Posted by Rick Moraganian on June 16, 2005 at 08:50:36:
In Reply to: Local dive shop close to Sherman Oaks posted by Mike on June 08, 2005 at 15:32:31:
I see here where many people have had good experiences with WCDS. I too have used them in regards to repairs for over 11 years since I was first certified by them. I can count only a small number of times where I was actually happy with their work and general attitude for reg servicing.
Last experience with them servicing my regs were a real pain in the behind a couple years ago. It might have been my 1994 Oceanic and USD regulators, but I had to take them back over and over again when they both free flowed right after two separate services. It took three tries with one and two tries with the other for WCDS to get the regs to stop free flowing. Although they didn't free flow any more, they breathed like wet asthmatic mice by then.
I was not treated nicely when my second regulator showed free flow probs. I was accused of abusing the regulators somehow between the time they left the shop and their first dives. In one case I was told by them that the reason why one kept free flowing was because I was dragging the second stage in the sand. I do not beach dive and I do not drag any second stages in the sand while diving. This last time I had them serviced I had them done by another shop in the valley and they have worked fine since. They also found in the USD first stage a spring used was the wrong one. They are both almost due for another yearly service. Guess where I will not be taking my regulators. That's just me I guess.
For BC stuff and the infrequent good deal I will always give WCDS a shot since they are so close to work. For most anything else I will probably use another repair shop.