simple gauge questions

I just ordered my first set of regs/octo/bcd Scubapro. Picking it up from my LDS tomorrow. Excited! 63 dives but all on rentals, so know very little about gear ownership. Any info would be helpful.



A few questions:

This purchase is getting expensive! I have the opportunity to save a little bit of $$ by buying a used pressure gauge from the LDS. Is it worth saving the $55. Are used gauges reliable? Why would a dive shop sell used gear?


I do have a computer, but feel it is good to have a depth gauge as a back up. Do you agree?

Is it important to use SP gauges with a SP reg?

Thanks.

Dive shops will sell used gear if they turn over their rental gear periodically. That way they sell their rentals while they're still decent and worth something and have rental gear that isn't old and crappy (which happens many places.) Or maybe they are selling it for someone and taking a cut. If the used gauge is in good shape and works and they give you some kind of shop warranty, don't see a problem. All gear is used once you've used it! Whether they are giving you a good deal on this particular gauge I have no idea.

I don't think a backup depth gauge is important for your typical rec diving. Unlike a pressure gauge, you can always look at your buddies depth gauge in the unlikely event you needed to.

There's no need for the brand of gauge to match anything. I used to have SP regs and never had SP gauges.

Nothing wrong with used gauges, if they are not abused they will last for many years. All our gauges are used....the only thing different is who used them last.
Why not sell used gear, they most likely rented it for years, made money off the rental and are still selling it for almost what they paid for it.

Reguardless of what other instruments I have, a mech pressure gauge is going to be on my reg. They are simple, almost never fail and if they do it's obvious they have failed if you pay attention at all.

herman:

Reguardless of what other instruments I have, a mech pressure gauge is going to be on my reg. They are simple, almost never fail and if they do it's obvious they have failed if you pay attention at all.

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Humm, what is a "mechanical gauge" are there different types of gauges?

Mech gauge i am assuming he means analog as apposed to digital.

The only dive equipment failures for me have been SPGs. I've had two high pressure gauge hoses fail, and one gauge blow right off the hose. That last one was a fairly new Aqalung gauge, around 1978. If a wetsuit fails, it springs a leak. When the pressure gage fails, kaboom.

That's 3,500 psi in a rubber hose. The one I have now I bought used, and the replacement hose cost $30. If I had to do it again, I'd buy a new one.

Good luck with it.

kathydeee:

This purchase is getting expensive! I have the opportunity to save a little bit of $$ by buying a used pressure gauge from the LDS. Is it worth saving the $55. Are used gauges reliable? Why would a dive shop sell used gear?


I do have a computer, but feel it is good to have a depth gauge as a back up. Do you agree?

Is it important to use SP gauges with a SP reg?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

If you're getting your stuff from the LDS, you can go there, and stick the used SPG you're considering onto a tank and take a reading. Then have them hook the tank up to the fill whip and read the pressure from their compressor. If you do that with a full and a near-empty tank, you'll have a good idea of whether or not the used gauge is accurate. If it is, go ahead and save that money. I got nearly all of my gear used, and IMO because of the extreme cost savings, it's the only way to go.