PICTURE HEAVY. New Diver that scored big on craigslist. Help ID. Scubapro.

[scubastingray]

Hey guys,
I've been a lurker for a few months and just registered to ask your opinion.
I recently got certified by PADI's OW cert course, and am very excited to start diving on my own. I live in Cleveland currently, but have family in Jacksonville, FL, who have a boat that we've taken to the keys and other dive locations to snorkel before. With that said, I know I'll be diving probably 20x a year give or take.



I decided immediately that I'd rather have my own regulator set and BCD rather than relying on dive shops. Additionally, I figured it'd be nice to have my gear if we'll be taking a family member's boat out.
I figure I'll do advanced this summer, and most of my dives will be on the shallower end maxing at 80 feet or so. Most of the reefs I've frequented in the past are much more shallow. For reference, the next dive trip I'm planning has 3 sites with max depths around 40'. Hardly extreme for now, but I'll probably expand into deeper waters later. I additionally plan on doing some quarry and lake diving, which is a bit colder and likely a bit deeper.

With that said, I've started to amass gear, most of which I'm sure of the quality, but I had a big score today!

First, the things I'm sure about and own:

Mares x3 Plana Avanti Fins
Scuba Max MK-128 Mali Mask
Neo Sport 5mm Booties
3mm Hyperflex longsuit
3mm o'neil shorty
Dry Snorkel
Mares Puck computer (just ordered from leisure pro).

Things I got for $50 on CL today: Pretty old gear, but a great deal I think.

Farallon 1/4" 2 piece farmer john wetsuit with hood
LuxFer 80 AL (will have to get it hydro'd. know a place that will do so for $19). it's Yoke
ScubaPro Wings&Backplate
Scubapro 1st stage regulator
Dacor 2nd stage regulators
Farallon gauges and a compass
an extra tank valve.

Here are the photos:
Scuba Gear - Imgur

With all that said, I am clueless to the quality of this gear.
I had planned on buying a cheap bcd vest style, getting some budget regs, and diving until I needed something better when I got advanced enough. This threw a wrench in that plan.

The BP/W: What model is it? What's it worth? It holds air, and seems like it would still function. Is there anything I should do to service it? Is anything else needed to run this (besides a weight belt)? I used a vest/jacket style with my previous dives, but it seems switching to BP/W is a common suggestion.

The Regulators: I thought the first stage was a decor reg, but it has a scuba pro logo. What model is it? Is it worth getting it serviced and using it for my primary reg? I was considering setting up a pony bottle under the boat at 15ft for safety. I hooked everything up to the tank, and only one of the secondaries is free flowing (a tiny amount), which leads me to believe I'm in luck with it. Will this first stage hold up to cold water?

As I mentioned, one of the second stages is free flowing slightly. I know decor is out of business now, and that service kits are hard to come by. My understanding was that the first stages were the hardest to find, and that the second stages were very simple to service and repair. Is it worth having these serviced? What would the cost be?

The gauges: Anything I should worry about? I have the computer, so the air is the only thing I really care about. It seems to work, but I haven't verified its accuracy. Is it worth getting new ones or should I run these?

The tank: I can get it hydro'd for $19. Anything else I should do with it if it passes? I hadn't planned on buying one, but the guy threw it on, so what the heck.

The extra tank valve: What is this worth? I don't plan on having multiple tanks (hell i didn't plan on one), so what could I get for it? is it worth keeping around for later?


For overall strategies I could: use this gear and service if that's the best idea, but I still have about $500 I had planned on using on the BCD/regs/gauges (budget stuff obviously). Should I ditch the second stages and get some medium range stuff? Should I ditch the regs all together, or use it for the pony set up?

I am pretty mechanically inclined. I've been working on cars for damn near 10 years. I studied Mechanical Engineering for a bit, and my brother is a mechanical engineer. I think I could probably service these second stage regs without too much trouble. If they do fail, they'll just give too much air which isn't a death sentence with the type of diving I'm doing (hell at this depth a CESA won't hurt either).

Hell, even just some ID's on the gear would be helpful. Obviously one of the Dacor's is a Pacer XL.


TL;DR: I found some gear cheap, what is good, what is junk?

---------- Post added October 31st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ----------

Okay I hung out in the chat for a bit, and it seems the tank should be scrapped due to age.

The first stage is a MK 5, which is well regarded. I'll call about the service price for it.

I found the BCD on ebay, and they took much better photos than I did with my phone's camera earlier:

RARE Scubapro Classic Professional Horseshoe BCD Scuba Buoyancy Compensator | eBay

That one had a broken power inflator. Mine does not from my testing, so I could probably get $50-80 for it.

 

[diversteve]

A further problem is finding someone that can service both brands of regulator - plus have the parts. Reg-Tech in Chicago might be able to. Welcome to REG-TECH. Your one location for all your Scuba Regulator Repair needs. REG-TECH is an authourized repair center for the following manufacures, scubapro, tusa, atomic, dacor, poseidon, apex, zeagle, oceanic, beuchat, cressi, oms, ocean mana

fwiw, I had a Dacor Pacer XL similar to that but maybe a slightly newer model - and those exact Farallon gauges - in 1981...Farallon quit making gear several decades ago also. IIRC mine was a model 900 - first stage designation - I never knew the 2nd stage model # - if there was one. The other 2nd you have with the snaps on it was so you could snap it in place near your mouth. I forget exactly how that worked. I think that one is older than the XL.

