When to replace old gear?

[rhwestfall]

There are numerous individuals here utilizing the ScubaPro model (and others)... Many do not discuss them much as the anti-combo unit sentiment persists strongly here.

 

[ScubaGui]

Thank you everyone for your input and advise, it is much appreciated. You have also saved my wallet, quite a bit of $$. Thank you!

 

[rhwestfall]

Good to hear. Of concern to me is the Aquarium's stance on "must have proof of annual service". It clearly demonstrates a legal mitigation stance (probably weak, but I am not a lawyer) rather than a knowledge of equipment...

 

[ScubaGui]

There’s is no way to tell from that photo whether or not the revision was done. And with either version, the QD nipple still threads into the plastic body and not metal threads.
@ScubaGui take a close look at the opening where the fitting came loose. Almost certainly the plastic threads have been stripped. (I absolutely HATE working on those, for that reason.). If so, the item is trashed and only useful for a few hard to find parts. The only other possibility is if the QD fitting came unscrewed, which is highly unlikely, and I would hope you would first notice that threads were showing.

You need to inform the shop that last serviced it, as I really think they either should have recognized the threads were no longer viable, or perhaps they even stripped them when reassembling. At minimum, someone there needs to learn from this, but you might get some $$ back from the inadequate service, and/or a deal on replacement.

You bring up an interesting point I had not thought of. Yes, the plastic threads are completely stripped. I thought the stripping occurred because the metal was ripped from the unit when it blew off. (It seemed strange to me to thread a metal piece into plastic, but what do I know?) I didn't consider the stripping may have already been present. I'm lucky enough to have several dive shops around town, I'll take it to another and have them check it out in person. Thank you for your help!

 

[CT-Rich]

@ScubaGui, there are a few things from what you’ve posted:

1. Your dive shop had not been servicing your kit properly. If they had the recall should have been actioned.
2. Without a dedicated octopus reg, an OOG diver would have your buoyancy controls.
3. Your integrated unit was most likely attached to a LOW pressure hose - which will drain you tank in minutes. I don’t know of any BC/Wing inflator that uses HP - which can take half an hour to drain a tank.

I initially had an integrated 2nd stage (AIR2). I was diving with an insta-buddy with a similar setup when my contents gauge came off near the end of a dive. As they didn’t react to my situation I took their AIR2; I realised I now had the buoyancy controls for both of us.

With an Air2 you are donating your primary and switching to the Air2. Generally, when OOG, you are heading back to the boat/surface. I see no greater difficulty in controlling boyuancy than you would in any other OOG situation. I have a knight hawk. It has dumps on either shoulder and lower right. I can still add air while breathing off of it. I had a problem with my Air2, I had it serviced and it still bled air. It turned out to be a problem with seal in the first stage was going and the IP was too high.

regardless of age, if you have lost confidence in a piece of gear, retire it. 16 years is a pretty good run on a BCD. If you are worried the bladder will fail, start shopping. You don’t need to do it all at once. Pick an item or two that are highest priority and pick another couple for next year. Something have just gotten better over the years, your budget, your call.

 

[JackD342]

You bring up an interesting point I had not thought of. Yes, the plastic threads are completely stripped. I thought the stripping occurred because the metal was ripped from the unit when it blew off. (It seemed strange to me to thread a metal piece into plastic, but what do I know?) I didn't consider the stripping may have already been present. I'm lucky enough to have several dive shops around town, I'll take it to another and have them check it out in person. Thank you for your help!

What do you hope will happen if you bring it to another shop to be “checked out?” The threads can’t be repaired, and while that body was still available last I checked, many other replacement parts are not. Replace this one - the new version is much better anyway, or get a new inflator and standard octo. If you are thinking of replacing the BC, decide now and do them both at once to save some $$. Also, if you post a photo of your weight pockets so I can see the handles, I will let you know if the recall was done.

