Wall of Woe
(or Whoa)
(or Why You Should Get Your Gear Serviced Regularly by Qualified Professionals)
Second stage (before service), which operates inches from the inside of the diver's mouth.
This is a regulator that was used on an aluminum cylinder while on holiday in Bonaire. Moisture found its way into the cylinder where it caused the aluminum to corrode, resulting in a fine, white aluminum oxide dust that was then distributed all over the interior of the first stage regulator and hindered its functionality.
This was a regulator that was sent in for repair. The dive store that initially tried to repair it could not unscrew the HP balance plug because they used the wrong sized hex wrench and stripped the broach. Not being deterred, they drilled two holes so they could use a pin spanner. In doing so, they not only damaged the balance plug beyond repair, but drilled so deep that the body was damaged beyond repair as well. To cap it all off, the dive store would not pay for the damage that they had done, saying that it was previous service center’s fault for over tightening the balance plug in the first place.
These pictures show a dried up juvenile eel I found inside an octopus sent in for service. Worst smell I've ever encountered working in dive, which is saying something. You're much better off getting your anago in a good restaurant!
This S600 came in missing the adjustment knob retainer clip (the red piece). The inlet tube (silver) and adj. knob assembly (black) mate inside the 2nd stage and this red clip holds the knob asssembly in place in the housing (second photo) because the inlet tube is literally spring-loaded to do what you see in the third photo; push the knob assembly out of the housing, which would instantly flood the 2nd stage and turn your air supply into a seawater straw. Friction saved the day!
