Buying Used BCD's (suggestions)

[ermaclob]

im a reletivly new scuba diver and a low buget person and all i need to complete my scuba gear is a bc. so iv found my self in the position of having to choose between 2 used bcd. one of them is a some what old looking back pack Dacor bcd and the other on a vest Seaquest bcd

the decor one seems alot better but im worred about there being issuse if service is needed in the future or if some thing brakes and needs replacing?

what should i do? i prefer the back pack over the vest but ........ what if it needs service? will parts be available??

 

[a22shady]

Depending on your actual budget and price you want to spend. I would look into Backplate/Wing systems. You can get a complete New HOG set-up for under 300.00 Or less if you search hard and find some used. If your set on te Jacket or have a lower budget Then Make suer what your buying works. Get Photo's so you see exactly what you are buying. Make sure of size and then again ask the seller any and all questions you might have before the purchase so you know exactly what you are getting. Also only do transactions through Paypal. never gift a Payment unless you know the person as then there is no recourse if something is wrong.

 

[themagni]

i bought a used BC for $40. It was money very well spent. There were issues with it, notably that it would erratically drop weights, but other than that it was a pretty good vest. (Costly, I know, but you hardly ever get to practice a weight-ditch ascent.) I learned a lot about repairing and maintaining a BC, simply because I wasn't afraid to break it.

I eventually replaced it during a trade-in sale.

 

[herman]

Used BC can be a great deal, for the most part they will last a lot longer than some would have you believe. They are often sold because they are not the style of the day.......or someone convinced them brand X or style Y is so much better..... Reguardless of which you choose, be sure to do a good visual and functional check before handing over any cash. The inflator and defator(s) should work smoothly with no leakage. That said, a leaking deflator is not an automatic rejection. Quite often they are simply loose or have a small piece of trash in them. A quick dissambly and flush will usually fix a small leak in a deflation valve. Also check to insure the bladder is not leaking. The best check is to partly inflate the BC and submerge it, looking for leaks. If that is not possible, at least inflate it fully and set it aside for an hour or 2. If it is still close to the same inflation, it is most likely OK but if it's not, check the deflate valves (and inflate hose) to make sure it's not just one loose or dirty. With a few exceptions, a defective inflator is also not an automatic rejection. Most (but not all- be sure before laying down cash) can be replaced for $25-30, if the BC is priced good enough it's may still be a good deal.

 

[halocline]

Some parts are fairly standard; you can buy a whole new power inflator pretty cheaply, and the dump valves might be a standard size. I honestly don't know about these particular BCs. Dacor does not exist anymore, so any proprietary parts will be tough to find.

When I first started diving, I bought a used jacket BC for $50 and it got me through a season of diving. That was a good purchase because it gave me a chance to get enough experience to choose wisely when I spent some money on a new system. (BP/W) You may find yourself in the same position; no matter what you buy, chances are you'll want to try something different at some point, so I wouldn't be too concerned about this BC lasting forever.

The resale market on vest BCs is absolutely horrible, and the market is flooded with cheap ones. So you should be able to get something very reasonably. Cheap and simple is the way to go; fit is much more important than anything else.

If you're talking about spending any significant money, make sure you try a backplate/wing system before buying anything. But that might something further down the road for you.

 

[Straegen]

I would pass on the Dacor as the company is gone. The Seaquest could be very old as well but at least Aqualung is still around. Which Seaquest is it?

If it were me, I would wait about 2-3 more months as soon the new lines will start to come out and the deals on new clearance merchandise will start. Beginning of this year it was possible to find some decent back inflate BCs new for $150 or less.

 

[Leisure Proski]

I don’t know what size you are looking for so I cannot give you an example of what is available in your size, but have you been to Leisure Pro’s website and checked out their Used BCD’s. There are 58 BCD’s on their webpage that are sold with a warranty. The warranties vary from product to product, but they have a warranty. If you are purchasing used gear you are better off buying one that has a warranty. If a problem occurs you at least can address that issue with the seller. Buy one from an individual “Buyer Beware” Check it out! You can’t lose. You may find just what you’re looking for. Go to lisurepro.com and then to click used at the top of the screen, you can refine your search on the right side and see only the BCD’s.
Sincerely,
Leisure Proski

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

First of all you might want to get a handle on the terminology. I'm guessing the Dacor is a back inflate (BI). Most modern Vest and BI BC's have a plastic back pack-ish "core" where the tank is attached. There are some that are soft packs, with no hard plastic tank attachment piece. Then their are back plate / wing BC's (BP/W), where the tank(s) attach to the plate and the bladder is called a wing and also attaches to the plate.

I have only bought one new BC (certified '92), and it was only $161 ('00 SeaQuest Vest closeout in '01). That BC still works but it is very faded now. I was looking at the three major internet sellers recently and there was a SeaQuest Passport (vest) for ~$180, although probably only in small. The SeaQuest Vest I now use I got off eBay; $120 shipped to Hawaii. I only paid that much because I had to have BLUE.

The SeaQuest Inflator is my favorite Inflator in scuba, and you can get a replacement for ~$35.

 

[Shazzman]

you don't say what your budget is, but a BC is an integral part of the equipment; life saving and comfort, that is.
i wouldn't go cheap, i would go with quality and what works best for you. one thing to think about is going newer and you can delay upgrading for awhile.

 

[ermaclob]

OK Thanks for all the advice!!! Ended up buying a Oceanic Flex BioFlex BCD vest type., ill get used to it. Not that old and seem in good condition. ill see in 3 or 5 days. does anyone have or have had this bcd

What can you tell me about it ??

this bcd was far better then the other 2 and has seen limited use as far as they tell me

now..............i........Kinda...........got it for..........um........50 bux!!! LOLOLOL lets see if i regret it. the seller is very very good on refunding if not happy though. LOL