Used dive gear is often a great deal, offering the same performance level as new gear at a reduced price. Most pieces of dive gear will last for hundreds of dives, so the only difference between new and used gear is often just a couple of scratches and a minor fraction of the gear's entire useful life.
Used dive gear ranges from the regulator that someone bought for their friend two years ago as a gift but never used to the ancient horsecollar BC that has been in someone's basement for 30 years. Obviously, the key to understanding used gear is assessing the gear's condition and weighing that against the price.
There are a variety of reasons why good used dive gear is available. Active divers might get injured and no longer be able to dive as a result, sometimes new divers make poor decisions when purchasing new gear, other divers inherit gear from friends and then never use it, etc. All of these reasons explain the supply of quality used gear.
Used gear assessment
The main questions
that you have to ask yourself about a piece of used gear are:
1) how much has it been used?
2) how old is it?
3) how well has it been maintained?
The first question is easy to answer for most pieces of equipment. The more scratches (regulators, masks, fins) or missing stitching and frayed seams (wetsuits and BCs), the more it has probably been used.
BC
Look for critical defects. Blow up a BC - does it hold air? Test the oral (and power inflator, if possible) and air dump.
Masks, Fins, Snorkel
Look for splits that are starting to form in fins, check the straps to see if they still work. Test the mask/snorkel for fit.
Regulators
For regulators, make an arrangement for servicing - this will tell you if anything is wrong, and any parts in need of replacement will be repaired. You will also get an idea of maintenance costs this way. If the regulator is so old that it cannot be fixed, then you probably need to look for another regulator.
Does the regulator come with pressure gauges, compass, computer, or octopus? Usually each of these items will cost at least $100 alone brand new, but often are included with a used regulator. This is why buying used regulators can be such a good deal.
Tanks
Check the hydro and visual testing dates on the tank, and make sure it has passed these tests. How often these tests have been performed in the past also gives some idea of usage over the years. If the tank is painted, how much has the paint worn off, & how scratched is it? Does the tank come with a boot, and what kind of valve does it have?
Exposure Suits
For wetsuits, look at the seams, the knees, etc. Are they missing stitching or fading from use? Gloves are notorious for wearing out quickly - pay attention to the fingers. For drysuits, inspect the seals and zipper - are they torn or do they have holes? Does the zipper work well or is it rusted? How many patches the drysuit has is also a good indicator of its condition. Test the inflator valve and the seal.
Where to Look
Of course, how good of a deal you can get depends partially on luck and partially on how much you look around. Here are a few places you can look for used gear.
Local dive clubs
- Members often have gear for swap or sale
Local dive shops - Dive shops often sell used rental gear at reduced
prices. United Divers also has a Scuba
Exchange for used gear.
Internet auctions & classifieds - ebay,
scubaduba, and others often have
used gear.
Happy gear hunting!
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