BC Life?

[DiveMaven]

I posted this question within another thread, but thought I'd give it it's own thread in the BC area. :10:

What is the effective life of a BC? Assuming it is well cared for/maintained, and not damaged, how long is it reasonable to expect to use it before having to replace it. :06:

 

[Rick Murchison]

One of my buddies had one disintegrate after about 25 years.
My first, bought in 1989, is still working just fine.
I've seen rental units reach the end of useful service in as little as 10 years.
Rick

 

[drbill]

IMHO an impossible question to answer without knowing more about your dive habits. Do you do less than 10 dives a year, all in the calm tropics; or hundreds of dives a year in cold water with storms and surge?

I have one BC that has lasted about 20 years, another that experienced a serious tear after 3 years (hopefully ScubaPro is repairing it now) due to poor seams.

Dr. Bill

 

[scubamate]

Alot lot depends on where and how you store it when not in use too.

 

[UndrWatrDan]

I have one that I bought in 1986, it's still in great shape and works fine. It's retired now, went with a back inflate.