Buying used gear

[EB67]

My wife and I are newly Open Water certified and looking to purchase our own gear. Is there any reason to avoid used gear if we get it inspected before use? I realize that most of what we use is essentially life support, but if we can buy used, we can potentially buy higher grade gear. Does that make any sense?
Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Your brain is your life support. Gear is just tools.

I've bought gear new. I've bought gear used. None of our little three person dive team has died yet, nor have we had any significant gear failures.

ScubaBoard has a thriving used gear marketplace. I think that says a lot about the safety of buying used gear.

 

[Cap335]

Buying used is fine but try to stick with newer gear, most brands have stopped supporting some of thier older equipment. I would also see what brands your local shops carry and stick with those.

 

[EB67]

Thanks!!

 

[TMHeimer]

Make sure it's safe, it works smoothly and fits comfortably. Get advice from experienced people. Wash it ALL thoroughly after every day of diving.

 

[tbone1004]

basically everything I have is used.

Think about it this way.
A BCD is a rubber bag with a hose on the end of it
A regulator is a block of metal with some O-rings and plastic bits on it
Fins are big chunks of rubber

BCD's can be a little bit dicey depending on the quality of the BC, how it has been treated etc. BP/W's are much better investments to buy used as the modular design is quite a bit more forgiving, it's also a better system.

Regs are OK as long as they are higher end regs with more metal than plastic. Beware of some companies that are no longer supported, i.e. Dacor.

 

[redacted]

My wife and I are newly Open Water certified and looking to purchase our own gear. Is there any reason to avoid used gear if we get it inspected before use? I realize that most of what we use is essentially life support, but if we can buy used, we can potentially buy higher grade gear. Does that make any sense?
Thanks in advance for any input.

While it is reasonable to think of the complete package of a scuba diver with gear as a life support system, There is really not a single piece of gear, the failure of which, should result in a high probability of death, if you are adequately trained, equipped, and prepared (plan). Most often when you hear the term "life support" in conjunction with scuba gear, it means that someone is probably trying to get deeper into your wallet.

Used gear is a great buy but you do need to know what you are doing or have some competent help. Higher grade gear is usually more comfortable, durable, or easier to use. From a safety standpoint, there should be little difference as a function of cost for a recreational diver. I buy lots of used gear; the older and uglier the better when I want to save $$$. But I inspect and service it myself which opens up another avenue for savings opportunities.

Good Luck and watch your wallet.

 

[george_austin]

Buying used is fine but try to stick with newer gear, most brands have stopped supporting some of thier older equipment. I would also see what brands your local shops carry and stick with those.

Learn to service your regulator. Learn how and why they work. Make sure you can get service kits for the used equipment you purchase before you buy.
Some of the best regulators were designed and manufactured in the 1960's - 1980's so laugh at people that say " you shouldn't be diving with that old junk.
I get my regulators from craigslist and eBay for 30.00 to 100.00 for really, really quality stuff.
Absolutely nothing wrong with getting used gear as long as it is serviceable and cosmetically ok. Go for it.
i also get steel cylinders all day on craigslist for dirt cheap. Check hydro and get em visual'd - good to go

 

[agilis]

In a list of things that it's a good idea to buy used, I'd place regulators at the top, especially Scubapro and US Divers. George_Austin is absolutely correct. I'd be cautious with used BCDs, and would never buy a used mask.

 

[Littlerayray]

Where I live buying used equipment is not uncommon it's not always recommended either when purchasing used regs and tanks ask for service records around here all the shops provide them and also keep a record of all the regs and tanks they have serviced before purchasing said tank or register see if you lds will service it as this could also be expensive the other thing to be aware of is where has it been stored were the regs stored in a damp musty basement in a barn regs that have not been stored properly will give your air a really foul taste that will be hard to remove and be costly to service tanks that have been stored empty and and have not been visualized in a while can get pretty nasty spiders and other things have been known to enter and nest in empty tanks if the seller is hesitant about showing service records and if it has been stored in less then ideal locations then be very cautious

---------- Post added October 27th, 2015 at 07:31 PM ----------

Masks should be bought new and your lds should spend time fitting you with the right mask this could take anywhere between five and twenty minutes not all masks fit a person and a proper mask that fits well is worth the money paid for