used equipment?

is it safe to buy used bcd's i bought one from a friend who assured me it was perfectly safe. between the class, and all the other gear, man i am busted for a little while at least, and the bcd i want was rather pricey, and in an effort to not just settle for what i could afford, i figured i would take a used one, and save for a better one...i got a us divers cousteau, for $60, good ? bad?

I would have a equipment tech at a shop give it a once over just to be sure, but for the most part scuba equipment is pretty tough. I have an old BC from about 82 or 83 that looks a little rough around the edges but is fine to dive, the reg that went with it is still my back up reg. Fact is, we all dive "used" equipment, the only real difference is just who used it last. Have it checked and if it's ok, dive it. Diving it for a while will give you the time and experience to to help you better decide what equipment you really want to buy.

I believe most new divers should start with a used BC. It gets you started, saves a bunch of $$, and gives you a chance to look around & get some experience before you realize you really want a BP & wing (or something other than what you just spend $300+ for). Dive with that BC for a year or so & it will still be worth $60.

In fact, the only reason for not doing the same thing with regulators is the bargains are usually not that good when compared to online discounters. But some good buys do show up occasionally on places like ebay on top of the line regs from 10 years ago.

Happy shopping.

I would think as long as you know the guy who had it and are comfortable that it was well maintained I would think that there would be no problems with it. I do not think there is a problem with used gear as long as it is well maintained and you know who you are buying it from. Do not think I would ever buy anything from some one I did not know. i would also make sure you are comfortable using it and not just buying it for the sake of having it. (MHO)