Older BC - worries?

[dwcoffey]

Hi folks!
I've got a tight budget, but need a BC. I have an acquaintance who owns an Oceanic Flex (roughly 8 yrs old), in very good shape...holds air, has both weight pockets, no tears or rips, all buckles are good, inflator is good, etc. and he's offered it to me at a very nice price. I have no problem diving with older gear, but just want to be safe. Is there anything other than getting it serviced I should worry about? Thanks!!
Dennis

 

[iamrushman]

does it fit?...if so; go for it.....have it serviced and if it passes then use it...

 

[tbone1004]

i wouldn't bother getting it serviced. Only thing to service is the inflator and you can DIY that pretty easily. That said, I wouldn't buy a stab jacket unless it was under $50 and only then because the inflator and OPV are good to have around.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

8 Years isn't all that old for a BCD provided it's been taken care of. That said, take it to a reputable shop for a quick once over.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Gear lasts a long time if it is taken care of - and it sounds like it was. If you want it and need it then buy it - I buy used equipment all the time... And yes I am on a budget too.

 

[Belzelbub]

A BC is really very simple. It's got a few jobs, and all are pretty easy to evaluate.

Primary job is to hold air. This will probably be the hardest to test, but only because it takes time. Fill it full of air from a tank. Specifically, try to fill it so that one of the OPVs releases some air. Leave it sit for a few minutes, then a few hours. Check on it, if still firm, leave it sit overnight. If it's still holding air, then this part of the test is good. If it was noticeably less full after these tests, then you may need to see if you can't sink it to locate some bubbles. If the BC failed this test early on, you may have a significant issue, either with the valves or the bladder itself. The water test, if necessary, will tell you where to look.

Another job is to hold a tank. Strap one on, tighten and lift. If nothing fell apart, then that's probably fine. You can wet the bands, and tighten them to the tank overnight while you do the air test. This is really to make sure they don't stretch on you when you dive with it.

Another job is to hold weight. Seems like you may already have this covered. As long as the weights don't fall out, you should be good. Put some weights in the pocket, and shake it a bit. If they stay in place, then you probably don't have anything to worry about.

Two of my dive buddies use older used BCs. One has a former rental BC. That one is showing it's age, but still passes the tests above. Only really showing it's age as it's faded a bit from sun and chlorine. Looks more brown than black. The other buddy bought my old BC. It was probably 8-9 years old when I sold it to him. Still looked almost pristine, and everything worked great. I was pretty anal about cleaning after each dive.

 

[dwcoffey]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions. Based on all your input, I bought it.

 

[Papa3]

The guy who leads many of our dives wears a Buddy Commando that he thinks is about 30 years old and has done over 15,000 dives with. Buy right, buy once.

 

[tbone1004]

i will mention regarding age that my singles rig from Dive Rite is pushing 15 years old with at least 600 dives that I've put on it and it was well used when I got it.... Most of my other gear is newer, but still 5-6 years old and still looks fine. Take care of it

 

[iamrushman]

post a photo and let us have a look at your new old BC.....