The useful life of equipment

[Boogie711]

glad to see you've done extensive testing on the straps you sell boogie

Be careful. I admit nothing that your Department of Homeland Security may suspect me of.

 

[pipedope]

Regulators and helmets last a very long time with proper care.

Depending on the diving and jobs at hand some things don't last very long at all.

Doing dredging and pipe work in Florida I would often go through a pair of gloves in hours.

I put a lot of wear and tear on gear diving commercially and many things wear out in that service.
In sport diving I find that keeping the gear out of the sun as much as possible makes it last much longer.

 

[scubapro50]

In general I have found that scuba gear that has been well taken care of will last a lot longer than average. My 17 year old MK10 looks and breathes as well today as it did when I purchase it. Have schedual service done on it just like your car.(I'm the kind of guy that will drive a Ford truck 14 years and put 266,000 miles on in before trading it in) I kept a BC 19 years before purchasing a new one this year and sold my old one for $50 because it still looked great and has a few more years left in it. (decieded I wanted a back inflated model). SCUBAPRO JET FINS may out last anything else .... especially the "hard rubber" ones from the 60's ..... keep them clean and rub them down with Armol All to keep the rubber from drying out........ Purchase the best quality you can afford ....... example ..... Aqualung and Scubapro have been around so long because gereraly their stuff holds up over time it properly cared for. (and you can find service and parts just about anywhere in the world) Bad gear dies but won't go away (just check Ebay). Sportways, Healthways, White Stag, Nemrod, and Parkway are examples of gear that didn't hold up and you want to stay away from.

 

[Rick Inman]

Consumable Dive Equipment:

>Dive truck

>Luggage

>Credit Card

 

[mossym]

Be careful. I admit nothing that your Department of Homeland Security may suspect me of.

hey read my signature..i'm only a visitor in california!!

 

[David K]

SCUBAPRO JET FINS may out last anything else .... especially the "hard rubber" ones from the 60's ..... keep them clean and rub them down with Armol All to keep the rubber from drying out........

I haven't had good luck with the old style Jet Fins (i.e. SP logo with out lightening bolt), in the last year I've worn out two fins, each one develop a sizeable crack in the side of the fin. I am currently diving with one good fin & one cracked fin, I'm going to try a new pair & see if they last a little longer.

YMMV

David K

 

[jiveturkey]

Two, maybe three years:
hoses
drysuit underwear
lightbulbs
neoprene exposure wear

How often do you clean your underwear? ...uhh DS underwear, not the other kind. What happens as it wears? Does it just lose it's insulating probperties?

 

[Boogie711]

How often do you clean your underwear? ...uhh DS underwear, not the other kind. What happens as it wears? Does it just lose it's insulating probperties?

You can't wash thinsulate with detergent - it will ruin the insulating value. I wear polypro underneath.

If you're doing serious diving all year round, I know most guys have to get a new set for the cold stuff about every 2-3 years. It just isn't as warm anymore. It'll still be ok for the warmer stuff, but it's like any piece of clothing... you wear the same t-shirt every other day for 3 years and tell me what it looks like when you're done.

 

[_Bella_]

I don't see the compass wearing out, but I'll probably end up replacing the bungies on it.

I've recently had a suunto compass face crack that was on a bungee and we still don't know how it happened.

Often gear I've had broken or damaged has been other people not being as careful placing their equipment as I have been with mine. I.E. if I'm on a dive deck my stuff is neatly tucked into each other and some bozo comes and drops their whole tank on top of it.

Most disposable items I dive with are gloves, hoods, wetsuits, computer, and then booties.
I've replaced or upgraded computers more than any other piece of equipment.
I've upgraded my reg once in 10 years and my BC's twice but the old ones were in good working order.

 

[miketsp]

I still have my Spirotechnique wetsuit from 1969. I just had to change the zipper a few years ago as the zamac slider literally turned into powder. The neoprene is still good. Unfortunately I don't fit into it any more.
I still have some snorkels from 1967 but I prefer the newer valved versions.
I just threw away some masks from 1972 - newer silicone skirted masks seal much better. But then my Technisub mask from 1999 just fell to pieces on me while washing it so I'm now trying to decide what to get next.
I still have some fins in the cupboard from 1968 but my newer Avanti Quattros are much more efficient.
Older computers tend to be more aggressive than newer ones - and I prefer to be safe.