 

[JackD342]

With an Air2 you are donating your primary and switching to the Air2. Generally, when OOG, you are heading back to the boat/surface. I see no greater difficulty in controlling boyuancy than you would in any other OOG situation. I have a knight hawk. It has dumps on either shoulder and lower right. I can still add air while breathing off of it. I had a problem with my Air2, I had it serviced and it still bled air. It turned out to be a problem with seal in the first stage was going and the IP was too high.

regardless of age, if you have lost confidence in a piece of gear, retire it. 16 years is a pretty good run on a BCD. If you are worried the bladder will fail, start shopping. You don’t need to do it all at once. Pick an item or two that are highest priority and pick another couple for next year. Something have just gotten better over the years, your budget, your call.

@CT-Rich I think Scubapro is unique in having that dump switch on the valve itself. Most (all?) other brands do not, so if you are ascending verticle and need to vent air, you need to remember to use your right shoulder dump, if you have one, or need to remove the octo from your mouth to vent. Aqualung and Oceanic design the specific corrugated hose to allow you to still pull the left shoulder dump while breathing from the unit. Regardless, in a very stressful moment, most owners will find using the combo to be more complex than they thought, having given it little to no prior thought at all. All of the simple procedures and solutions offered here are only hindsight to many divers that found the need to use it.

I don’t push the Airsource, but I dang well educate a customer that wants one. And I steer clear of my other brands that don’t provide a hose that can operate the pull dump.

 

[CT-Rich]

@CT-Rich I think Scubapro is unique in having that dump switch on the valve itself. Most (all?) other brands do not, so if you are ascending verticle and need to vent air, you need to remember to use your right shoulder dump, if you have one, or need to remove the octo from your mouth to vent. Aqualung and Oceanic design the corrugated hose to allow you to still pull the left shoulder dump while breathing from the unit.

I have the AIR2 attached to a night hawk, al Scuba Pro components. Getting gas out of the BCD has never been an issue and I have had no major issues with the the unit, it is simple to setup, I always know where my alternate is (muscle memory is great thing). Is the Air 2 better than sliced bread? Probably not. I wouldn’t choose it for more complex diving, but for general rec diving it works fine with my configuration. I think some of the critics that complain about potential failures forget that traditional rigs can have hoses go, seal failures with a regular power inflators and octopus. Confirmation bias notes when an Air2 has a problem as “abnormal”. A similar failure with a “regular” rig is considered normal wear and tear. I am yet to hear of a dive accident where an Air2 played a pivotal role.

 

[Bigbella]

I think some of the critics that complain about potential failures forget that traditional rigs can have hoses go, seal failures with a regular power inflators and octopus. Confirmation bias notes when an Air2 has a problem as “abnormal”. A similar failure with a “regular” rig is considered normal wear and tear. I am yet to hear of a dive accident where an Air2 played a pivotal role.

Yes, on thousands of dives, I have had an LP and even an HP hose failure, always during the initial pressurization -- never while underwater; no seal or major regulator failures that I can recall. What those few incidences meant to me, was a bit of harsh language while onboard and five minutes to replace said hoses from the spares from my field kit. No aborted dives were resultant; never a BC failure of any kind, with a conventional inflator.

For failures of an integrated octopus / oral inflator; and I was around for a few, over the years, it poses a potential end to two devices (three, if you decide to include the BC), right out of the door; and few people that I know, outside of the trades, routinely carry extras -- and I know of no one who dives commercially who will use them . . .

 

[Bob DBF]

@CT-Rich I think Scubapro is unique in having that dump switch on the valve itself.

They still have the dump switch, but the newer ones have a pull dump as well.

(It seemed strange to me to thread a metal piece into plastic, but what do I know?)

I assume you are not a mechanic, this crap of bolting/screwing things into plastic has been going on since plastic has been used in mechanical devices. Its strength is problematic in both the quality of the plastic, and the abilities of the mechanic (technician) when making repairs.

I don’t care for it, but I just fix things, not design them. No wonder I like the old metal regs.


Bob