buy gear for myself and my two teenage sons . I can't imagine 7.

 

[Bigbella]

I'm not afraid to work on my own stuff; the DGX stuff seems to be good quality, and reasonably priced. Is there another alternative that is similarly priced, that allows end users to service their own stuff?

I'd love to support Scubapro, Aqua Lung, or Dive Rite, but their price points are up there, and I'm forced to go to someone else to get it serviced. If I'm on a liveaboard and have a problem, I'd like to know the equipment good enough to fix it myself and not lose dive opportunities because of gear issues.

The other factor is that I've got 4 divers in the house and will probably end up buying at least one more complete setup for whomever ends up being my dive buddy going forward. I'd like to have similar equipment to prevent confusion and simplify maintenance.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

With the prospect of four divers, and annual or biannual servicing of gear, upwards of US 800.00, I would strongly suggest that you take @rsingler's online regulator service class, which is broadly transferable across brands, and which is currently offered on, I think, a quarterly(?) basis.

He is a more than an active contributor of ScubaBoard; drop him a DM.

Years ago, I was tapped by the company that I had worked for, to maintain twelve to fifteen sets of of its regulators, after they had received quotes from a number of shops, that the cost would be somewhere north of 2500.00 a shot for annual maintenance, to satisfy the insurance carriers; and I had already been futzing with my own regulators, for some time; was still alive, and was later sent through a manufacturer's tech course.

Once you have that simple skill under your belt -- and it is simple — you'll never look back, or trust a local dive shop again with your gear . . .

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Damn. Now I feel like I got off easy only having to buy gear for myself and my two teenage sons . I can't imagine 7.

The rest of them dive so infrequently it ends up being me surrounded by backups upon backups.... and @RyanT's 2nds