Older gear

[Brewski]

have your local LDS look at it, I would thing at the very least they would want to replace the O rings.

 

[Nick_W]

Oreocookie, you should take that regulator into an LDS that sells/services Scubapro regs and have them check it out. The Mark VII isn't as good as some of the other older Scubapro regs out there, but its still a pretty solid regulator. There was a recall on them back in the late 70's for an O-ring problem or something of that nature, but other than that I haven't heard of any major problems with them. But I'm by no means an expert....

Plus, if I'm not mistaken, the Mark VII is one of the first stages that has the low air alarm on it.

 

[squidster]

If you purcase a ScubaPro MK2/R190 you are purchasing a real good basic reg,that can be serviced at a dive shop who handles scubapro.
Be careful of used BC , i purchased one on ebay and when i got it ,it was a leaker.
The LDS told me that all the dump valves would have to be overhauled so i took the air 2 off of it and purchased a new bc and had him put air 2 on it.
I didnt do too bad because the vest with air 2 was still less$ than purchasing air2 new.
you can get a new Scubapro mk 2 from dealer for about 260.00
ihave done about anything you can think of when buying scuba gear,if i had to do it again i would do this.
1 Reg Brand new balanced reg. 1st and 2cnd stages
2 new mid priced BC
3 air2 new or used
4 new dive computer

if you follow these guidlines you wont have to do much with your equipment other then service for at least 5 years
And you wont hve a lot of old equipment you wont use laying around.

 

[MuddyRubberDuck]

I ended up buying the r190 and mk2 for $70 I don't know if That was good or bad but I know scubapro is a good brand and I had the money. I am going today to look at an oceanic bc at a used sports store. My buddy works there so I'll get some money off. Its marked 200 and the scuba shop next door checks out everything brought in because they don't deal in used gear so they do it as a favor. I'm not sure what the model is but its my size, weight integrated and looks brand new.
Neil

 

[Gilldiver]

Something to remember is that with today's shipping companies (FedEx, DHL, UPS, or even the Post Office priority mail) your LDS may not be anywhere near you. I live in Connecticut and my LDS is Technical Diving Limited (TDL) in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I send my regs out to Joel and Scotty because I know that they will service all of them to the standards that I want for my diving and they will never give me any crap about old gear which I would expect from some of the shops around here. Also, their turn around time, including shipping, has been equal to, if not better then, some of the local shops.

Why don't I use the 3 or 4 local shops in CT that could do the work? Because
1) Some of them tend to have new service guys every 2 or 3 years. They come and they go.
2) I just don't know the service guys – I'm not going to give a guy my life support equipment If I don't know him
3) Driving the 30 to 100 miles round trip is just not something I want to do when FedEx is 1 mile away and the post office is 1.5 miles away.

I am 47 years old with two kids and have been diving for 32 years (Oh My God, it's been that long!) and just have better things to do with my limited time.

 

[offthewall1]

I was wondering if there are any disadvantages to buying older gear as long as it is in good working order and is serviced. I hate to be the cheap guy in an expensive sport, but I want to avoid the rental fees and buy new/better stuff one piece at a time while still having gear that gets me in and out of the water safely. Is there any reason that this is a bad Idea. I have noticed some older gear that seems to be in good condition that I can get cheaper because it is the older model stuff. I mean by the time I rent 10 times I could be in a nice set of used gear.


Thanks
Neil

P.S. I dont mind looking retro as long as I get to dive.

I don't know where you're shopping ... but nice used gear after renting 10 times? I can put you in nice new gear after renting 5 times... My advice... shop around a little more... Welcome to your new adventure!

 

[offthewall1]

I ended up buying the r190 and mk2 for $70 I don't know if That was good or bad but I know scubapro is a good brand and I had the money. I am going today to look at an oceanic bc at a used sports store. My buddy works there so I'll get some money off. Its marked 200 and the scuba shop next door checks out everything brought in because they don't deal in used gear so they do it as a favor. I'm not sure what the model is but its my size, weight integrated and looks brand new.
Neil

Again, we sell new BCD's in the $200 range...

With that said... assuming the MK2 R190 has been serviced recently, you got a great regulator. I have dove this basic low end Scubapro reg for many years and it outperforms many higher priced brands. Just have everything you buy used serviced by a reputable shop before diving it. Be safe and happy diving!

