Buying Used Rental Equipment

[Scuba_Noob]

Hi all,

What are your opinions about buying used rental gear? Let's say the brands are pretty good brands and the dive shop has a pretty good reputation as well.

Rental gear is often used a lot and sometimes mistreated. However, it is also constantly cleaned well and checked for defects.

I know that gear such as hoods/boots/gloves, undergarments, weights, etc. would probably be okay.

What about stuff like BCDs, regulators, octos, and drysuits?



*side note - I have read a lot of posts about used gear, but I think rental equipment might be a little different.

 

[DMDavid]

I think it's just like buying a used rental car.




FB-Florida Scuba Diver

 

[herman]

I think it's just like buying a used rental car.

Yep, chosen well, a much better deal than new that will give you years of service at a much better value.

Nothing at all wrong with good quality used dive gear. BCs either work or they don't and regs are basically new inside when properly serviced. Fact is everyone of us dives used gear on every dive, the only difference is who dove it last.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

While I agree with DMDavid's answer, I'd prefer if he expanded upon it, as I'm not the most car-savvy person.

As for herman, are you saying that buying used rental gear from a good dive shop (assuming the dive shop services their equipment pretty well) is like buying good quality used gear, even when considering the large number of people who use the gear per week and the possibility that some of these people may have treated the gear badly?

I'm thinking that though the gear might be a couple of years old, it likely has gone through three to five times the amount of dives as gear owned by an average diver, and I was worried that it might negatively affect the gear.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

One of the problems you might find with used rental gear is their price reference will be to new, full retail gear purchased from the LDS. This might make the well worn gear a bit pricy. I would look for barely used gear from newbies that decided diving was not for them. Not only is some of the stuff a real cream puff, its pretty easy to show them on-line prices as a comparison to set a reasonable used price.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I wouldn't buy rental gear unless it were priced well below wholesale.

-Mitch

 

[herman]

The issue here you seem to think there is something that "wears out" in dive gear. For BCs, that is somewhat true but it's easy to see, simple fading due to sun or chlorine exposure is not a big deal. Regs on the other hand, there is really nothing to "wear out". Sure the outside chrome can get scratched or the second stage body may have scratches on it but they are only cosmetic. The working parts or at least the ones that wear are (or at least should) be changed at every service, this is a function of how good your reg tech is rather than the age or use of the gear. Hoses do get old but again, the wear is usually obvious and replacement takes a few minutes. I restore and dive a lot of vintage gear, much of it 40 or 50 years old. It is still in perfect working condition, all of the parts that wear or deteriorate due to age (ie- rubber parts) have been replaced. Marine brass, chrome and stainless steel do not go "bad" just because they are a few years old. Can a reg be abused to the point of no return, sure but it takes a lot of abuse to get a reg into that condition. The odds of a shop selling one in that condition is pretty slim and frankly, if you even suspect a shop you deal with would do that, you need to find a better shop.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

Great answer, herman. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a bunch.

 

[james croft]

Herman is right, not much that can go wrong if there has been any maintanace on it.
I still dive a Conshelf SE-2 I bought new in 1987. It had a lp seat replaced in 1988 for a factory recall and a new mouthpiece. Other than that it has only been inspected occasionally and rised after each dive. I have taken care of it and never let water enter the first stage. I want to see how long it will go before it has some ip creep or begins to leak. RIght now it is as good as new 24 years later.
I buy used gear a lot but I know what to look for. Used gear can be a bargain.