Yet another "Try your gear after service" thread

[mistressmotorsports]

I look to this board for knowledge as much as I can. One piece of advice that never gets an argument is to try out your gear after getting it serviced. Well, I did just that, and have saved a whole bunch of hassle, as well as maybe some bigger problems. A few weeks ago, I got my regs and BC back from their anual service. I am going to Hawaii the end of this week, so I figured I needed to make sure everything was in order prior to leaving. So, I bugged my neighbor to let me dive in his (56 degree) pool today. As soon as I inflated my BC and dropped it in the pool, I noticed that the exhaust button from the power inflator was leaking badly. The more I inflated my bc to float it while I got in the water, the more it hissed and bubbled. All the other items worked just fine. I swam around the bottom of the pool for about 15 minutes, picking up sticks and other stuff while down there, re-inflating the BC as necessary, and there were no other problems. So, back to the lds everything went. They promised to have it back tomorrow. I'm sure it's something really simple like a rolled or cut O ring. Myfirst day of diving in Hawaii is a three tanker, and it's safe to say I would have been REALLY pissed to have had to sit out because of a problem that occurred during servicing. Rest assured that when I get everything back tomorrow, I'm getting right back in the pool again.

Please, as much as possible, try out your new or recently serviced stuff in a safe, controlled environment prior to relying on it to keep you alive. At best, you saved a bunch of hassle. At worst, you could save your own life.

We now resume our regularly scheduled program.

Mike

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I agree, My wife's reg had a problem right after service and I have had a few friends that have had the same thing. Always good to get in a few extra dives anyway!

 

[Garrobo]

Same here. I bought a set of new Oceanics of which the first stage was recalled. When I got it back I went to the Y pool and tried it out. Lo and behold the second stage primary was breathing wet. I sent the whole rig back to Oceanic and they serviced the whole outfit. Got it back and returned to the pool. Everything checked out OK this time so off I went to the Keys and had no problems with it.

 

[String]

Collected 5 sets of regs for students fresh out of service last week.

In pool session one of the regs drysuit hoses freeflowed continuously.

In open water we had one mouth piece detach and 2 uncontrolled freeflows.

Its why i service my gear when its broken not before.

 

[DiveMaven]

Not only do we "pool dive" after service, but also before any big dive trip we take.

 

[scorpenesub]

My gear is always serviced by the same dive shop over the past several years. Good thing about this operator is that he has a diving training pool and always insist on the owners testing their gear after service. So far, I have had no post service problems....

 

[spectrum]

As soon as I inflated my BC and dropped it in the pool, I noticed that the exhaust button from the power inflator was leaking badly.

I would make it a point of making them explain multiple times how this escaped their testing procedure. I'd make like I'm real dense and find the explanantion incomprehensible while relating the impact their sloppy work could have had on your hard earned vacation.

Good practice on your part to have gone through the exercise and saved your 3 tanker.

Pete

 

[divingtigger]

I never checked mine before going to mexico last month and my reg set up was leaking air badly, once again Thanks Jason from Fantasea In PDC for rebuilding it for me in time for the Cenote dives, however it did ruin my reef dives. However it's not like I could use my neighbors pool to test it out right now (kinda hard to dive in a solid block of ice) -41 degrees C today with the wind chill

 

[redacted]

I reiterate what spectum said. LDS screwed up and needs to own up to it. Then you will have to decide if you can trust them not to repeat.

divingtigger - While a modest dive is great, you can do all the checkout you really need to in a bath tub.

 

[mistressmotorsports]

Awap and Spectrum have good points. I will absolutely be discussing this with them, especially because with the BC maybe 25% inflated, you can actually hear the hiss from the leaking valve. With ANY air at all in the BC, you can see bubbles escaping, so there really is no excuse. I've been less and less happy with this shop over time for several reasons, so I may have to look elsewhere in the future. It's too bad, really, because they were great when I first started buying my own equipment. Plus, they are about 1 mile from work, so it doesn't get much more convenient. We'll see what they say later today when I go get my stuff.

Mike