 

[Colliam7]

I was wondering if there are any disadvantages to buying older gear as long as it is in good working order and is serviced.

There is a distinction between 'older' and 'used'. At times they are the same, but I suspect your question is as much about 'used' as anything. 'Older' might include items (Dacor was mentioned) for which parts / support are no longer available. 'Used' could include rental gear, gear purchased on eBay, etc. I am a big advocate of used gear, but the cautions expressed about recognizing price value are spot on. Identify a few brands / models that you will consider - don't simply buy a BC or reg because it is cheap - then research new prices (LDS and on-line) and set a limit on what you want to pay for used gear (my eBay limit is 50% of the lowest new price, for example). If you live in an area with only one or two LDS, you may want to limit your selection to brands they carry and service.

 

[enterkin]

since "old regs" have been mentioned a few times in this thread, I thought I'd add a question of my own. I'm planning on finally learning to dive this summer and since my mom used to dive but doesn't anymore, I was planning on using some of her old gear (mainly fins) for a while in order to lower the initial costs... She learned to dive in the late '70s, but didn't dive for very long, and so there's a Scubapro Mark VII reg in my basement doing not much of anything... she had it checked out in '86 (mostly to get a resale value, I think) and apparently it was "in working order" back then, though I don't know what 22 years in a basement will do to it. Basically, I'm wondering if there's a point in getting it checked out again, have hoses changed or whatever else. (It's got 2 second stages and a pressure gauge on it, but no bc inflator hose). Should I even bother with this or just use the shop rental until I can get my own new one? Any input would be appreciated.

I can probably give you an idea of what it would take to overhaul that Mk 7 regulator. I recently had my parents Scubapro Mk5 overhauled. The last time it was serviced (or used for that matter) was about 10 years ago. With 10 years of disuse it needed new bubble deflectors (old were falling apart from dryrot), new SPG (old one was too scratched to read), new o-rings, and all new hoses (inflator hose had been moved to a newer regulator, and the primary and octo hoses were 33 years old). Total for parts was almost $180, new SPG $120, and labor was $75.

I'm not sorry I had the overhaul done, now I have two good regulators and can use one when the other is in for annual service. But it wasn't a cheap option and cost almost as much as my new regulator I bought last November. Chances are that your mother's regulator will be in similar shape.

 

[redacted]

since "old regs" have been mentioned a few times in this thread, I thought I'd add a question of my own. I'm planning on finally learning to dive this summer and since my mom used to dive but doesn't anymore, I was planning on using some of her old gear (mainly fins) for a while in order to lower the initial costs... She learned to dive in the late '70s, but didn't dive for very long, and so there's a Scubapro Mark VII reg in my basement doing not much of anything... she had it checked out in '86 (mostly to get a resale value, I think) and apparently it was "in working order" back then, though I don't know what 22 years in a basement will do to it. Basically, I'm wondering if there's a point in getting it checked out again, have hoses changed or whatever else. (It's got 2 second stages and a pressure gauge on it, but no bc inflator hose). Should I even bother with this or just use the shop rental until I can get my own new one? Any input would be appreciated.

My Mk7 "Honker" with a Balanced Adjustable (156) primary and an Adjustable (109) secondary is one of my favorite regs. You do have to make sure the yoke on the Mk7 is the heavy yoke rated for 3000 psi. Otherwise the 1st stage may best be used as a paperweight. Annual service parts are still available and all hoses are standard. Metal replacement parts will be hard to find but unlikely to be required. Scubapro recently dropped parts support for the diaphragm cover and exhaust-Ts for the metal 2nds but you may still be able to find them in some shop's stock if you need any. I wold not expect 20 years in a cool dank basement would be much of a problem so you may have a pretty good reg there that just needs a basic tune-up service. That Mk7 will have a big effect on your trim - may be good if you tend to be a bit leg heavy.

One word of caution. The Mk7 should start its low air warning honk when tank pressure falls to about 400 psi. Breathing will be a little difficult but not too bad until tank pressure falls to around 200 psi. At that point, the honking warning and any useful gas delivery to your primary will end but you will still be able to breath OK from your secondary for a little while. Good to know especially if you are buddy diving.