Equipment Choices

[Dive_MeddLeR]

*Choices (sorry)

Hi all,

I just got open water certified a month ago and I've been on 1 dive since and I loved it. I'm looking to buy my equipment and was curious about used equipment, good idea or bad?

If good I found some online for a very reasonable price. The equipment is 7yrs old used for 2 and then stored. The list is as follows:

Seaquest Balance BCD, every looks in tact from the pictures, has the secondary air/LP inflator

Aqualung Legend LX Regulator

Suunto Cobra COmputer with compass, but no pressure guage.

Dive knife included

Pics look good all equipment looks like its in good shape and been taken care of

My biggest question is if buying 7 yr old equipment is a good idea??

Any help would be appreciated!!!

 

[XS-NRG]

I was asking my local LDS about buying used gear and the consensus was, how do you know how good it is and what kind of shape it's in? Pictures can be shot at an angle to hide things while the rest looks good. You'll buy it and then have to get it serviced right away no matter what you are told. This will cost you money and you could find that in the long run you'll spend the same or more on new if something goes wrong (especially if you can't return it). Of course, I always take this kind of info with a grain of salt b/c the LDS wants your business but I think what was said still has some merit. Be sure to let us know how you made out if you go ahead and purchase this.

 

[Dive_MeddLeR]

How much is it to service and what is the typical turnaround time? I can return the equipment within 7 days

 

[buddhasummer]

how "reasonable" is reasonable?

 

[WartedEmperor]

If you can give us a price that would help a lot. I have always sent my regulators to scubatoys.com mostly because they have done great work and have a super fast turnaround time. I usually get it back in about a week from when I shipped it.

You would need the regulators overhauled just to make sure because after seven years rubber will get dry aand not hold its shape and begin cracking.

 

[RonFrank]

I think buying used is a great way to save. You should be paying 1/2 retail or less. You can easily tell if gear has been used hard or no. There is plenty of gear that was purchased and dove a handful of times. That is what you are looking for.

There is really not much to go wrong with scuba equipment and it is built well. I would save a bit on the reg service and have Scubatoys do the work. I'd not bother with the BC unless you feel it is necessary. Dive shops will tell you how often you must service BlaBla but it is more based on the number of dives not some date.

I know guys that have their regs serviced 2-4 times a year. The are also diving daily. Most divers do not need their gear serviced annually as it is not getting wet more than 7-14 days a year. I service my regs every 100 dives or so. I have never had my current BC serviced in 5 years of diving. Inflators can stick, but if you keep them rinsed they are generally good.

Good Luck....

 

[DiveNav]

......Suunto Cobra COmputer with compass, but no pressure guage....

The Cobra is an Air Integrated computer and as such it has a Digital pressure gauge
Attach it to a tank and make sure that it reads correctly...

​

 

[tadawson]

*Choices (sorry)

Hi all,

I just got open water certified a month ago and I've been on 1 dive since and I loved it. I'm looking to buy my equipment and was curious about used equipment, good idea or bad?

If good I found some online for a very reasonable price. The equipment is 7yrs old used for 2 and then stored. The list is as follows:

Seaquest Balance BCD, every looks in tact from the pictures, has the secondary air/LP inflator

Aqualung Legend LX Regulator

Suunto Cobra COmputer with compass, but no pressure guage.

Dive knife included

Pics look good all equipment looks like its in good shape and been taken care of

My biggest question is if buying 7 yr old equipment is a good idea??

Any help would be appreciated!!!

The Cobra is air integrated and *IS* a pressure gauge as well as a computer, or did I miss something?

Perhaps you meant "no secondary pressure gauge?"

- Tim

 

[Colliam7]

I'm looking to buy my equipment and was curious about used equipment, good idea or bad?

Generally a good idea, with certain caveats. 1) If it is 'fitted' equipment - exposure suit, BCD - does it fit YOU? If not, it is a bad idea. Id the BCD the right size for you? 2) Do you have access to local service on the brands included, particularly the regulator? In your case, do you have a LDS that services Aqualung/Apeks? (I would presume you do) 3) Does it function properly? 4) Is the price right?

Seaquest Balance BCD, every looks in tact from the pictures, has the secondary air/LP inflator . . . Aqualung Legend LX Regulator . . . Suunto Cobra COmputer with compass, but no pressure guage. . . . Dive knife included

Generally good equipment. I use a SeaQuest Pro QD (jacket style) in the pool and for OW check-out dives, and it is very durable and functional. The Balance is a back-inflate which is preferable for many reasons. Good regulator, although I would not personally select the octo-inflator combination. If I were buying this rig, I would plan to add a 'hard wired' (on a hose) SPG.

My biggest question is if buying 7 yr old equipment is a good idea??

Not really a problem, if the equipment was stored appropriately (e.g. climate controlled environment, cleaned/rinsed after last use). A possible issue might be with the Cobra. Good computer, etc., but Suunto had a problem a few years back (~5) with a batch of depth sensors that failed early in their useful life. But, that was an isolated problem. I had an older (2002) Vytec that was fully functional for 8 years through ~300 dives until I sold it, and the one you described is probably not of the vintage that included the bad sensors. If you have a 7 day window, definitely get it in the water.

If good I found some online for a very reasonable price.

A reasonable price for this used rig would be NO MORE THAN $500. The seller may not agree, but anything higher would be unreasonable.

 

[tadawson]

The Cobra *IS* an SPG on a hose, as part of the computer. If you are advocating a separate mechanical backup SPG, that is a different issue . . .

- Tim

If I were buying this rig, I would plan to add a 'hard wired' (on a hose) SPG.