New or used gear?

[serrada]

Hello and welcome. I have been diving regularly since 85 and have bought plenty of used gear on eBay and else ware. Mechanically, regulators are pretty simple devices. Not a lot can go wrong with them unless they are rusted out, or crack and that’s unlikely with the quality of products produced today. So the real issue is the O-rings going bad. If you buy on a place like eBay just get it serviced and you’re good to go. Also, remember to factor in this initial service cost. A regulator not covered under the factory warranty can cost upwards to $150 to get serviced annually. If you get a new regulator with the warranty your first service will be a year or two (depending on the mfrs requirements) after purchasing and cost as little as $50. Like I said, in my experience I’ve had no problems buying off eBay, BUT I’ve only purchased well known manufactures like late models Scubapro, Aqualung, Atomic, etc. Good Luck.

PS. For me I always replace the mouth pieces on used gear which is another added cost.

 

[imasinker]

Nothing wrong with buying used. I tend to shy away from ebay or other places simular. If It comes down to masks, fins suits well ok. High end equipment computers and sor forth I like new because of warranty issues and service. Used shop equipment is great, like posted previously, Lds service equipment regularly and not only that you can still have it serviced with them since they tend to use gear they sell in store so parts and upgrades are always easier to get. When you buy from online from ebay or such others you really don't know the history or service of that product. You could waste money easily if you don't know what to look for. When I first decided to dive my LDS put a package together. I picked the regs BCD and dive computer I wanted and then allowed me to make payments on my gear so I could actually buy new gear and not kill the wallet. I was then able to take the course using my own gear. I can't say all LDS offer such deals but It is worth looking into. Just food for thought

 

[jjordanov]

Hi guys, just came from scuba shop and they expected the gear I bought few days ago (used) using your advices. It seems that is just great for its money. Even the guy in the shop said this is a good price. Of course it is used and it does not "smell" like new but it isn't in bad condition. They told me in the shop that I could use it without servicing because it's been serviced a while ago, but I preferred to do so. It's like buying used car - you change the oil, battery, filters, belts and so on no matter what the previous owner says...
So thanks a lot guys and hope you all get nice time down under...

 

[shoturtle]

Hi guys,
I am newbie to this activity and I would like to buy my own equipment so I won't need the rental gear to take a dive. I crawled this forum and google products (froogle) and found a lot of different regulator sets, BC's etc... I am looking forward for an expert opinion - should I buy some used (rental) gear (2 even 3 times cheaper) or should I buy new one? I am not very sure about the quality different brands offer, but what I've heard AquaLung is the oldest one - isn't it? So they should have great experience and produce reliable stuff. Does this mean that AL used equipment is more reliable than others?
Thank you for your answers.

Jordan

Pretty much all modern gear are equally reliable and have similar in features in each price range, and it just comes down to brand preference. No one brand is better then another. AL is good, so is SP, Mares, Oceanic, Aeris, and so on.

With the new vs. used, it up to your budget and preference. With used, the service history and condition play a factor, if it had not been service recently, you may have to factor that cost in.

There is no real right answer, it comes down to the factors affecting your decision, budget, what they of diving you plan to do, how often you will be diving, the condition of the used equipment vs the price of the new.

Take you time, figure out what your needs are, and start looking once you have decided.