Moldy Zeagle Ranger?

[grassyknoll]

Okay, my Ranger is not actually moldy but I have a question maybe some of you long-term Ranger owners can answer. In the Zeagle owner's manual it mentions that the "shelf life" of their BC is 7 years . So I'm wondering what the reality is, mine is at least 5 years old and looks almost new, I relaize you can trash a BC quickly if you use it heavily in a pool, leave it in the sun, drag it behind your truck etc...But really, if you methodically clean and care for your Ranger what kind of life can you get out of it? Or should I give it the sniff-test and chuck it when it starts to go bad?
Anyone have any personal experiences with their Ranger thay want to pass on?

 

[james croft]

Are you talking about the bladder or the BC?
I replaced a bladder due to stripped threads on the inlator hose fitting, but the BC is something I doubt I will ever wear out. Mine is just a little faded after ten years of hard use. I would think the bladder may get nasty if not cared for but just rinse it out well and add some BC Life to it. That BC is rugged and will serve you for a long time with a little TLC.

 

[scarefaceDM]

Like everything else...if you do not take care of it..it will fail on you when you need it the most.

After pool sessions...rince it well...After salt water diving...rince it everyday very well...After any diving...rince it well...

Check for cracks, leaks and un-stiched areas. If you happen to see that seems are separating..get them fixed ASAP..

That RANGER is bullet proof.
Every season...rince the inner bladder with BC life and flush well...

What can stick is the inflator button. The spring can break or get gunk in it. It happened to me on a routine inspection before I hit the water. Called the dive..fix it..did the second dive. Got my replacement upgrade parts from Zeagle they were great to deal with.
it will serve you for a long time.

 

[grassyknoll]

james croft/scareface DM,

Thanks for the advice, what I am specifically referencing is the statement in the Zeagle owner's manaual that states: "The shelf life for a new, unused BC when deflated and stored in dry place at room temperature, with no exposure to ultraviolet (UV), light is seven years."
It just seems to be an odd statement and I don't exactly understand how this relates to it's useful life expectancy. I know there is a Zeagle rep who is a member of SB maybe he can shed some light on this. Should I be keeping my BC in the frige with the mayo and beer? At seven yerars should I chuck it and go plunk down another $600 (yeah, right!).

S

 

[Cheekymonkey]

I would imagine they are referring to the average wear a diver puts on it and lack of maitnence that most people preform leaving them to die at 7years.

 

[james croft]

Wow, that means you are going to need to dive the heck out of it to keep it from self-destruction. Just goes to show you that you should never, ever read the directions.
Don't sweat it, it will last a lot longer than that.

Also the fridge idea is a bad one. I put a head of lettuce in mine and in just six months it had transformed itself into a bag of brown water.

 

[The Kraken]

They have to give themselves a little escape clause.
I can see some guy getting a new B/C when he does his O/W, goes on one or two dives, gets married, has some kids, doesn't go diving until the kids are out of high school and then thinks . . . .

. . . I'm going diving !!!!

He pulls his trusty Zeagle Ranger off the top shelf in the garage, inflates it and the bladder gives up the ghost. Now he wants a warranty replacement because he's dived it only 6 times !!!!

the K

 

[scarefaceDM]

I knew what you meant..

If it is not used...it dries up and cracks or creats condensation and produces...EW mold...Warm dry place...funny..I have never seen a dive shop that is dry..

normal wear and tear and a routine cleaning..and lots of diving.

 

[The Kraken]

Like a previous member posted, the Zeagle B/C's are darned near bullet proof. And Zeagle's after sales support is excellent.

I've a "Tech" that I bought about 8 years ago and it's still going strong. The vast majority of my diving is in fresh water and it hasn't even started to show any significant signs of fading.

the K

 

[Gil57usa]

My Fire Dept. SCUBA Team has been using the same Rangers for almost ten years. Proper care and maintenance will keep it prime for many years.