Posted by kelphead on December 15, 1999 at 00:51:42:
In Reply to: Used gear... posted by aqua man on December 13, 1999 at 23:25:15:
i purchased my first reg, octo, computer and spg/compass
console used--and am happy w/the decision. = : )
what i did was to ask the seller if i could take
the rig to a local dive shop BEFORE we exchanged
$$ to have someone look it over first. i was
pleasantly surprised to see that the seller not
only agreed, but trusted me so much as not to leave
him any collateral!
he instructed me on how to reach a local shop near
his home and i popped in to have the shop owner
look at the reg. it's a 'sherwood magnum' and the
shop owner hooked it up to a tank and showed me
how the sealed 1st stage works (ie, the infamous
'sherwood' bubbles). he told me how these bubbles
are normal and to not worry about the function of
the reg. he also looked over the 2nd stage and
noted to me that it looked like it was still brand
new and barely used (it was a relatively new reg).
he did this for me, a complete stranger to his shop,
free of charge.
re:the computer, he just mentioned something about
changing out the batteries but he did not do anything
to test the computer itself.
i drove back satisfied w/what i'd heard and bought
the rig.
i then took it to a local shop near my home and, just
to be on the safe side, had the reg and octo overhauled
and had the computer checked over: batteries changed
out and a pressure pot test conducted.
though i personally feel i was ripped off 50$ (at least)
for this 2nd service, i'm still glad i went through
w/it and i'm very satisfied w/what i bought. i have
since upgraded to another, brand new 'sherwood' reg
and the 'magnum' is now on my pony.
re:b.c.'s, i would look over the seams of the b.c.
to check for wear. the dump valves also have to
be checked, though i really don't know much about them
and what to look for except for some obvious signs
of rust or debris, like salt and sand, that may be
stuck there. i would check to see that the 'o-rings'
of the dump valves are still in place and not lost (be
careful when you screw and unscrew dump valve covers
so as not to inadvertantly lose the o-ring). i personally
would take it in even after the purchase, as i did
w/my reg/computer gear, and have someone do some
maintenance work for peace of mind, at least. you may
want to hook the b.c. up to a pressurized line and
see if it will actually inflate/deflate, is not leaking
air, etc.
when it comes to masks and fins, you should already
have that stuff anyway, but i really don't know
what you would look for other than obvious signs
of wear and/or misuse. but then again, fins and masks
are such personal items that you probably want to
shop around for those and buy new.
don't know what else to say--oh, yeah, just check
the spg when it's hooked up to a tank and compare
it's readings to another spg that you know works fine.
i guess my biggest advice would be to see if you can
get the seller to agree to having his/her gear checked/
looked over by a trusted dive shop employee so you
know beforehand what kind of quality you're getting.
if you buy over the net, there are apparently some
'escrow' companies that will hold the $$ until you
(the buyer) are satisfied w/the product(s) and then
the $$ gets passed to the seller.
in any event, i think that buying used is not a sin
but you do have to do your research just as wisely
if not moreso.
best wishes.
= : )
kelphead.