Neighbor Gave Me a BC and Reg, LDS Says Toss 'Em

[Rico R.]

As the title says, my neighbor gave me one of his BCs and an old regulator. The BC is a SeaQuest ProQD, the regulator second stage appears to be a ScubaPro 109. Here's what the LDS said. (Quick disclaimer: I am not discounting the LDS' words, just looking for a second [or third] opinion)

BC is a small, she said it was too small. I'm about 6', 170 lbs, so pretty slim. She said the cummerbund should go over the bellybutton, then adjusted it so it did. Then said it was too small. She noticed there weren't any weights in the vest, that's when she said it's worthless trash.

She barely looked at the reg before calling it old trash, too. Said it was unserviceable, too old.

The power inflator looks to be missing it's sleeve. Is this replaceable?

Now, I'm not a diver. I've only used a regulator once. The regulator I used looked to be something like the 109 I have, an old ScubaPro. However, this one is owned by a 30+ year rescue diver. He's the one who gave me the 109 in the first place.

So here's where I'm at. Is the BC a total loss? It feels like it fits well, it fit well in the pool, it was comfortable with a tank, it holds air, and my diving friend says it fits me well. But, the dive shop says it's trash.
Is the regulator setup a total loss? It seems like it's in decent shape, the diaphragm is nice and supple, but the dive shop says it's trash. I've seen on here many people rebuilding their 109— is that something a beginner should not do?

And, lastly, would any of your answers change if, instead of being a total newbie, I had 8 years diving experience? I really appreciate any help!

 

[CycleCat]

The BC still looks too small for you but could be fine for someone else. I would not trash it. It just needs weight pockets.

I can't answer to the regs but I'll bet there are a dozen people on this board that would like to have them to rebuild and use.

 

[napDiver]

I'm only commenting on the jacket. If you feel it fits you fine with your exposure gear. All you need is to wear your weight via a weight belt.

For a bcd, minimal requirements are fit (picture seem to be fine maybe a little high), does it have enough lift capacity to get you buoyant at the bottom (I'll assume it does), and does it have any damage (leaks, cracks, etc).

I'd inflate your bcd manually to full. Then let it sit for 30 mins and see if it holds pressure. You may lose a tiny bit of pressure, but it should hold stiff. If it passes, it should be fine. Tbh what your lds rents or sells you will be similar. After diving for a while, you may decide to upgrade but you'll know a lot more about what you want. Do you want quick release pockets, bow, quick release, sternum, etc.

 

[Marie13]

@Rico R.

You said you’re not a diver. I’m assuming you want to get certified. If the BC fits (I’ll let others pass judgement on that), even if it doesn’t have weight pockets, you can just use a weight belt, if you wish.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

As soon as you get in the water, that chest strap will become a noose. I would give it to a smaller person, but not before removing the chest strap.

 

[runsongas]

keep the 109 2nd and rebuild it, vintagedoublehose has parts as needed. grab a 108/109/156/g250 and pair it together. conshelf would also work (just avoid the yellow plastic ones). consider upgrading to a mk5 heavy yoke, mk10, or conshelf 14/21/22 first stage though. if you aren't mechanically inclined, you can mail it out to a dedicated service shop or reach out to someone like @rsingler or @herman from this board that likes to rebuild regs.

if that seaquest is equipped with the i3 inflation as it looks to be, you can try diving it as is if the i3 is working and the bcd doesn't leak, but be prepared that it won't be worth fixing if there is a problem.

 

[GJC]

Yeah, the BC is too small for you. Replacement weight pockets may be hard to find and may not be worth the cost to get that BCD usable. Depending on the age of the BCD, the bladder may or may not be in good shape. Try inflating it and see if it leaks overnight. The inflator valve my need to be serviced but that's an easy fix.

The first stage is a Scubapro MKI. It's old but usable but you may have to shop around for a Scubapro tech to work on it. Any Scubapro tech really should be willing to do it. The downside of it is that the yoke is not rated for 3000 psi tanks and has only 1 LP port. I see an adapter has been added to give you more ports for your BCD inflator hose and there probably is another one for an octopus regulator on that adapter.

The second stage is a Scubapro 109, which is an old regulator but performs better than a good number of new ones that are on the market today. You should have no trouble finding a tech to service it.

The chrome on the regulator appears to be in very good shape. If you decide to sell it, post it here or on EBay. $100 is a reasonable starting price for EBay.

 

[rhwestfall]

The first stage (@Luis H , @axxel57 ) is a real old [and "recalled"?] that some collector might like (Mark-1?). The second stage is a gem! Send both to me!

 

[Rico R.]

Thank you all!

As soon as you get in the water, that chest strap will become a noose. I would give it to a smaller person, but not before removing the chest strap.

Ooh, good call. When I was floating around in my pool I didn’t buckle the top strap, I’m sure if I had that’s the first thing that would’ve happened.

If that seaquest is equipped with the i3 inflation as it looks to be, you can try diving it as is if the i3 is working and the bcd doesn't leak, but be prepared that it won't be worth fixing if there is a problem.

I was able to hook the vest up to my neighbors tank, it filled right up and held it for the hour I spent at the bottom of my pool.
I’ll hang onto the BC for home use, playing in my pool. Half the reason I want my cert is just to be able to experiment underwater in my pool.

It looks like VDH has some pretty good guides/videos on overhauling the second stage, I’ll keep that in my back pocket. And very affordable kits!

 

[rhwestfall]

Those regulators appear in "like new" condition, and might garner some interest from collectors if they are a clean as they appear....