Lifespan of your gear

[theslyfox01]

Hi everyone, I was wondering how long your personal gear usually lasts, how many years/dives do you get out of a set of regs, or your BC, etc etc assuming its well cared for and serviced reasonably often.

I've decided to get all new gear (apart from a tank) since I figure paying an extra $US500 to get all new gear instead of 3 or 4 year old gear will be worth it in the long-run, after it lasts twice as long since I'm going to treat it like a baby

 

[Hallmac]

I have yet to wear out a regulator. Have a horse collar BC from the seventies that still works fine. I would hazzard a ball park of 25 to 30 years with proper care. You will find that you upgrade to newer technology long before the equipment wears out.

Hallmac

 

[ElectricZombie]

Hi,

Quality gear will last a very long time with proper care. You can probably expect at least 15 - 20 years of use. (Assuming that you take good care of everything and do not use it in a pool!) I have regulators from the early 80's that have been used frequently yet still work perfectly.

On that note, take your time and buy gear that you will be satisfied with years from now. Do it right the first time and you won't have to buy all new gear later.

I would do some serious research here on ScubaBoard to help get an idea of what gear choices would be best.

Best of luck.

 

[Mo2vation]

Get good prices, and take care of your stuff:

* Dunk it after every dive trip - but a trashcan, fill it with fresh water and dunk everything really good after every trip.

* Dry it out of direct sunlight. Sun fades. Not as fast as a pool will fade, but it fades.

* Keep it properly stored between dives

I'm not the lifer like some people on the board - but I can tell you this - I have never sold a piece of gear for significantly less than I paid for it when I upgraded. I had my Balance for 3 years and got what I paid for it when I re-sold it. I moved into a Black Diamond, and got a LOT more than I paid for it when I re-sold it to get my BP/W. I just sold my light cannon for $12 more than I paid for it almost a year ago. Same with my fins, masks, etc. Because I mow through gear, I try to keep my stuff in great shape for resale. I think I'm settling on the rig that I'll stick with for awhile - so I may stop flipping stuff soon.

I can't imagine, with the exception of fins, gloves and other high-abrasion gear, wearing stuff out. The only thing I've ever worn out was my dive bag. I killed it because I packed my weights in it, and on occasion, my cylinder. DUMB.

As others have said, most of your stuff should last for years and years.

Ken

 

[Dr. Jay]

theslyfox01 once bubbled...
I was wondering how long your personal gear usually lasts...

However long it takes to find something cooler?

I find myself in this situation quite often . Take ElectricZombie's advice and DIRTFT ut:.

 

[scubaredneck]

I dive on USD Conshelfs that are 20-25 years old. They work fine in about every situation I've dove them in. I also have a couple of old backpacks and an old Parkway horsecollar that I drag out occassionally. Again, this works fine since it has been well cared for.

Jay hit the nail squarely on the head, IMHO, in that it has very little to do with the actual life-span of the gear and much more to do with is there something out there that's cooler that you want more.

 

[RICHinNC]

I would agree with the pool comment if the pool was clorinated.

But if you can find a pool that uses bromide instead....and you clean your gear after use....it is no worse than sea water... if fact.. sea water is worse if you dont clean well afterwards

 

[Diver0001]

theslyfox01 once bubbled...
Hi everyone, I was wondering how long your personal gear usually lasts, how many years/dives do you get out of a set of regs, or your BC, etc etc assuming its well cared for and serviced reasonably often.

I've decided to get all new gear (apart from a tank) since I figure paying an extra $US500 to get all new gear instead of 3 or 4 year old gear will be worth it in the long-run, after it lasts twice as long since I'm going to treat it like a baby

Here's my experience:

Without major repairs this is what I manage. I'm not particularly hard on gear but it gets used fairly intensively:

- BCD is worn out in about 15 years. Beginning of the end is when air leaks out around the vents and seams/welds.
- Regs will last as long as you can get parts.
- I've never worn out a pair of fins or a mask but as time goes by I've replaced both because better designs appeared.
- Wetsuit 10 years
- Wetsuit gloves 2-3 years
- Wetsuit shoes 5 years
- Drysuit 10+ years but only with care and constant maintenance. Latex seals will need to be replaced at least twice in that time.
- Tanks about 15-20 years. In the old days a tank that survived 3 hydros was a good one. I'm not sure what the stats say about the new ones.

Does that help?

R..

 

[theslyfox01]

looks like when I get my new gear It's going to last a long time with proper care, thanks for the info on it guys

 

[leadweight]

In one of the manuals for the Zeagle Ranger it said that the useful life of a BC in storage was 7 years.

I doubt that this is true, and it may be an attempt by Zeagle to limit its liability under the lifetime warranty it gives