The valve is a j-valve, the lever on the side was so you could flip it down for an extra air reserve - some of those pre-date the use of pressure gauges. Probably late 70's/early 80's or earlier vintage also. There would've been a rod that ran down alongside the tank that you pushed up when needed. No one except maybe vintage divers use those anymore. Makes a nice paperweight.

What you're calling a Backplate/Wing isn't really correct. That style would be called a horsecollar BC since the backplate part is plastic and merely used to support the tank and give the wing a place to mount. With it you'll need a weightbelt.

A modern BP/W as discussed here is a metal plate which in addition to supporting the tank better also adds fixed weight to the system. The reason yours has straps is that they all did at that time, it's only more recently that jackets became more prevalent. Modern bp/w designs have gone back to straps to reduce the buoyancy of the whole system - jackets and padding float and require weight to compensate.

What goes around comes around, my first BC in 1981 had a similar hard plastic blackplate and a horsecollar wing. Weights were steel shot that was integrated into the plastic backplate. If you ever had to drop weight, you dropped 20+ lbs. of steel shot all over the reef. I never did.

Does it hold air? Try filling it completely full and leave it for 24hrs. to test for slow leaks. Sometimes submerging it in a tub works also to detect pinhole leaks. A bladder that old is suspect - they tend to deteriorate over the years. Often near where the inflator joins the bladder.

 

[mangoconchile]

looks like a pile of junk to me.

 

[herman]

IF the first is a MK-5 you are good there, the MK-5 is as good as any currently made reg....for some reason that one just does not look right to me, maybe its a Tusa with a SP screw..or just a bad photo. There were/are a lot of clones made of the MK-5. The seconds are not a problem, while Dacor has been OFB for years those seconds use industry standard service parts so they are no trouble to service....finding someone who is willing to do the work is going to be your major issue with those. DIY of both the first and second stage is likely your best bet. If you can rebuild carbs, you can do regs. The XL ones are actually good breathing regs and the other one
Based on the 92 second (3rd???) hydro stamp the tank is pre 90 so getting it filled in Fla is difficult, it is servicable IF properly inspected but odds are your shop will not fill it...it's scrap.
The BC is an early BP/wing style and not a horse collar. Horse collars are seperate from the tank back pack, the one you have is attached to the BP. Horse collars are worn around the neck with most of the floatation on the front, yours is attached to the BP with all the floatation in the rear, it is one of the early Bp/wing styles that was on the market for a short time. Assuming it holds air and is otherwise servicable, it will work as well and any shinny new one with Hs on it.

 

[scubastingray]

Hey guys. Thanks for the responses. I filled the BPW up with air last night, and we'll see how it holds.

As far as the regulator, here is an ebay listing with much better photos that looks just like mine:
Scuba Diving Regulator Scubapro MK5 Dive First 1st Stage Pro Standard Reg Mark 5 | eBay

The guy said he relisted because it was actually an mk 10? I can't seem to find any support for that though, as the mk5s look more like it. Mine looks exactly like that (slightly different dust cover though).

Now comes the tough decision of servicing or buying new toys.

Would the MK10 be okay for colder waters in the mid 40s?

edit: where's the best place to order the service parts/manuals if i go that route?

 

[herman]

That (and yours) is def not a MK-10. The MK-10 has the ambient holes in the main body, the MK-5 has them in in the mid section (like yours). The ebay listing has the a varient of the mid section with smaller ambient holes but that does not make it a MK-10.
You can find service and parts manuals for all the regs you have at Vintage Double Hose. Look in the "Manuals and Catalog" section. Bryan has aftermarket parts for both the MK-5 and the Dacor seconds, although you will need to order generic parts as opposed to ones "for" the Dacor. Odds are all they need are the LP seat and maybe the exhaust valves, both of which VDH sells.

 

[rhwestfall]

What you have in regard to regs is not "bad". You will have stiff resistance from most shops because of the age and their economic gain in selling you new gear as well as their inability to source OEM parts from. As said, parts are available, and there are people who will service it if you do your homework (find an old, small scale shop, with a tech the age of your grandfather), or start gathering books and you-tube videos, and go visit the DIY section here...

As mentioned, VDH is an excellent resource.

 

[diversteve]

If you want to work on the regs - this is a good starting point: SCUBA REGULATOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR by Vance Harlow

 

[lamarpaulski]

As a new diver....I wouldn't risk my life on antique reg and spg unless I was expert at rehabbing those items or was original owner...you can get new for reasonable costs. ESP as primary rig...solo diving ? Relatively new to diving ? You want dependable for your life support. If SPG fails that alone could kill you. Can't shade tree mechanic at 80 ft and low on air. Murphy is a diver. ESA ought to be last resort not a regular part of diving. By all means learn to fix old gear and maybe get into the antique Scuba sub culture if it turns you on but at 0 to 24 dives don't use ancient gear except in swimming pool.

 

[rhwestfall]

As a new diver....I wouldn't risk my life on antique reg and spg unless I was expert at rehabbing those items or was original owner...you can get new for reasonable costs. ESP as primary rig...solo diving ? Relatively new to diving ? You want dependable for your life support. If SPG fails that alone could kill you. Can't shade tree mechanic at 80 ft and low on air. Murphy is a diver. ESA ought to be last resort not a regular part of diving. By all means learn to fix old gear and maybe get into the antique Scuba sub culture if it turns you on but at 0 to 24 dives don't use ancient gear except in swimming pool.

you just lost a lot of creditibility........