Adjusting The 2nd Stage - Scuba Tech Tips: S05E14 

I'm a gift!!!! I'd like to show this to my wife and kids if you don't mind. Maybe I'll get a little more respect from them. Thanks for watching. Alec

I mostly second that !!!👌👌👌

If I can help in any way, even the simplest thing, I'm happy. I'm not trying to be an expert. Just trying to help divers enjoy this amazing sport. Thanks for watching. Alec

That's the point Joshua. Information is power. If you know how something is done, or supposed to be done, you have power. I have not suggested that divers do their own service - just the opposite. But there is no harm in divers understanding how it's done!! Thanks for your support. Alec

Thanks Elmar, glad you like these. Alec

Thanks Chris. Alec

Welcome back. We need more 'vintage' divers like you. Old guys with experience and common sense. Scuba is one of the safest modern sports. In 60 years of diving I've seen very few problems that couldn't be traced to human error and the biggest mistake was usually immaturity - cockiness we used to call it. I had my share of it but managed to survive. Now I'd like to help others do the same - enjoy wonderful underwater experiences - safely. Thanks for watching. Alec

You're very welcome!

"Well now off to Egypt to dive and lick sun" he says. Like it's nothing special, like I'm going to lunch now!!! Wow! Egypt is very special. Diana and I spent 2 weeks there a few years back - a week diving and a week exploring. Wonderful memories. Have fun. Be careful. Alec

5th time there, this time for 2 weeks. Planning to dive the SS Thistlegorm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Thistlegorm - Said to be the best wreck around, was it that wreck? At least that's what my dive buddy says and he would know (Six-time world champion in underwater photography) :) Anyway, of course, I am looking forward to it, sadly my wife does not dive, so there will be an equal amount of snorkelling. Kinda find that interesting too :)

Thanks Nicolas. I hope they are useful to you and your new divers. Alec

Cool, thanks for watching P-H. A

My pleasure!

I owned and operated many dive shops. No subject was kept secret. Divers have the right to ask any question that helps them make informed decisions and makes them comfortable with a purchase. A

Glad I could help Doug.

You bet! Thanks for watching Captain

All it takes is a bit of ingenuity, some hose and fittings most of which is at Home Depot or Harbor Freight. Divers even use air to drill underwater! Alec

I'm so glad I was some help. That's why Kevin and I work so hard to make these videos - in the hopes that someone benefits. Well, I work. Kevin just holds the camera, sets up the lights, takes the thumbnail picture, edits the video and posts it. I have to stand up there and talk, sometimes for minutes at a time!!! Anyway, thanks for letting us know our efforts are worthwhile. Alec

You're very welcome Lupus and good to know your still diving in chilly CA waters. A

I'm glad it helped Ed. Take care. Alec

That is awesome Keri. Glad to know these tips really do save divers money and hassles. Thanks for sharing and safe diving.

Always glad to know these help divers understand the equipment they use but don't fully understand why. Safe diving. Alec

Glad it helped!

Probably afraid I'd take his job! Anyway, thanks. It's just me. No acting. We'll have to meet. Alec

dally, I couldn't agree more. I'm in the process of watching every single one of his videos.

I'm glad the video helped Daniel. The Hollis is a fine reg. Good luck. Alec

You are very welcome and thanks for watching. A

Glad it helped!

Glad you like it. A

Glad you enjoyed it Rick. More coming. These technical episodes seem popular. Alec

Thank Mike. Been a long, cold winter up here. Alec

Thanks for watching Jeric. Alec

Thanks for watching Jason. Have fun. Alec

Hope this helped solve it. Alec

You're very welcome Mixa. A

My pleasure! A

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter and our edification, thank you again!

Glad it helped

You are welcome!

I'm great thanks Mike. Kevin is Kevin. Full summer there yet - green trees, mosquitoes, flowers in the desert? Spring is the best time of the year in the desert - other than Pronghorn season of course. Alec

Alec Peirce Scuba Eh hmm! (Peter clears his throat) 😂

Right. Peter. Sorry. Thought it was Mike from Montana. So, springtime yet? As it happens, spring is the best time in England too. Am I right?? Especially in Kent, my ancestral home. Sorry. 😳 Alec

No problem Alec, it's not easy as my username doesn't reflect my actual name, that is until I decide what I'm going to do with the channel. I think spring has launched into summer very quickly, we're seeing 30˚c in the shade and they're predicting it will be as hot as the summer of '76 (certainly hottest June in 20 years so far), which I fondly remember as a little boy of around 3'n'half years old. I love it bright and sunny, unlike most brits i don't complain either "oh its too hot, too humid, too cold, too rainy) you get the idea. How do the seasons work over the CA, does spring come earlier or later? PS, I will reply to the pm. Much love from England

