Aquarius Scuba Diving

Buying Scuba Gear from craiglist?

There is used gear that I saw on craigslist for $500.00 and I was curious if this is a good deal for a begginer diver.

"2 complete pro dive getteups scuba pro bc vests one sherwood brut regulator one aquarius aqua lung regulator 2 sherwood aluminium 3000psi tanks hydro good till 2011weight belts w/weights dive mask several to pick from fins snorkels misc items dive travel bags take ur pick 500.00 each great deal "

Some additional costs...

How old are the BCD? While regular servicing of a BCD is not required by a professional, the BCD might need to be examined and tuned-up by someone that knows what they are doing. This could range from $20 per BCD to $100 per depending on the person doing the servicing.

When was the last time the regulators were serviced? Most manufacturers suggest cleaning/tune up every other year and an overhaul on the opposite every other year. The regulators could be in complete bad shape and cost around $150 each to get overhauled.

While the hydro on the tanks are good until 2011, when was the last time it was visually inspected? You need visual inspection yearly and hydros every five years. The visuals cost about $20 per tank, and the hydros cost about $75. So in two years, you'll need to get a new hyrdo anyway, and new AL 80 tanks cost about $160 and will have a brand new hyrdo.

If the gear is in perfect working condition, then $500 is a great deal. You could end up spending another $500 per kit to get them in safe, working condition.

Ileana and Dexter SCUBA dive 50 ft underwater at the NOAA's Aquarius Undersea Laboratory