First Rebreather - Used Prism 2 - Good Instructor - Is it OK ?

[Narcosis Mike]

Alright guys, so I took advanced nitrox and deco procedures open circuit with an instructor in south florida, very professional, knowledgeable and experienced. After several discussions regarding next steps and getting into Trimix training it has become apparent that the financially responsible methodology long term would be to go the CCR route.

Being a common working folk with not tons saved up, buying a brand new of any brand unit would put me in a bit of a pinch.

The instructor owns a Prism 2 with 4 years of operation on it, his own personal unit. He is purchasing a new prism 2 due to his relationship with Huish and is offering me an opportunity to purchase his used personal unit at a very attractive price and personally CCR deco certify me included in the price.

I trust this instructor, but living on this Earth for several years has taught me to always trust but VERIFY. So the question is - how do I, a non-certified layperson, verify this unit is in good condition, safe, and in proper shape / not about to break and kill me or cost me an arm and a leg in repairs when i go look at it the first time? I would plan to use this unit eventually all the way to Hypoxic CCR to see deep shipwrecks, and maybe one day go cave, but that's not my primary priority right now.

With four years operation is this thing getting too old and will it still give me solid operation for years to come?

 

[grantctobin]

Stare around at classifieds (here, FB rebreather groups) to see if the deal is as attractive as it seems. BMCL vs FMCL, which BOV, etc determine the choice. They’ve been listed as low as $3500 and as high as $7000 over the past few years. $7000 is absurd, $3500 was low but with FMCL and the (imo) ****** Hollis BOV.

Soft parts/maintenance wise, there isn’t that much that can make that unit unrepairable. If you can’t trust your instructor to break down what can go wrong/could be wrong with it, you should probs lean towards a new instructor.

 

[jale]

go on a dive with the guy diving the unit he wants to sell you.

 

[doctormike]

I'm of the opinion that you should train on a rental unit, and wait to buy one. Yes, that does add a few hundred dollars to the project, but if you are planning on getting into rebreather diving, that will be a minor investment (percentage wise) with good payback.

See if this instructor will do that for you with this unit. If you like it, then maybe you can pay the balance and own it. If you decide to go with something else, at least the instructor will have made a few bucks on it. If he or she is including training for free, whatever price is quoted for the unit obviously has that built in - there is no free lunch and his or her time is worth something ("free training" is like "free shipping").

Until you are at least MOD 1 trained, you really aren't in a position to compare the pros and cons of the various units out there, and to understand the issues with used units. That's why I think that try-dives are of limited value for people shopping for their first rebreather before training. They are fine for letting you get the feel of what breathing on CCR is like, but you simply don't have the background before training to make the most informed decision about which unit is right for you.

 

[ND5342]

For the right price a used Prism could be a good first unit, especially if you have a good relationship with that instructor, However how long has he been diving rebreathers and how long has he been teaching them is another question I would find out. That does not mean I would pass on the rebreather just may look for instruction elsewhere.

 

[Superlyte27]

For the right price a used Prism could be a good first unit, especially if you have a good relationship with that instructor, However how long has he been diving rebreathers and how long has he been teaching them is another question I would find out. That does not mean I would pass on the rebreather just may look for instruction elsewhere.

Also, is that the only CCR he’s ever owned or taught on?

 

[Narcosis Mike]

Also, is that the only CCR he’s ever owned or taught on?

Good questions - so I'm not sure if he's owned different ones but he actually was a test diver / developer of the Hollis line. He's been diving for 40 years and on CCR for over 20 years. He also teaches and supports REvo when students request to learn that. He is primarily a Hollis affiliate though being his affiliation as a developer / test diver. The unit in question has front mounted counterlungs, is overhauled by him annually (he's an authorized hollis tech), and has some sort of custom harness where the shoulders are replaced by the front mounted counterlungs for streamlining and comfort (I've never seen exactly what he means by that but he says if i dont like it i can put my doubles harness and backplate on the unit easily since it accepts standard backplates)....

 

[Superlyte27]

I only ask because people tend to push the unit they have. If they’ve only ever had one unit, they really don’t have a broad perspective. I used to tout how great the revo was until I figured out that nearly everything else was better. Now I teach in many units. Some are great, some are not so great. I’m certified on the sidekick, but not a fan. I also own and deal in sidewinders and am a big fan.

I’d get many perspectives and definitely dive before you buy.
I actually like the prism. I just hate huish.

 

[telemonster]

The Prism2 counterlungs are strong enough to act as the harness if you wish, but then when you hang a bailout from the D-rings on the counterlungs it hangs really low. I ended up adding a harness back on mine.

Another thing you can look into is if the electronics have the 3 LED HUD or the 12 LED HUD. The 12 LED HUD should be CANBus where the earlier is not. That only comes into play when you want to add a NERD2.

 

[vitaly]

+1 for checking electronics. I personally wouldn't buy an old non CANBUS version.
How many hours are on the unit? My Prism2 is about 4 years old and ~235 hours and it works fine.