Low down on new vs used bcd and regs.

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Yellowdog

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Location
Maryland
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I am a new aow diver with 25+ dives. My 16 year old son and 14 year old daughter are also new aow divers. We are all very comfortable in the water swimming, surfing, boating, fishing and now diving. I purchased my own medium level equipment new after I was certified but waited to purchase gear for my kids to see if they would stay interested ( they have their own computers, masks, fins, wetsuits and snorkels ). After a year it looks like they are all in and I want to get them equipment they can get used to. My closest dive shop is telling me that I need to purchase new dive gear because of the safety and expense. If I purchase new then I have the lifetime free parts on recommended service. It seems to me that it might make more sense to purchase relatively new at 1/2 price and have everything serviced at full price once. Hopefully the first service will be safe until the next growth spurt. Any advice on buying dive gear new or used would be appreciated.
 
I don't have the knowledge to tell if a reg is "in good shape" or not. So if you don't have that knowledge or a buddy that can do that for you, I wouldn't go for 2nd hand on that. That being said, if the outside looks good, that they're in a bag etc etc, there shouldn't be major issues with it. Same thing if they're owned by someone who's pretty well-known. It's up to you about the "free parts for life", if there's 3 or 4 sets in the house, it might be cheaper in the end to do your own servicing once you have enough knowledge about your gear (and if you have time). If you go that way, the free parts don't apply, except if you happen to be a qualified technician.

For BCDs, I'd definitely buy 2nd hand. But I wouldn't buy a jacket. A BPW setup is something I'd trust on 2nd hand, not so much for a jacket bcd (I'm probably wrong on it though). Reason for this is that there's so little that can go wrong on a bpw, and if you're really scared you can buy a new inflator/dump valve and you're set. You can easily tell if any other part on it is "about to fail", and easily replace it yourself. Good thing about that setup is that it's 95% of "one size fits all" and you won't have to replace it once they grow by 10cm or 10kg, worst that could happen would be the plate becoming too small for instance, that'd require 100$ to replace high off, or you cut the harness a bit too small the first time, then you get a new one for 30$. Jackets can allow for growth as well, if you start in a M sized that you have to set to smallest, you won't set it to its biggest for a while, but if you happen to big a "big S" and end up being a "small M" 6 months later, you're f'd.

To me, a shop telling you you need to buy new gear is not a good thing...

Cheers
 
My closest dive shop is telling me that I need to purchase new dive gear because of the safety and expense. If I purchase new then I have the lifetime free parts on recommended service.

i.e. You should only buy cars new from dealers because second hand cars is always risky/dangerous and could cost more once you're done fixing it, also we have a parts guarantee if you come get our overpriced maintenance at our authorized shops at least once every year.

So they have a point, but it is also bordering on fear mongering. Knowing what I know now after accumulating some experience I'm fairly confident in my abilities to find good deals second hand and know if somethings wrong with them. When I was at ~20 dives? No way...so probably get a buddy to help give things a second check or brush up on your equipment knowledge. If there arent any leaks, inflators arent auto inflating/works, and regs breath fine there is unlikely any problem. Purchasing from other serious divers (not people that bought all their gear and then quit) would pretty much give a guarantee on it being good. I don't know anybody in the community who'd scam someone else but the world ain't perfect.
 
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If you decide to become a gear aficionado and buy used stuff on ebay/craigslist etc. that's fine.
But you have to know what you're buying and what prices are deals and what's not. Plus if you get into DIY services etc, you need to know what you can get parts for easily, maybe not so easily but still can get etc. But I would say that would be fine for you alone as a hobby but I would be a little reluctant for your kids.
Buying used gear then sending it to a dive shop to get checked out is kind of a conflict of interest for the dive shop, and at that point they have the power to swing you around by your chain a little. Forget about business and what they should do blah blah blah, I'm just saying, many of them see that as a spit in the face.
If you wanted gear at a discount then shop online and keep your service online.
Yes it's going to be more money at a dive shop, but there are advantages. For one, free parts for life programs for people who don't have a clue about servicing their own dive gear and don't ever care to. It's certainly not the most economical policy in the industry but it's reliable and guaranteed. And to build a relationship, camaraderie, friends, dive buddies, etc.
Yes there are many good deals on the internet and other places for used gear, many times for pennies on the dollar. But back to the dive shop, if you have to rely on them to check everything you buy used then you are still in the dark. To get the most out of used gear the buyer really needs to be a qualified tinkerer that can fix stuff and keep it working. If you are that person then buy away, there are many great deals out there!
 
I think one thing to consider is that the only really good deals you'll likely see on Craigslist or eBay are old junk. As Eric mentioned, some of the classic good regulators like the ScubaPro MK109 are only good if you know where to get the parts and can/want to DIY.

Anything that's just a few years old that sold for $4-500 new is still going to be $200 used. Add in $60-90 labor cost for servicing it, parts at $25+ and you may want to change the mouthpiece at $25 more so you're looking at over $300 for a used reg. that you still have to buy parts for.