We're still in late spring 60 degrees and wet today. We've had a couple of 80s but few. I don't like heat. 70 is about perfect. Maybe we won't go the England this year. Ta Ta Alec

Take the Equipment Specialist certification then a manufacturers course (ie. Sherwood SR2) to appreciate how everything fits together. Thanks for watching. Alec

Alec Peirce Scuba yeah I'll look into that. Brings back alot of memories from hanging out with mum at the shop and stuff. 🙂

Hi Rob. Check out this video "Scuba Tech Tips: Servicing Your Inflator Hose - S06E05". It covers servicing the LPI. Let me know what you think of it after watching. Take care. Alec

Hi Alec, thanks for your prompt reply . . . I had already watched your inflator hose Tech tips video and as a result bought a pack of Schrader valves and tool to change them, so thanks again for that, but that video only addresses servicing the inflator hose, whereas, I was interested in servicing the power inflator unit on the end of the large corrugated hose on the BCD. So have you done, or if not, could you perhaps look at doing one on that ? Thanks Alec.

Yep. We can do that. Take care. Alec

Not about new cameras, no. I did one for my playlist Vintage Scuba. We'll look into that for you. Alec

Glad it was helpful!

My pleasure!

Thanks very much for watching and for your kind comments. Alec

Thank you 👍 A

Not dumb at all. if you are quite mechanical and have the time, parts and tools, fixing your own reg is certainly possible. Safe? That's for you to decide. I often ask, how comfortable are you with your next door neighbor's kid, a nice boy and really handy with tools, fixing your brakes just before you start on a cross country trip with the family. If that doesn't bother you in the least, fix your own reg. Take care. Alec

Thanks Dweeb. Alec

Each make has unique requirement, some do, others don't. Thats why following the manual for every service is key. I don't go my memory, just by their book. Glad you're getting into service guy. Good luck. Alec

Thanks Robo. Alec

Perfectly right Vic. I did mention that somewhere but maybe not enough. Thanks. Alec

Not sure about the best. Right up there maybe. Thanks croft. Alec

Thanks for watching. Alec

Hopefully that solves the problem. Often a slow leak at the 2nd is an indication the 1st isn't feeling good. Take care. Alec

Yes, this I know. IE, too much intermediate pressure coming from the first stage blows open the second. But these first stages are relatively new/little used. I have a MK25 Evo with 30 dives on it and a MK2 Evo with 50 dives on a stage bottle with it. Both second stages are 3- year- old R195.

As you suggest, I think the second stage is too sensitive. Check that the IP (intermediate pressure) is correct. Then re-adjust the second stage. Let me know how you make out. The old DACOR regs are among my favourite. Alec

Alec Peirce Scuba, he tightened up the screw a bit and it works like a charm. Thanks so much

Thanks for the advice both of my Dacor regs are now better tuned!

You're good to dive. Alec

Frankenstein regs? Those sound scary. When tuned try a pool dive first to check its performance before a dive. Stay safe.

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter yeah they can be scary.. I pretty much carried a few back ups, just incase something went bad. I never had anything not work, but there could always be a first time.

Thanks for watching XY. Alec

I'm assuming that you're referring to the middle part of the DIN connection - the part that does NOT turn. That part absolutely should not be coming off. The reason the O-Ring was destroyed is that it was extruded partly into the gap and then crushed when you tried to tighten it. Your dealer, if he's a dealer for that brand, will have the correct torque to install it. NO GREASE. In fact, he should clean the threads with acetone or something equally deadly to you (it dissipates almost instantly). Then it is fitted with a new o-ring and carefully threaded in. I suggest he hold it upside down so he's threading it up into the reg. That way the 0-ring won't dislodge. When finger tight, grasp it in a regulator holder and torque it properly - no more and no less!! Make sure you are using the exact proper size Allen key. It's made of brass and can easily strip. If you still have a problem then contact the manufacturer directly. Ask for technical services and explain it. i pretty much guarantee they'll jump to take care of it. By now the internal thread of the reg body could be damaged. In that case, nothing you do will work but the manufacturer will take care of it. I would do this for you but few dealers go that extra mile. Do it yourself. Let me know what happens. Alec

Excellent! Thanks for the info. I'll get my regulator back tomorrow and I'll use it this weekend. If it ever happen again then I'll contact Apex directly. Really nice tip! I've seen tons of different home made solution online. Some say to use loctite, some teflon tape. For sure, I ain't touching it! I brought it to my dive store I only tork it at the dive site to save my dive. I'll let you know if that happens again. So from that I also note that I should never use a tool to un-mount my DIN regulator from a tank. It's should always be finger thigh and hand power to remove. Right?

