Buying new vs used - pros & cons?

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Marie13

Great Lakes Mermaid
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What are the pros & cons buying used vs new? The unit I’m looking at for next year (Kiss Orca Spirit) doesn’t come up used that often. I’ve also been told there have been some changes so don’t buy a used unit more than a year or two old. I am open to used, depending on what’s available.

I always buy new vehicles so I don’t end up with someone else’s issues. Does the same hold true for CCR?

And to answer the inevitable questions about why this unit - lighter weight for my knees. Backmount much better for boat wreck diving. Several local divers have them and I got to go all over a unit this weekend. My knees are fine with the weight (steel frame, with additional lead the diver needed). Good local/regional community of Kiss divers. Instructor agrees this unit is a good choice for me.
 
Depends upon loads of things:
Your experience with CCR; access to more experienced people with CCR; is it your first CCR...

New is always the easiest, but second hand can save a fortune. Second hand can be a lot of grief and for that you need to know about the unit, or know someone who knows a lot about those units.

I bought second hand, but the unit had only been dived twice and has been excellent. I know someone who bought a well-used unit and it's been quite unreliable and cost him a load of money to fix.
 
First CCR. Experienced people are two hours away (which is not much of a drive for me) and available via phone, etc.
 
Used can be a mixed bag. I have some friends who found smoking deals on a used unit and it worked great and saved them a ton of money over a new unit. I've also got some friends who found a smoking deal on a used unit and by the time they fixed all the issues and replaced parts they had spent more than if they just had bought it new.
 
when buying used, always factor in the cost of service, repair, and replacements.
 
similar with buying used regulators, if you know what you're doing, can DIY any repairs, and the price differential between units is pretty wide, then buy used. If not, then buy new.

I don't like the Spirit personally as it has all of the issues of a sidemount and backmount unit, and isn't really that much lighter than anything else on the market, but that's a different discussion.
Bare new unit with no computers, hollis bov, no O2 cells, and the O2 bottle is $4600
Parts you need
Full o-ring kit-$40
DSV/BOV service kit-$200 for round numbers and includes mushroom valves
Parts you'll probably want
Loop hoses-$50x2=$100

For both units you'll need to spend about $400 for new cells and a splitter board, so that's a wash and computer choice is personal so I left that out.

So you need to get the unit for call it $4k without computers in order to justify buying used and that shouldn't be much of an issue if you can find one used, but they never really made many of them and the ones that have come up have gone to cave country to be converted to sidewinders.

If I was buying new, I would put at least 2x petrels with 4-pin cables on there and the foam coating which brings you to $9k for the new unit. You will most likely not find the 4-pin cables on any used units, so keep that in mind.

My money knowing your history with carrying weight around, look at the O2ptima CM which is even lighter and allows you to stay with sidemount or backmount singles and have your breather passed to you... Best part is it's significantly cheaper than the Spirit at $7k with a NERD or $6300 without one and is much easier to assemble.



Both of my units were purchased used. My Meg needed to be rewired from the cells to the boards which was irritating, needed a couple new hoses, and the ADV and MAV's needed to be rebuilt. Minor nuisance but even if I had to pay to have it done I would have saved way more than buying a brand new one. The other one is mCCR and needed to be fully rewired which is not difficult or expensive outside of the cost of the cable but needed nothing otherwise. Depending on the unit and the prices, I would not hesitate to buy used if you are able to do the work yourself.
 
If you're leaning new I would strongly urge you to look at other options on the market.... The Spirit wouldn't even be on my top 10 list
What’s your top ten list?
 
I
If you're leaning new I would strongly urge you to look at other options on the market.... The Spirit wouldn't even be on my top 10 list

If I want to continue to train with my instructor, I have to choose a unit she teaches. That means Kiss or the original Optima. I’ve gotten close up looks at the Optima. Too big, bulky, and heavy. Kiss Classic is too heavy. Not interested in a SM rebreather. That leaves the Orca Spirit.

Plus, a chest mounted rebreather and my body wouldn’t mix well. I’ll just leave it at that.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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