Although parts are by far the cheaper part of a service, your dealer wants to sell you on new since he's got a built in labor charge of $80-100 every time you come back for "free" parts.

There's a lot of new $300 regs. A quick glance at Scubatoys.com shows they have a Zeagle Envoy or Oceanic Alpha 9 for that. DiveRite, Hog/Edge for less - it just depends what your local shop can service/get parts for.

My current mid-range suggestion is the Aqualung Titan. It's built on a 20 year old AL/US Divers design so parts are easily available. And likely will be for the next couple of decades. It's a solid mid range performer with free parts for life also. $365 everywhere. AL has one of the larger dealer networks world wide should you ever move, kids move on, or you travel to dive.

They also sell their ABS octo which I would own if I didn't already have one - it's bi-directional and vents to the side - overcoming the two problems with sharing a conventional octo. If the plan is actually to use one, it makes sense to get one that works. It's $150. A similar but less expensive option if you have a Mares and Aqualung dealer nearby is the Mares octo - also bidirectional - I think they go for $90? And have a swivel connector.

And I'm an Atomic Aquatics fanboy...lol
 
I bought new regs for my family, used wetsuits, Bcd's, tanks, 1 used computer, and lots of other stuff. Most of the used stuff I bought had less than 5 dives and was in new condition. Keep your eyes open and you will be able to pick up complete sets for about 1/3 of the new price. One BCD/tank/reg set was in new condition and the guy was tired of looking at it. Everything was name brand Scuba Pro, Aqualung, or Sherwood so I trusted the quality.

Also, local dive shops and larger dive shops with an online store will clearance out their rental equipments in December or January.

dive Right In has great deal of Hog/Edge regulators and gives you 10% loyalty points towards your next purchase, outfitting with 4 reg sets gave me enough to get my wife. A lavacore wetsuit for almost free.

leisure pro had the best prices on computers.

Aluminum tanks can be found for 50 to 80 and May require hydro, and almost all used tanks will require vis, but that relatively cheap depending on where you are. Factor it in to your price though. Steel tanks are a different story since they can rust. I would not buy steel used unless they were in current vis from a shop you trust.

I had had to put together 4 complete sets. I figure I saved at least two to three grand buying used, probably more and I have newer top of the line equipment. Fall/winter is the best time to buy but if your not in a hurry, great deals are out there. If you do buy used regs, make sure you can still get parts and have them serviced. ( I have a 2 sets of Dacor Extremes I'll sell you cheap!!!).... Dacor was bought out by Mares on the late 1990's and quit making service parts for them. Still, the sets I bought, I considered the regs "freebies" because of everything else I was getting at great deals.

good luck!

jay
 
Buying new is good if you have the money, but you still need to learn to evaluate gear yourself or you can pay too much for too little. As with any sale, used or new, the person selling is not necessarily the best person to listen too for accurate information.

Go check other dive shops as well, some will sell older rental gear as well as used equipment and be more than happy to keep it serviced for you. Learn as much as you can about used gear so you can evaluate it yourself and keep an eye on Craigslist and garage sales to check out whats available locally. Talk up SCUBA diving and let anyone you talk to know you are looking for gear, I've had folks give me gear that they wouldn't sell, but would pass on to a good home.

Old steel '72's are great tanks and they usually go pretty cheap even when in hydro and viz, real cheap when not. Aluminum tanks are fine but there are still a lot of old tanks being sold that you will not be able to get filled, so learn how to read tank markings and find out which AL tanks your shop/s won't fill. Since there are a gazillion of both tanks made, they are both plentiful and cheap. It's not 100 cuft of air, but you could have 2, 3, or more tanks instead of one.

Oh yeah, get your kids to participate in the search, they might be better at it than you in no time at all. It always amazes me what kids can pick up when they are interested.



Good Hunting

Bob
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“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”
― Winston Churchill
 
Just be careful buying used equipment. There is a reason somebody is selling it! I have now done a number of dives with people who bought used to save money and ended up with gear that was significantly getting in their way -- in one case, the gear didn't even work properly, and could have caused a major problem (BC autoinflating). If you know what you are looking for, and you know how to evaluate it AND how to fix minor problems, used gear can be a steal. But ending up with something you have to have repaired, or something that doesn't work, can end up costing you more in the long run.

Consider backplate setups for your kids -- harness can be replaced cheaply as they grow.
 
For those of us that buy used equipment regularly - you can find good deals. You can use a shop, Scubaboard Classifed, Craigslist or any number of ways to find gear. Generally like buying new - you still want it to fit and be what you wanted to buy in the first place. But it takes longer to find those pieces you want and at the price you are looking. Buying new is very easy - go into a shop or Online and buy the equipment you want.
So if you have time and you are patient - you can find equipment that is not beat up or abused at reasonable prices. Then get it serviced or have it inspected at a shop before you buy it from someone.
 
Regulators, unless abused, can last a couple lifetimes (or until parts are no longer available). If a BCD holds air, it can probably be made serviceable. But you do need to be somewhat knowledgeable about what you are buying.

"Parts for life" is usually a gimmick that forces you to pay often steep labor costs for unnecessary service.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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