Old Gear vs New Gear

[KeithG]

Ahhh! Finally a partial pitch for the new gear crowd.

I know there are more "latest greatest" gear guys. I can see it on dive decks across the world.

I agree - there are lots of "shiny pebble" divers out there. Maybe they are too afraid to speak up on this thread? the original thread tone was "how old is your stuff" as opposed to "how new is your stuff".

But I think this is mostly a technology thing. Dive computers, camera and dive lights mostly. Although i have seen lots of people bragging about their awesome new high tech flippers. Not so much when it comes to booties.

---------- Post added August 8th, 2014 at 12:32 PM ----------

Not so much when it comes to booties.

Hang on a minute. I have an idea! We are all going to be rich: INFLATABLE booties! Guaranteed to properly compensate for negatively buoyant fins and lead foot syndrome!

The deluxe model will feature a builtin foot heater. The high tec powerpack will utilize an embedded solar charger. So please make sure to dive in high viz conditions for maximum performance.

 

[Nemrod]

As an inland diver I don't get our as much as those of you living in great dive places but, like most in Colorado we hold our own. So our gear doesn't get as much use. All my stuff is really old. My Poseidon regulator set is one of my original gear purchases in 2001, same with my fins. My lights are old C-8 and C-4 incandescent. I just wore out a second BC. I think travel is harder on BC's than diving. Ran my last computer until it just quit. Could hardly read the screen on land it was so scratched up. Wear exposure protection until it rots off of me or shrinks too much. Gear bags fall apart before I give them up.

I like having new things but for some reason I just run dive gear 'til it quits. So are you a new gear guy/gal or a old gear guy/gal?

I regularly dive, in fact, just about every dive my first regulator, a 1966 Calypso J regulator, it rides shotgun duty on my PRAM HPR and now on my Argonaut Kraken (for the time being). I have quite a few items I bought in the late 60s and early 70s that I still use and a bunch from the 80s I still use. Multiple sets of Conshelfs I have owned for years though I did buy a NOS unit a couple of years ago, quite a few other regulators. My SP Jet fins are from circa 1980 as is my Tekna regulator set and my Tekna knife. My Seiko 6309 dive watch, yep, still wear it often. I dive on occasion a 1956 Pico address USD Mistral that was given to me about circa 1967ish, not sure exactly.

Since when is 2001 really old, sounds new to me? Wetsuits and similar rubber goods, of that nature that come and go, I do not get attached to wetsuits, drysuits and BCs. I do not consider that stuff to be durable goods, sort of disposable really. I do have an old Sharkskin 1/4inch Parkaways Rubatex G231 suit from the early 70s that still fits and I still use it.

Of course, I have plenty of new stuff too, I pick from my extensive gear pile the things I like at the moment, which changes, and which fits into my current dive think and planned dive/trip.

N

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I gotta chuckle.

The makers and sellers sell gear based on the pitch that it's the best and will last a lifetime. With regs it seems to be true in many cases.
Regs from 1956 and the 60's, all still kicking just like when they came out of the box and were used for the first time.
The gear makers have to make stuff that won't fail. The gear sellers like to sell stuff that won't fail. Nobody want's to be responsible for killing someone with shoddy gear.
The by product of making stuff that good is that it will last forever. This is not good for gear makers and sellers, they want to sell you new stuff.
But it's great for us because we don't have to go in every 10 years and buy something new...unless we get bored. But whenever I've bought new stuff I was disapointed that it didn't work any better than the old stuff.
I'm actually going to sell off some newer gear and just keep using my old gear. I like the old stuff better.

Kind of a catch 22 for the gear makers and sellers, don't you think?

 

[ev780]

I gotta chuckle.

<snip>

Kind of a catch 22 for the gear makers and sellers, don't you think?

I think you might be right. Regs and other hardware seems to last forever. Very difficult to build in planned obsolescence with life support equipment. Computers maybe. Just slow down the operating system a bit with firmware changes and customers will buy a new one. My BC's seem to wear out. Velcro gets weak, zippers fail, fastex clips break, and I have a leak in my current BC where the fabric and bladder got pinched.

I have a friend in the furniture business and she said they figured out the same thing. They were building real quality stuff that no one would ever replace. Really, how often do you upgrade your sofa?

 

[scubadiver888]

Most people realize repeat business is good business. However, if you sell me something which fails apart I'll do business with someone else. So how do I build a good regulator but guarantee repeat business? The answer is service. You need to have your regulator serviced. If you buy something and it lasts for 30 years, you are going to have to service it at least 15 times. I can try to encourage you to service it annually for 30 times. Even if you pay $900 for a regulator, it will amount to $30/year if it lasts for 30 years. If I charge $60 plus parts to service it, I'll make $30/year plus parts if you service it every 2 years. If I can convince you to service it annually I'll be making $60/year plus parts.

Heck, I can make a regulator, mark it up 5%, make almost no money on it but still make a lot of money on parts and service.