Inheriting my dad's early '90s equipment - safe? How to check it?

[buddhasummer]

Curiosity is killing me, please post some pics if you can. Failing that the reg, assuming Yoke, will have a badge on it, ditto the second stages. Are the second stages metal or plastic. I'm gonna guess based on age and say a MK10/15 with G250...

 

[rhwestfall]

I was thinking D-Series

 

[2airishuman]

Regs are Scuba Pro, and it turns out it's all from 1986 (older than I thought) if that makes a difference. Gauges are by Oceanic I think? Tanks are aluminum, 80 cubic ft.

Tanks are from an era when the quality of the aluminum was poor. While in theory they can be used, they require extra inspections and many dive shops will not fill them. I would scrap them. Regulators will be fine with routine service, though I would replace all the hoses even though some would say it isn't necessary. Gauges are iffy, usually I find the ones that old are unreliable and have to be replaced. Enjoy the journey

 

[scubafanatic]

There are lots of VERY OLD rubber bits in that gear (assorted O-rings in 1st and 2nd stages, SPG, diaphragms, all hoses, neoprene) that I would have replaced, when you tally up all that, you may be unpleasantly surprised at the expense.

I'm not 'anti-vintage' as over the last few years have purchased a ton of nice Scubapro Mk5/109 + 156's via E-bay and Scubaboard, but I paid asking prices and spent a bunch of $ on getting them fully serviced/upgraded to better-than-new specs, but these were emotional purchases, not money saving purchases, as I just like how they look, not as a good financial savings move.

 

[grf88]

Before condemning it all why not wait until Katie gets back with photos. Maybe the tanks are Catalina or maybe newer than 86. Maybe the regs are a desirable model that is well worth restoring. Some of you should be working in an LDS pushing new stuff when it is not necessary.

 

[buddhasummer]

I was thinking D-Series

Time will tell, I'll bet you a beer....

 

[rhwestfall]

Time will tell, I'll bet you a beer....

 

[scubafanatic]

Before condemning it all why not wait until Katie gets back with photos. Maybe the tanks are Catalina or maybe newer than 86. Maybe the regs are a desirable model that is well worth restoring. Some of you should be working in an LDS pushing new stuff when it is not necessary.

Not pushing brand new stuff, but there's tons of recent vintage, lightly used bargains on E-Bay, etc that would likely be $ well spent vs resurrecting 30+ yr old stuff.

 

[Bob DBF]

Tanks are from an era when the quality of the aluminum was poor.

With the exception of the 6351 alloy, aluminum tanks now are made from the same alloy (6061) they were back when they started building AL tanks. The arbitrary rules some dive shops use to exclude "bad" tanks defy logic.

Before condemning it all why not wait until Katie gets back with photos. Maybe the tanks are Catalina or maybe newer than 86.

They even made steel tanks back in the olden days.


Bob

 

[grf88]

With the exception of the 6351 alloy, aluminum tanks now are made from the same alloy (6061) they were back when they started building AL tanks. The arbitrary rules some dive shops use to exclude "bad" tanks defy logic.



They even made steel tanks back in the olden days.



Bob

She did state they were aluminum 80's