48,500 Regulators Recalled/Scuba pro

[Michelle Crowe]

Gentlemen,
I do not know if this spurred the scuba pro discussion  a week and a half a go, but here it is again... I received this in my internet mail yesterday.
The recall is for Scuba Pro regs that were manufactured between 1996 and 2001.
I have also attached the US government's link at the bottom of the recall and it contains photos as well.

Safe travels to all of you.

m.

_____________________________

For Immediate Release November 2, 2006
SCUBA-PRO RECALL

Danger in over 48,500 Scubapro MK20 First Stages:

In early October, Scubapro and the U.S. Consumer

Product Safety Commission issued a recall of Scubapro

MK20 first stage regulators. If someone servicing the

regulator over-tightens the yoke or DIN retainer, it could

cause a stress crack that might ultimately interrupt air

supply. Divers should stop using the regulators and take

them to any Scubapro dealer, where, for no charge, the

retainer will be modified to prohibit over-tightening. This

recall comes more than 16 months after Undercurrent

first reported the problem. For information:

[MNDiver]

I wonder who owns Undercurrent or what their agenda is.  It is strange timing that they do an e-mail release of this information right before DEMA.  Especially since this is old information.  This info was posted months ago at Scubapro dealers and was released by CPSC over a month ago.  Particularly when you go to their webpage and read the sensationalized title of their "news" release. 

Just my 2 cents.....

[eelpout]

Recalls aren't new in the diving industry. In the mid-80's US Divers (Now Aqualung) had a recall on all their Diaphragm regulators (90% of their reg line) for the replacement of their High Pressure seats. They now have serial numbers on their HP seats so they can have better quality control

In the mid 80's Dacor had a recall on their XL 2nd stages because some of their levers would fall apart. This one was spooky because a broken lever would not allow the regulator to breath at all. Quality control problem.

In the case of the MK20, the first rumble of a problem came from the NOAA ( a government entity) more than a year ago. I repair a number pf MK20 regs every year. I personally have not seen any cracks on the regs that come through my repair bench. I dove a MK 20s  till I updated to a MK25s for ease of LP adjustment, and the anti-freeze cap.

If you have a MK 20 , go to your SP dealer and it takes less than 15 minutes to install the new part and do a leak check.  If your reg needs it's annual the tech will update it automatically .

Jim

[Mark Y]

Well, how ever it gets to my attention, I don't care.  I was notified about the recall late yesterday (from the dive shop that I purchased it from).