Right!! The DIN, like the yoke, is hand tight only on the valve. The O-Ring insures that it seals and once sealed under pressure, it won't leak or fall off - assuming there's no other problem. There are very, very few places where an adhesive like LocTite is recommended by the manufacturer. If the DIN adapter is properly installed on your reg you simply don't need it. That is one place where the use of a thread locker might be OK though. It's not in the air stream. Try to get it done properly. Explain the issue to your LDS serviceman and hopefully he's up to the task. It's not rocket science. It just takes knowledge and care and proper tools. Alec

You are very welcome. A

Yep! Lots of thoughts. If you think it will benefit your diving, go for it. Taking a short (Intro?) course on Sidemount is a good idea to try it. It seems that Sidemount divers fall into 2 groups. Those that take full advantage of the concept, practice the skills and use it a lot or all the time, and those who have tried it but use it halfheartedly and more for show than need. Done properly it's completely safe - I wouldn't say safer! Done properly it's not much more complicated. Again, if it will benefit your diving, the extra complexity is worthwhile. Alec

Thanks for watching. Alec

It sounds as though it's adjusted perfectly. When you remove it from your mouth underwater, always tilt the mouthpiece down. Problem solved. There's a simple explanation for that phenomena but the only solution is as I've suggested or made it harder to breathe. Alec

Scuba gear is pretty compatible. That makes it easy to make your own set-up. Alec

Poseidon makes great regulators. They've only had 1 dog - the 5000. It didn't last long. The 300 Cyklon is still in use and still very popular. Now, to be fair, some of that popularity is because that for many years Poseidon was the only manufacturer that made a really good quality, high performance regulator. Now there are lots. So you simply don't see Poseidon in dive stores as much any more, at least not in North America. Not because they're not good - because there are lots of USA brands that are as good. About your IP question, it really doesn't matter what the IP is - 125 to 160 is the normal range and most are 125 to 145. And it definately doesn't matter what the IP is with relation to the depth you dive. So the fact that Poseidon is at the high end, 160 psi, is neither a benefit nor disadvantage. It's just what Poseidon engineers have designed the first stage to work at. If a dive store tells you that a regulator is a good choice because the IP is higher than others, leave that store before you get hurt!! You need to understand that the IP is measured at sea level - or as close as possible. Let's say at the surface. If it were possible to measure the IP at depth (it is but it's difficult), you would discover that the IP is always the sum of the IP at the surface (say 160 for your reg) + the ambient pressure. That is, if the surface IP is 160 psi, the IP at 30' would be 160 + 14.7 = 174.7 psi. At 100' the IP would be 160 + 58.8 = 218.8 psi. You see, the IP must always equal surface IP pressure PLUS ambient pressure. That ensures that the relationship between the first stage and the second stage is constant. Thus you always get the same breathing effort. Now some smart guy is going to ask, "How come the reg doesn't start to free flow as you go deeper? The IP is increasing and should start a free flow." Because the increased pressure from depth is also acting on the second stage and is added to the 2nd spring pressure that is balancing the IP. Hah! Now you see. And, Chirana, you also see that having an IP of 160 is just a fluke of design and gives you no advantage over any other regulator, in that respect anyway. I hope that's clear. Alec

Alec Peirce Scuba ohhh. it is very clear now.... a lot more clearer . thanks and keep up the vids Alec

I get that a lot. Loved Norm, a great comedian. A

Hello from Canada. Thanks for watching. A

Yes Michael. Some did. Healthways, Sherwood, DACOR and Scubapro for sure that I know of. Many 2nd stage seats are now 'floating' so when the air is off , the pressure on the seat is off too. I don't think it is, or even was, a big deal. I had a video about this quite a while ago. Maybe someone remembers and can recall it. Alec

Full Face Masks used to be quite common. There were maybe 5 companies that made them. Today there;'s only a couple and they are the same really. They are very expensive and the only advantage they offer is good communication. That means both divers need one. I suppose being able to chew gum or smoke might be an advantage. They're also hard to clear and hard to equalize. Kinda' like Dry Suits - you spend a lot of money to get a small advantage and usually end up adding several problems too. Alec

Good observation. Each reg is different. Some have a nut that can be held while you loosen the lock nut. But some regs, USDs regs, for instance, have the body nut completely embedded in the plastic body so it can't be held by a wrench. In these cases, you must be VERRY careful to not tighten or loosen too hard. If that nut spins in the body, you'll have to get a new 2nd. Alec

I can do that. Air 2 adjusts very easily but it is different. Keep watching. Kevin - adjusting a Scubapro Air 2. Alec

Added to your ideas list.

