Used Farmer John suit w/mildew...Help!

[Pitchblack70]

We've got a chance to buy a used suit for my husband (who's new to scuba.) But the suit *does* have mildew. Can that sort of thing be cleaned (and if so, how?) Or...should we pass on this one.

Also - the gentleman has a BCD as well. What's the standard way to test to make sure it's good (short of jumping in a nearby pool?)

Thx!!

 

[cdreamer]

I think it depends on how much they want for the suit and how bad it is.
"Sink the Stink" is a great cleaner / deodorizer and it will definately get the
smell out, but if it is an old suit or badly mildewed, I would pass.

For the BC, inflate it, submerge and look for leaks. Also hook it up to a tank
and check that the inflator doesn't stick.
Best of luck,

 

[Splash-X]

If the seller didn't take care of their suite there is a chance that they may not have cared for the BC either, leaving it in the sun, not cleaning it, leaving water in the bladder etc.

If it were me shopping for equipment I would be more inclined to purchase a used BC because the fit isn't as crucial as a wetsuit. A generic "large" BC can be tightened but a loose fitting wet suit can't be.

If it has mildew are you going to try to clean it before trying it on? What is the plan if it doesn't fit?

Just things to consider.

 

[oly5050user]

We've got a chance to buy a used suit for my husband (who's new to scuba.) But the suit *does* have mildew. Can that sort of thing be cleaned (and if so, how?) Or...should we pass on this one.

Also - the gentleman has a BCD as well. What's the standard way to test to make sure it's good (short of jumping in a nearby pool?)

Thx!!

wet suits do not age very well,due to ozone in air and repeated compressions from diving.An old wetsuit, even if not used very much ages and is not as thermal efficient as a new suit.You will find that it does not stretch as much and may be more difficult to put on..I find that after about 150-200 dives the suit may look good but is not thermally efficient and I get new one.In the grand scheme of things the cost of a new wet suit is a very small investment for your comfort.
As to the bcd you can make sure it fits and take it to a facility to check it out and perhaps do an inspection on the inflator and relief valves on it.

 

[walke121]

Listerine works wonders. I usually use a mix of listerine and sink the stink. and let it soak in the tub for 12 hours or so.

 

[Pitchblack70]

Well, good news and bad news. Good news was, it was a really nice suit - with a *touch* of mildew on the knee. Bad news - it didn't fit my husband, so we had to let it go. Thanks for the advice though! (The BCD was a really old, really basic Dacor. Orange flotation device type. We let that go, too...)

 

[oly5050user]

If the suit is of the same age as the bcd its a real good thing it did not fit...