Since I'm on a 2nd hand gear-buying streak, I'd like to find out how other, more experienced divers count the age of their gear.
I.e. I have an cheap offer to pick up a pair of Avanti Quattro's that are about 10 years old but have only done 12 dives - are they considered relatively new, or relatively old?
I know that Jet Fins are pretty much immune to ageing, and I've heard good things about Quattro's that last over 15 years of heavy diving, but for a lightly used but old piece, would it be similar to picking up a piece that may have sat in a warehouse for years as well? Or does touching the water/being used kickstart some sort of ageing reaction.
The way I see it, the cheapest people to buy dive gear off aren't the ones who are active divers - they know the value of their gear. The ones who sell cheap, are those who bought gear to do their OW or AOW, then let their gear sit for some years and are now clearing their closets after figuring they aren't going to dive anymore - i.e. they just want to clear space, rather than fuel/recoup for an upgrade in equipment.
I understand that a lot of it has to do with how the equipment is kept/maintained, but apart from visually inspecting and trusting what the seller says, should I be on the skeptical side when estimating the remaining useful life?
I.e. I have an cheap offer to pick up a pair of Avanti Quattro's that are about 10 years old but have only done 12 dives - are they considered relatively new, or relatively old?
I know that Jet Fins are pretty much immune to ageing, and I've heard good things about Quattro's that last over 15 years of heavy diving, but for a lightly used but old piece, would it be similar to picking up a piece that may have sat in a warehouse for years as well? Or does touching the water/being used kickstart some sort of ageing reaction.
The way I see it, the cheapest people to buy dive gear off aren't the ones who are active divers - they know the value of their gear. The ones who sell cheap, are those who bought gear to do their OW or AOW, then let their gear sit for some years and are now clearing their closets after figuring they aren't going to dive anymore - i.e. they just want to clear space, rather than fuel/recoup for an upgrade in equipment.
I understand that a lot of it has to do with how the equipment is kept/maintained, but apart from visually inspecting and trusting what the seller says, should I be on the skeptical side when estimating the remaining useful life?
