old gear still work?

[kravi]

Is there an expiry date on old gear? I mean, I have an option to buy a 20 year old BCD and octopus from someone. It all works (though obviously needs service), and I can get it for cheap. I mean, have BCDs really evolved *that* much in the past 20 years? It is a regular jacket BCD, scubapro 10 2nd stage (don't remember the 1st stage), etc. Can get it really cheap, but don't know if there is something I should be warned about.

Obviously it would need to pass an inspection/tune-up prior ot diving with it.

--Me

[tstormdiver]

Make sure you know exactly what the pieces of equipment are & see (by calling your LDS) if they are still supported for service. If it can be serviced & brought up to safe standards, then go for it. also be aware that the suport can stop at any time & then you may have a problem getting it serviced when it needs it. If not,... I would pass & find something else that matches your budget & can be easily serviced. As for the evolution of equipment: yes, there have been some very positive upgrades over the years, but then there have also been some gimmicks. There are some divers that do like diving vintage equipment & some who like the newer stuff.

[Culcuhain]

remember, the regulator is your life support system. Is this something where you skimp money? Just something to think about...

[SoBay Jim]

What I have found is that on all gear, the soft parts wear out. O-rings and diaphragms can be replaced in regulators if still available from the manufacturer, but a BCD is almost all soft parts. When the material or seams start to go, the BC is done. It's age, not just use cycles that cause parts to fail.

Buy used equipment with caution and strive to get the best you can afford.

[phishphood]

I got my own gear starting with 2 sets of 1980's USD conshelfs, along with 2 bc's and weights for cheap (used of course). The regs were able to be serviced to usable specs, but eventually I know support for them will wear out. For now, they work just fine though. The BC's that came with it, though lightly used, were not usable due to some valve problems and sealing problems. If it weren't for those problems, I would still have used them for the time being. I'd say it depends on whether they can be serviced and what kind of condition it looks like they are in and what type of diving you do. I'm only planning 60' max depths with single cylinders, so nothing extreme for me. By the time I get to that point, I'll most likely buy new regs.

[Blue Sparkle]

remember, the regulator is your life support system. Is this something where you skimp money? Just something to think about...

However if the regulator proves to be perfectly serviceable and diveable (which many older ones do, from my reading), is it considered "skimping"? Is life supported any less well?

[aquaregia]

If the first stage is a ScubaPro Mk10 it's a rock solid first stage. I've used mine down to 140' in 38F water with no problems, and believe it to be at least as good as any other regulator I've used.

If you consider a single regulator life support, your training was not sufficient, in my mind.

[herman]

Nothing at all wrong with older equipment, and your right, pretty much nothing of value has changed in scuba regs or BCs in the last 20 or more years. As long as it's a US Diver or Scubapro odds are parts are not a problem. If it's a MK-10 first stage then you have a good solid reg and you can still get service parts for it, same goes with any SP second stage that was originally attached to it. If it happens to have a different brand second stage or octo, you may have service issues but most can be serviced. Worse case you buy a SP octo off ebay and have it serviced or buy a new second stage like a HOG, Dive Rite or a host of others and use it as you primary.
The BC is no big deal. Inflate it fully orally and see if it stays (mostly) inflated for a couple of hours and all the inflate/deflate controls work, if they do, you are good to go. If it drops pressure a little, no big deal and even if it does deflate quickly before chucking the idea, look for the leak. Odds are it's a sticking dump valve or inflator. Inflators can easily be rebuilt or replaced and 90% of the time a leaking dump valve just has some grit in it. As long as it's not leaking somewhere in the bladder, everything else is easy to repair.

Don't get caught up in the "how much is your life worth" or "it's life support equipment so you have to have new or you will die" noise. This is from folks who have spent way too much time listening to uninformed dive "pros" or shop folks wanting to sell gear. Reg designs have changed little internally in the last 30 to 40 years. Sure the external features are different but the interal working parts have pretty much stayed the same. When a service is done properly, all the internal parts that age or wear are replaced and all that remains from the original reg are solid brass and stainless steel parts. These parts have pretty much an unlimited lifetime, I have plenty of 40+ yo regs that are in perfect working order and there is no sign that they will ever not be servicable as long as I can get parts....Come to think of it, the only regs I have had to take out of service due to damage were all modern plastic second stages.

[rhwestfall]

remember, the regulator is your life support system. Is this something where you skimp money? Just something to think about...

LMAO.....the rest is pretty good stuff....

Keep in mind in evaluating your "cheap" deal that a service can run about $30 per stage routine service plus parts (lets say $25) + soft parts (hoses, exhaust tee, etc.). I see no reason not to make a small investment if the gear is serviceable. Just be aware of the costs you are looking at. And be aware that you need to have a shop that will service it (or learn yourself). A fair number of my regs are in that 50 year old era, and perform flawlessly. I've only added newer ones because I have problems with letting good deals pass by..... I don't do extreme diving, but do dive the Great Lakes (cold water), and the stuff holds its own with the big spenders.

[richkeller]

There is nothing wrong with an older reg as long as you can still get parts for it. Over the past couple of years I have replaced my newer regs with older Scubapros as the older modles are easier for me to service, the parts are still available and I feel these work at least as well as what is on the market today if not better. As mentioned above the soft parts will need to be replaced in most cases. The BCD is another story as that is just about all soft parts. If you think the price is good for the reg alone it still might be worth buying the set and taking your chances with the BCD.