Regulator Recall from Oceanic and Aeris

The two dive gear manufacturers are recalling more than 6,000 regulator first stages manufactured in the U.S. and in Taiwan, due to reports of uncontrolled air flow to the second stage. Oceanic is recalling FDX-10 and CDX-5 first stages and Aeris is recalling its AT400-type first stages.

Fault lies with a specific batch of high pressure seats, an internal component that mechanically seals air between the first-stage and the intermediate-pressure second-stage. They were made with material that can deteriorate and fail to seal, causing an uncontrollable freeflow.

Two separate divers had malfunctioning regulators either before or during dives, but lived to report the problem. Simultaneously, six dealers found the problem when testing the regulators’ pressure before selling to customers. Ron Landon, customer service manager for Oceanic and Aeris, said all the reports came in within just two weeks this past November. The recall was issued in December.

The faulty regulators were on sale between May 1 and November 15, 2006. But Oceanic’s other DX series First Stages (CDX, DXi, DX3, DX4 and TDX5) and Aeris’s other diaphragm-type first stages that were serviced between May 1, 2006 and October 22, 2007 may also be affected. To see whether your regulator is one of them, go to status pages set up by Oceanic (www.oceanicworldwide.com/dxretrofit/oceanic) and Aeris (www.oceanicworldwide.com/dxretrofit/aeris) and enter the regulator’s serial number. You can also call each company’s recall helpline -- Oceanic is (888) 636-9390 and Aeris is (888) 854-4960.