"I advise new divers to not buy used gear"

[Kendall Raine]

Buying new isn't bad advice, per se. As has been said, used gear is like used anything. Whether it's a good idea/deal depends. Things like condition are obvious. Stuff sold on eBay is often offered by people who have no idea about scuba gear, or at least the history of what they're selling. The photos may be something the seller pulled off the internet with no resemblance to the actual item. Any used regulator should be serviced at time of purchase and all the hoses replaced. The inflator valve on a used wing/BC should be replaced. Old rubber fin/mask straps should not be trusted. But, are parts available? Further, the same model regulator may have had upgrades/modifications during its production life making some years more desirable/easier to source parts than others. Hint: the later model years may not be better than the older ones... What about recalls? They happen all the time. Bad batches of parts that get recalled and replaced with good ones. Or not. How do you know unless you ask. How do you know what to ask unless you're educated on the specific product? If you ask, how do you know the seller even knows the answer.

I've bought lots of used gear off the internet with no regrets and generally very good experiences with sellers. That said, I know what I'm buying and what they should sell for. It takes a lot of effort to get to that point. I've also probably been lucky. So far. That's why buying new is a lot safer for many divers. You know what you're getting (including a warranty).

 

[Gone for diving]

Buying new is almost the same as buying used... you need to do your research !!!!!
Now adays with internet it's so much easier to look stuff up.

Used if you have a clue you will save a bunch of money, but you have to be patient. And buy low,
Since covid used equipment prices are up, but there are still good deals if you wait, and watch

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Buying new is almost the same as buying used... you need to do your research !!!!!
Now adays with internet it's so much easier to look stuff up.

Used if you have a clue you will save a bunch of money, but you have to be patient. And buy low,
Since covid used equipment prices are up, but there are still good deals if you wait, and watch

Yes. Used can save money. I do it.

But.

One thing for new divers without much in the way of equipment and background... Craigslist has lots of stuff on it real cheap and vastly overpriced at the same time.

I understand research, but a new diver with a thin background, other than reading a bunch of "my brand's great and your brand sucks .." postings..... Well, it would be easy to become swayed. And not necessarily in a good way. Like the folks that savagely disparage one training agency over another because they read a bunch of flames on Scubaboard and have become convinced that every diver with a WXYZ card is gonna die! And ABCD is the only agency that teaches safe diving". And then loudly pronounce to everyone that everybody knows that WXYZ is a $#!t training organization as it is a universally acknowledged fact.

I can say with 100% certainty that yes, all WXYZ divers will die. As will all the ABCD divers.

Unless a diver really knows what they're looking at/for and understands a good bit about it, that used equipment could be an expensive decoration in the den. At least new (but on the moderate end of the pricing spectrum) at least carries a warranty and hopefully a shop to back it up if it don't work right out of the box (which is an acknowledged possibility).

Also less chance of Jo-jo the reg plumber having done the last service. Him of the $50 reg service - "I took it all apart and hosed all of the pieces down good with WD-40 and lubed em back up with the best grade Pennvoline 05-W30 synthetic. Only had two pieces left over when I put it all back together!".

 

[Gone for diving]

All I had to go by was the nice shiny panflets that the dive store had on a rack of the different brands,

Yes I did by a new set of regs, brass spg, both are in use 20+ years later,
They originally had a problem with the second stage seat backing off, but after the update, zero problems. Ice diving and all.
They have been overhauled, the first few years, but haven't been touched in 10-15 years, going strong,
I definitely got my money's worth out of them.

There are many different regs I have gotten that worked after sitting for years...

But most of my stuff is fresh water gear, so I am sure that makes a huge difference...

 

[chillyinCanada]

I wasn't trying to outfit a family, only myself.

I've been diving the same reg, that I bought new, 25-30 years ago.

I've only had 2 bcds. The first one is still a working unit though it hasn't been in the water for at least 15 years. It's a jacket and a Dacor so I haven't been able to bring myself to offload it.

My "new" bcd has needed a couple of tweaks over the years. The usual stuff, with the pin or the gasket. The replaced inflator hose is a different brand than the bcd and I prefer the replacement.

Obviously, I'm not a gear head but I'm a traveling diver and everytime that i coveted new gear, I thought of the plane ticket or how many dives that I could have instead.

I count lots of things in my life that way nowadays. How many dives in Raja Ampat will that beautiful item pay for if I don't buy it. What do I need? I need to dive.

 

[davehicks]

New divers should not buy used gear. You don't know what you don't know as a new diver. Unless you have a very experienced diver providing guidance, just save yourself the trouble and buy new.

It takes a fair amount of experience and knowledge to be able to wisely examine and price a bit of old gear, knowing if it is in any sort of useful condition, serviceable, and priced to take into account any service needed. Many people will end up paying more for used gear when they end up buying twice to correct for a bad purchase.

 

[Wibble]

New divers should not buy used gear. You don't know what you don't know as a new diver. Unless you have a very experienced diver providing guidance, just save yourself the trouble and buy new.

It takes a fair amount of experience and knowledge to be able to wisely examine and price a bit of old gear, knowing if it is in any sort of useful condition, serviceable, and priced to take into account any service needed. Many people will end up paying more for used gear when they end up buying twice to correct for a bad purchase.

Some things are easier to buy second hand than others. A BCD/Wing: just needs to stay inflated and not look like it's been dragged through a hedge backwards. OK, someone rocks up with a bargain i3 and the novice thinks its good

The main thing is that as a novice, you really should ask for advice unless it's precisely the item that's been recommended.

 

[davehicks]

Some things are easier to buy second hand than others. A BCD/Wing: just needs to stay inflated and not look like it's been dragged through a hedge backwards. OK, someone rocks up with a bargain i3 and the novice thinks its good

The main thing is that as a novice, you really should ask for advice unless it's precisely the item that's been recommended.

Well, the BC Inflator also needs to work without sticking open. Poorly maintained BCs often have this issue, and it has hurt or killed divers.

 

[Marie13]

The used gear I see on my local Craigslist is generally stuff from the 80s and 90s. Lots of Dacor regs. Old AL80 tanks. Old BCDs and neon colored wetsuits that even LOOK stiff.

Junk.

 

[Belzelbub]

New divers should not buy used gear. You don't know what you don't know as a new diver. Unless you have a very experienced diver providing guidance, just save yourself the trouble and buy new.

Unfortunately, the same can often be said when buying new. Plenty of shops see new divers as ways to make some more money. After all, doesn’t every new diver need an Atomic BC2 paired with a TFX paired with a Garmin MK2i with transmitter? Granted, they will all work well, but the new diver could also save a ton of money with gear that is pretty much just as capable for significantly less.

Well, the BC Inflator also needs to work without sticking open. Poorly maintained BCs often have this issue, and it has hurt or killed divers.

And that’s a $30-$50 replacement. If it holds air, and was a good deal, it probably still is.

New or used, the new diver shopping for their first gear needs to do some homework. Ideally, they have someone they trust that can help evaluate that used gear to make sure it really is a good deal. Likewise, that trusted diver can also make sure that the dive shop is not overselling.

When buying new, you can pretty much guarantee that the gear will work. If not, the warranty will come into play. When buying used, the purchaser would factor in the cost of service. A lot of the used regulators I see for sale end up being a crappy deal when service is factored in. Then, it’s just better to buy new.