How long should a reg last?

[scubapro50]

A lifetime. Your grandchildren (in my case my nephews) should go out and buy new state of the art stuff when I fin off to Valhalla.

I agree .... but some of the best regulators ever made back in the 1980's were DACOR (came with "lifetime warranty") and now you can't find parts easily for them. The DACOR 360 (Aqualung Conself clone) can use some of the same parts but if a major piece breaks down then you have a "forever" 1st stage paperweight for your desk. The newer regulators have more plastic parts that don't seem to hold up as well as the chrome plated brass. There have been some changes in design but no major advances that make all the older models obsolete. I think a good maintained regulator should last about 25 years of 2000 dives without a major meltdown. That's why you can find great buys on Ebay all the time. I've seen very good regulators going dirt cheap in packages. Two year ago I purchased a Voit MR12, a full 2pc wetsuit, BC, mask, fins and snorkle for $100 and $25 shipping. I have since sold the BC for $100, the wetsuit for $50, gave the mask, fins and snorkle to my son-in-law and kept the MR12. I had the MR12 serviced for $40 and it works great.

 

[don Francisco]

Regulators are supreme examples of well built mechaincal devices. With decent care they should last until we're bored with them, something better comes along, or their value as museum pieces exceeds their value as dive equipment.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

How long should a scuba regulator last? Good Question ...... some divers like myself have regulators over 20 years old that have been well maintained. Other divers feel they should trade in and get a new one every few years. I feel that it you purchase a "great" regulator from a reliable source then why change if it not giving you any trouble. I own a ScubaPro MK 10 that DA Aquamaster serviced last year and called it the "best looking MK10 he's seen in many years". I also own a Mares Abyss that I received thru the Dacor/Mares trade in program due the the company stopping part production on all DACOR regulators made before 2000. I hate to admit that I now really love to use the Abyss over the classic Scubapro and hope I'll get as good of service out of it as with the Mk10.

I sold my Nemrod Snark II reg on Ebay about seven years ago as an antique. This was my first reg in 1979 and it was already old then. And it still worked when I shipped it off the guy in South Carolina.

 

[diveprof]

Yeah, I'm gonna stick with mine for many more years - at least until the hoseless second stages come out...