Posted by TDI_2 on August 20, 2002 at 08:58:22:
In Reply to: Don't use Reef Seekers repair service posted by John Wolfenden on August 18, 2002 at 12:13:54:
Service reps everywhere have this "fear" of "overtightening" so I always tighten my own gear after I get it back from service at a dive shop.
On the first stage regulator, you need to tighten ALL the hoses, and not just when you get them back from service, but about once a month at least, if not before every dive. The extremes of temperature from ~ 70^F at the surface to ~ 40^F when deep puts the metals in the gear on a thermodynamic roller coaster ride. Go down and up enough times, and the gear will eventually loosen itself.
About every 6 months of diving, I will also replace all of my O-rings as well. For me, the anniversary of all my ScubaPro Mark 20 purchases falls in June, and that is when I take them in to get serviced each year. Therefore in December, around Christmas time when everyone else is packing the mall shopping lots, I will line up my gear on the livingroom floor, pull off all the O-rings from everything, then go to my favorite dive store and buy new replacement O-rings for it all. Then go home and replace them.
For O2 cleaned parts like regulators, Crysto-Lube at $40 per tube is what you need to lube the O-rings with. For non-O2 cleaned parts like flashlights, ordinary O-ring grease works fine on the rings.
If you want to be a scuba diver, you definitely have to get good at taking care of your own gear, and not expecting the service rep at the scuba store to do it all for you. Especially when it comes to tightening everything up before a dive.