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I got started working on my own because I was a broke college kid. I took my regs apart and saw how they worked, cleaned 'em up and put them back together. Pretty simple really. I made up my own IP guages and magnahelics guages. Now with the internet it is a hell of a lot easier. Download an overhaul manual, and fix them yourself. I find it easier to take care of regs like keeping water out of the first stage, use environmentally sealed regs, etc. than it is to overhaul them.
Many won't agree with this but I only overhaul a reg once in a blue moon. I usually only inspect them and only replace seats and valves when they need it.
Get an Airspeed press book and your overhaul manuals and a few tools. I own dozens of regs and could not afford to send them off for "annual overhauls". I have had a couple of LDS really screw up my overhauls. One reg I opened up after it was overhauled had the second stage diaphram covered with dried silt. They charged me for an overhaul but did not work on it. I have also asked a local shop for my old parts and he went back in the shop and brought me a baggie of parts that I knew did not even fit my regs. I also once got back a reg that was missing an exhaust valve under the exhaust T. Man, what a sweet breather on the surface but underwater all you got was lungs full of water. I have never had a bit of trouble with my regs and they are finely tuned to the IP pressure I need.
If you are just a bit handy with tools, know how to read and are patient scuba regs are not that tough to work on.
Some regs I can rebuild in my sleep but some I won't work on. Poseidons are one I avoid but simple regs like the USD Conshelfs designs are so simple a frogman can do it.
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