How old is this Zeagle?

[RobinG]

Anyone know when this style Zeagle was last made?



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16053&item=3687193927&rd=1

 

[ScottZeagle]

That is a original "Concept" BC, I believe...If I was to venture a guess, I would say it was made in the early 90's.

Scott

 

[RobinG]

That is a original "Concept" BC, I believe...If I was to venture a guess, I would say it was made in the early 90's.

Scott

Thanks Scott

It's identical to the one I own but that is 15 years old, so I was wondering wehn it was last made. Of course, it may not be identical in person...but I didn't want to pick up one off E-bay and find out it was no younger than mine.

Mine is called a Beta. I'm still stressing over a new BC when I still don't have my computer sorted out! Ah well. Gives me an excuse for avoiding homework!

Robin

 

[Gdon]

By the way my new Zeagle Ranger's manual says that the shelf life of the BC is five years.. something to think about if you are buying an older one.

 

[ScottZeagle]

The Owner's Manual that I have on my desk says:

"The shelf life for a NEW, UNUSED BC when deflated and stored in a dry place at room temperature, with no exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is seven years."

I doubt that you will find many NEW, UNUSED BCs that have been setting on a shelf for seven (or even five) years.
We have people who are still diving the Alpha and Beta models that are pushing 25 years old, and they still work great. The lifetime warranty, along with the fact that we can do basic repairs on them and keep them operational is a dual-edged sword - we would love to have them buy a new BC, but they love their old BC, so we keep it diveable for them...
I have had customers send me BCs that they claim have 5,000+ dives on them along with a note that says: "Here is my BC back - it served me well for X number of years and X number of dives on it. I finally broke down and bought a new Zeagle BC, so you can have this one for your museum!"

(for the record, we don't have a museum - but it's not a bad idea!)

Please keep in mind that the lifetime warranty is to the ORIGINAL owner!!!

Dive safe,

Scott

 

[crpntr133]

Just bought a Brigade from Scubatoys. Registered it online and I didn't see anyplace that identifies the BC, or other gear, like a serial number. So how do you know if I bought the item new or used?

 

[Gdon]

My only point was that the BC will age, and things like the bladder might need to be replaced. Just something to consider if you are getting what you think is a good buy on an older BC. By the way I really like my Ranger. I know some people don't like the quick weight release system because its a little hard to thread the cord. But that design is is good. Its secure and not subject to failure like velcro is when it gets dirty. Maybe not the best, what do I know, but I like it.

 

[RobinG]

Please keep in mind that the lifetime warranty is to the ORIGINAL owner!!!

UIm, how do I prove original ownership o the one I have? I don't remember filling in a warranty card but that was 1990. I don't remember a lot that happened last week either.

It would be nice to have the fraying straps on mine fixed. It's too big for me but I still like it.

Robin

 

[ScottZeagle]

I will answer these one at a time...

1. crpntr 133 - The Brigade is a BC that is only made for ScubaToys - you will not find it in our Online Registration Database. However, it is a essentially a Ranger BC, so you can either register it as a Ranger, or just mail the registration card in and we will enter the info for you. None of our BCs have serial numbers, but your original sales reciept (from an authorized dealer) is always your "proof of original ownership".

2. Gdon - For someone who has never rethreaded the ripcord weight system it may be a little tricky at first. However, after doing it a few times it becomes VERY simple. Larry from Scuba Toys has one way of doing it, I have another - both work equally well, but we will both agree that it is not HARD by any stretch.
I have personally talked to many people at consumer scuba shows that tell me that "Manufacturer X says that your ripcord system is impossible to do and I would have to return it to the factory if I ever dumped my weights, so I should by their pullout weight system instead." NOTHING could be further from the truth, and I like to respond by showing them how easy it is to do, then by asking this question:
If you were out diving in some lovely exoctic location, perhaps on a live aboard, and had to dump your weights you would pull our ripcord system, drop your weights and head to the surface. Let's assume that you were fine afterwards and still had 2 dives left on the trip - with our Bc you rethread your ripcord weight system, borrow some weights from the boat, and continue your week of diving in your own BC. Now, let's say you were using "brand X pull out weight BC" and did the same thing. If you, or someone on the boat, could not retrieve your dropped pull out weight pouch, your BC is basically unusable until you can get a replacement pull out!! You would have to finish out the trip in a borrowed BC, at best. Just some food for thought....

3. RobinG - your original sales reciept is you proof of purchase. I would suggest to anyone getting a photocopy of your reciept and stapeling it inside your owners manual. That way you will always know where it is. That being said, if it is a minor repair, we will generally take care of it regardless, or for a very small fee. As with most things in life, you catch more flies with sugar than with salt!!

Dive safe,

Scott

 

[crpntr133]

I will answer these one at a time...

1. crpntr 133 - The Brigade is a BC that is only made for ScubaToys - you will not find it in our Online Registration Database. However, it is a essentially a Ranger BC, so you can either register it as a Ranger, or just mail the registration card in and we will enter the info for you. None of our BCs have serial numbers, but your original sales reciept (from an authorized dealer) is always your "proof of original ownership".


3. RobinG - your original sales reciept is you proof of purchase. I would suggest to anyone getting a photocopy of your reciept and stapeling it inside your owners manual. That way you will always know where it is. That being said, if it is a minor repair, we will generally take care of it regardless, or for a very small fee. As with most things in life, you catch more flies with sugar than with salt!!

Dive safe,

Scott

I registered my Brigade as a Ranger. Figured that since it was a Ranger with the Escape bladder it should be registered as a Ranger. Really glad to know that I need to keep my receipt. I have been doing so any way but I will keep that one nice a neat.

I haven't gotten gutsy and pulled the rip cord but I am going to do this before too long. I do agree with Scott when it comes to the dumping issue. Since I didn't order the weight bags and had a dive scheduled I just zip tied the weights together and put them in the correct pocket. It worked fine but could be a pain if I had to add more weight. Figured that it was worth the few extra bucks to know that everything was going to work like it should so I ordered the bags.