You are quite right. One would always adjust the IP to manufacturers specifications first. The you set the 2nd stage for best breathing. There's an assumption the second stage is the same brand as the first but it really doesn't matter. The 2nd is set to the IP of the 1st regardless of brand. Thanks for watching. Alec

White Stag is tough. It was never a big seller so there are few around to get parts from and no one has new parts of course. Take the exhaust valve to your LDS, preferably a couple of different stores, and ask them to try and match it with valves from their modern service kits.. The diameter of the valve is the most important part. It can be very slightly smaller but can't be any bigger. If the stem is bigger on the original, so is the hole. You may have to silicon it into place. The DACOR 800 is a great regulator. I used one for years and loved it. That you can find easily used. New parts are another story. If you get stuck, let me know. I have a source of NOS. Alec

Welcome M.C.

Sounds like it needs a little PM service (Percussion Maintenance). Assuming the cap and demand lever are for the same unit, it may have been bent outwards somehow. To clarify, there should be no free flow with the cap secured so your local service pro can fix it quick and while open, adjust the 2nd stage breathing effort to be perfect too. I don't advise divers to self service parts, like bending the demand lever, as if bent to sharply, can snap off underwater making the purge button fail when pressed. Hope this helps my friend and good luck.

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter Thanks ... I'll get it serviced by a pro.

Watch my playlist on this channel "Vintage Scuba". You can learn everything about double hose regulators that vent bubbles behind your head. A

Manufacturers have different recommendations for this issue. You should try to check the service manual for your reg. Most will suggest setting the knob to it's lowest setting (light spring pressure) before making the internal adjustment. Since the knob is most commonly used to stop a slight freeflow this makes sense. The knob can only increase the spring pressure, stopping any freeflow. Personally, I set the manual adjustment for 1/2 way, then set the breathing resistance to be as light as possible without freeflow. That way you can slightly increase or decrease the spring pressure using the knob as you need to. Hope this helps. Alec

The Omega is one of the few regulators that is different (I did mention that!). It will free flow very easily if you don't handle it right. On the other hand, it's a beautiful breathing reg. If it free flows regardless of what you do, only a serviceman can fix it. Alec

That is a very specific question and I don't give out actual service manual procedures (one of the rules to being a brand service pro). Google or Scubapro can be searched but a pro will do it right and maybe let you watch, if you ask nice. Take care Ronald.

If the seat in the 2nd gets dirty or drys out, it will leak even if the 1st is ok. But generally, if the 2nd is leaking, it's a problem with the 1st. Alec

Glad you liked it!

I used to think they were a good idea. They sure looked good and the sales hype sounded wonderful. But then I tried one!!!! The problem is that the swivel is too loose so it keeps swiveling down. That is, when you pick up your regulator 2nd stage and bring it to your mouth, you expect it to be at the right angle with the mouthpiece facing into your teeth. Just open your mouth and stick it in. This should happen even if you grab the hose instead of the actual body. But with the swivel, particularly if you lift the reg by the hose, the mouthpiece flops down at a weird angle, sometimes even facing away from you. There is no control at all. You MUST grab the body and turn it to face into your mouth. It almost becomes a 2-handed operation. In an emergency, it could be a problem. Otherwise its just a nuisance - a nuisance that you paid extra for! These days, I suggest divers simple get flex hoses to eliminate jaw fatigue or reg body weight. They are probably cheaper than 360s, don't require service and don't create deployment problems. This is one of those things that isn't apparent until you try it. Some may like it but for me, when you weigh the cost and service required annually, the benefit simply isn't there. Take care. Alec

Free flow is affected by the temperature drop with depth. Typical cold water dives in summer at Tobermorry, Ontario Canada can be 65F on the surface dropping to 35-40F at 100 ft or inside a wreck. As water temperature drops the risk of a free flow increases. Watch my videos on cold water environment kits for 1st stages and what causes free flows for more information. A