Good Score on Equipment!

[Finnatic]

Hi Everyone!

Just had to share this! Since completing our OW class, my husband and I were turning our attention to getting our equipment. As you all know, new gear for 1 person can be a serious drain on the bank account. Since we are looking at 2 sets of everything..well, let's just say we were seriously considering selling our firstborn:wacko: Anyway, my husband ran across an ad for used scuba equipment and when he called the guy it turned out he had two sets that was bought new 3 years ago and was used for 3 dives. So off we went to take a look. As it turned out, everything looked pristine and we were the same size as the sellers. We struck a deal and this is what we came home with: Oceanic Probe wt integrated BC, SeaQuest Balance back inflate, wt integrated BC, Dacor Extreme Plus regulator, Enduro octo, Oceanic Gamma regulator, Slimline Octo, Suunto 2 guage console, Suunto console with Favor computer, spg and compass, 2 sets of SeaQuest fins, various soft weights, and a Luxfer tank. The ad said $800 o.b.o....our deal: $700. On the ride home my husband said he felt guilty..I said me too!..but we car-danced all the way home!

 

[Walter]

No reason to feel guilty. You made an offer, they accepted. You're happy, they're happy. While it was only used 3 times (maybe), it was still used gear. You paid a lot more than I would have offered. If I'd bought it for considerably less than $700, I wouldn't feel guilty at all.

 

[Wendy]

I love you gear, even though its used gear, its still new to you.

I would however still get it serviced, get the tank checked, all that kind of good stuff. Even though it is hardly used, this is still stuff that your life depends on, so I would get it all checked out before I dived it.

 

[learn-scuba]

Finnatic --

Good for you. Two complete sets of gear for $700 doesn't sound bad to me. At $350 per set, that's not bad at all... even if it is used.

That said, Wendy is right on... that gear is three years old and if the seller was being straight with you, odds are it has never been serviced since it was purchased. That would mean that o-rings and other parts could well be dried out and any number of other maintenance related issues. DO NOT DIVE THOSE REGULATORS UNTIL YOU HAVE HAD THEM SERVICED. Take both rigs (1st and second stages, console, gauges, etc.) down to your LDC and get an annual maintenance performed on them. Ask the service tech to give them a good going over since you are not familiar with their past service and/or care.

Good for you and your husband. Owning your own gear makes diving sooooooo much better. I'm way happy for you both.

Ish... edited for glaring typos again.

 

[pasley]

Get it serviced before using.

I agree with the previous post. Get the equipment, all of it, professionally serviced prior to use. Then have it serviced annually.

Lessons learned the hard way story: This year, a diver had his equipment serviced, then dove it once or twice and put it away for a year or so. Dove it again and died. Small drop of water had gotten inside the first stage and created rust. The rust partially blocked the orifice starving him of air and causing the diver to behave irrationally. In addition the rust was chewing up the o-ring, which finally gave way. Result, oxygen deprived diver with a busted first stage free flowing at 100 feet of sea water who did not survive. Reported in DAN magazine if I remember right, just about May or June, (or was it SCUBA magazine?).

Bottom line - It is life support equipment so please be sure to treat it as such and have it serviced.

Good luck, congratulations on your purchase. Now get out there and go diving.

 

[erwin]

When I was still involved in the diving business, we used to compute the sale of used equipment like so:

1. Subtract 25% from MSRP ( sale price of equipment when brand new ) then

2. Subtract 50% from the amount gotten in item 1 ( depreciation )

The amount you finally get is what is considedred as a fair price.

By the way, please have both sets serviced before you use them in open water.

 

[Finnatic]

Thanks for the safety advice. Everything is going in Friday to be serviced. Erwin, that's a good tip for pricing used equipment. I'm still grinning like a kid at Christmas