A request for Larry and Joe:

[Flatliner]

Hi guys,

I am posting this rather than doing a PM because I am guessing that there are more people than myself that would be interested.

How about offering a weekend seminar for those of us that would like to learn to service our own regs.

I for one would be willing to drive down to Dallas and sign any waiver that the lawyers require for a class if I could possibly work it into my schedule.

I would even be willing to spring for the gas if someone else wanted to ride along.

[reservecops]

Originally Posted by Flatliner

I would even be willing to spring for the gas if someone else wanted to ride along.

Sounds good to me. I'm in Detroit. Pick me up at 0800 hours!

[Cheddarchick]

Swing through Wisconsin, I'll toss in $5

[creggur]

If you've got room, I'm in Jacksonville, Fl. Shouldn't be too far out of your way after you pick up Reservecops, and Cheddarchick

[PlatypusMan]

Originally Posted by Flatliner

Hi guys,
How about offering a weekend seminar for those of us that would like to learn to service our own regs.

PlatypusMan is on board with you on this idea.

I've long wanted to take a reg repair/service course, if for no other reason to be able to handle minor things that could come up while in the field.

[medic001918]

Room for two more from Connecticut?

Shane

[ScubaToys Larry]

You might run into a few issues. Depending on the reg - the cost of test equipment and specialty tools would pay to have your reg service for the next 10 years or more.

There are so many special tools to open this, seat that, remove the thingamajig, etc. The magnahelix alone runs hundreds. Flow bench, Sonic cleaner, IP gauges, in-line adjustment tools - and on and on.

We have about 10 grand in tools and test gear in our repair department.

So we do equipment specialty classes, and we do tear a part some regs and show what we do when we service them - but I'm not sure you'd want to gear up to do it.

[FyVe]

and i guess that that's that huh?
it would be nice to do maybe a "troubleshooting" and minor problems class?
like freeflowing regs (how to fix on the field, or boat) leaky this, or other minor things, so that way people don't end up spending 10k dollars to save on 50 $ service?

[PlatypusMan]

Larry, I understand what you're saying.

I'm a trained watchmaker. Opening thingamajigs and adjusting framastats was second nature to me for a long time, so the specifics don't scare me as far as equipment is concerned.

Frankly, I suspect that most want to take such a course because they want a better understanding of what is going on inside this important piece of life-sustaining equipment. They also will get a better appreciation of what regular care for their regs really means in terms of proper continued function.

Does that sound about right to the rest of you?

[SteveC]

This subject comes on all the time usually with much heated debate. I think we have all been on dives when someone had a reg problem. Most of them could probably be field repaired if we had more knowledge and available parts.
Usually the excuse for parts and service info not being available to the diver is for liability issues. But my come back for this is, why can I go into an auto parts store and buy break pads? Are breaks not life support equipment when you heading down the road at 70 mph?
Now let me say that I love Scuba Toys and all my LDS’s, as much as the next guy, but the real reason that service info will not be shared with the divers is simply because service is how dive shops make a living.
Our only choices right now are

• Buy Van Harlow’s reg repair book and do some studying.
• Buy your next reg from a manufacture that is consumer service friendly.

As more divers demand to play a bigger role in there gear service, more manufactures will cooperate.
Even with available parts to consumers, most divers will not totally abandon their LDS for service, so I doubt that dive shops have as much to worry about as they think. When we come into the shop to buy our reg parts we will be picking up other stuff too.