Inheriting my dad's early '90s equipment - safe? How to check it?

[diversteve]

Most SP regs can be serviced at a dealer - 50 year old MK2's are still used today. There are several mail-in options if your local dealer can't/won't service them including:

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I believe the SP MK25 was sold around 1986 til present and isa premier reg in case you've got one - they['re close to $1K now so I'd definitely have it serviced if you do. Most SP regs are marked on the yoke or the 2nd stage face or if you post pictures someone here can ID it pretty accurately.

ask Dad to manually fill the BC full and leave it overnight - if it doesn't leak possibly all you'll need to do is have the inflator serviced - maybe not even that. My first BC was vintage 1981 and I used it to around 2003 or so - still worked when I sold it.

Gauges may work and should only be a cheap spool and o-rings - otherwise a new set is as cheap as $100. If they're oil-filled I might replace them instead anyway.

Check into the tanks b4 you spend a lot of money servicing them - if they're the early aluminum alloy, they may be stress-cracked or prone to it and most shops won't deal with them due to the risk to their employees if they rupture during testing/fills. If they're steels - they can be serviced and tumbled to remove light interior rust and will be fine for years - or have some current resale value.

I've been diving for decades and have never needed my own tanks - most dive boats provide them (or can for a small charge) and it's part of the package price at most resort destinations - usually weights also. My local shop renta a filled AL80 for $12 - be a lot of those to cover the cost of annual tank maintenance.

 

[herman]

Scubapro regs, odds are the regs are fine except for needing to be serviced. With a few exceptions, SP regs (D400, Air1s for example) are still supported with service parts, main parts are a different matter but those should not be needed.
One thing to keep in mind, some less than honest dive shops will automatically tell you the regs can not be serviced or are unsafe just to sell you new gear. Some less than experienced new instructors will tell you the same thing, mainly out of ignorance. In either case, it' pure BS, assuming service parts are available, a reg has as an almost unlimited lifetime if taken care of, those of us who dive vintage gear are diving regs that are 50+ yo and beyond. Other than material and cosmetic changes, which some will argue are not an improvement at all, there has been very little real changes in reg design since the late 60s. Assuming it can be serviced, dive it for no other reason than it was your dads.

 

[northernone]

Scubapro regs, odds are the regs are fine except for needing to be serviced. With a few exceptions, SP regs (D400, Air1s for example) are still supported with service parts, main parts are a different matter but those should not be needed.
One thing to keep in mind, some less than honest dive shops will automatically tell you the regs can not be serviced or are unsafe just to sell you new gear. Some less than experienced new instructors will tell you the same thing, mainly out of ignorance. In either case, it' pure BS, assuming service parts are available, a reg has as an almost unlimited lifetime if taken care of, those of us who dive vintage gear are diving regs that are 50+ yo and beyond. Other than material and cosmetic changes, which some will argue are not an improvement at all, there has been very little real changes in reg design since the late 60s. Assuming it can be serviced, dive it for no other reason than it was your dads.

Highlighting this factual reply. Can't say it better and entirely agree.

I was saddened when my buddy told me a salesman convinced him to dispose of his reg he inherited from his father for 'safety'. The replacement he purchased was lower quality.

 

[Akimbo]

The condition of the resilient materials (BC, hoses, O-rings, etc) will depend a lot on how the gear was stored. A garage next to a natural gas water heater and near a single-pane window... not so good. Inside a dark conditioned space... more likely to be OK. Definitely get it all inspected and serviced by a reputable shop but that might give you a better sense of what you can expect.

 

[rhwestfall]

It is highly likely that the gear is serviceable and can keep on going. Get us some pictures to determine what it is, or markings if you can't get pictures. The group here can tell you a whole bunch.

I started diving in the late 80's, and my first gear was garage sale items (so older than that). I still have most of that gear, and it is as good as most new equipment today. As to too old? I'm also diving equipment from the 1960's. I wouldn't recommend it to many, but just a fact that things aren't necessarily "too old"...

You will likely get some push back from shops. Hopefully we can help you not be steered wrong...

 

[Stoo]

Just to buck the trend a little... I agree that a lot of the gear may be quite useable. The regs can easily be updated with new parts and be literally as "good as new"... for a 1986 regulator. And ya, the newer ones are much better... better flow, less prone to freeze-ups etc.

The wetsuit, even if you can make it fit, will be stiff and poorly cut compared to new styles. Advances in neoprene are significant. If you're diving at home, a good suit is arguably your most important bit of gear.

Tanks... as others have pointed out, I suspect you won't find a shop to fill them.

Rubber deteriorates over time so unless the rubber bits can be replaced, then that gear os likely "done".

I should add that I am not affiliated with any dive shop, but by the late 80s, I'd already been diving for 15 years or so and believe me, there have been significant improvements in gear since that time...

Just because you "can" doesn't mean you should.

 

[drbill]

Much of my gear is from the 70s and still works great. I'd consider gear from the 90s as practically new. However, get the regs serviced before use and I assume the tanks will need a hydro.

 

[rsingler]

I still dive my original Scubapro gear from the 80's. ALL of it. My Scubapro Classic orange BCD draws looks, but is perfectly functional and still holds air. Those sealed cloth bags were great.
My first stage, and primary and alternate seconds are still going strong. Scubapro designed well.
My Faber steel tanks are still doing great after their 5th or 6th hydro.
The key is maintenance.
If your Dad kept his gear clean, and there's little corrosion, then most everything is still fine, and most parts are still available.

As others have said, find a shop you trust and see what they say.
If the gear is clean, but they tell you it's too old, WALK AWAY - they're trying to sell you something. Lots of us here on Scubaboard dive the latest and greatest toys, AND still dive our favorite gear that we may have started with. There are very few old regs that, if properly serviced, won't perform just fine for recreational diving. They were made bulletproof, and remain completely safe.

All that said, if there is significant salt water corrosion inside, you'll need to break the bad news to your Dad. It may look shiny outside, but...

Good luck! And keep us in the loop on your progress!

 

[TrimixToo]

Much of my gear is from the 70s and still works great. I'd consider gear from the 90s as practically new. However, get the regs serviced before use and I assume the tanks will need a hydro.

I agree. I bought a reg new in 1972. It's my son's pony reg now. It was a high-performance reg in its day, but now breathes like a modern midrange reg. Nothing wrong with that, and it's a lot better-built than new midrange regs.

 

[vincent54]

Just got back from diving Brac.. took my old equipment out for some easy diving. Minor fail of the primary from a leaking o ring, fair amount of water inhaled on each breathe. No problem. Went to the secondary and had a major problem. The diaphragm was torn and got to inhale a gallon of the Caribbean. Got to the surface and went back to Car for my new stuff! Go ahead and get it serviced before you dive!!

Btw, the primary had been serviced and I never water tested. Looks like they distorted the regulater body. I fixed it with 3M through the hull sealant. Works great