How long can you have dive gear before it needs replacing?

Question

I have a family friend with dive gear that he isn't using anymore. it is around ten years old. It that too old to use? He has only used it 2 times

Answer 1

As long as it's not an old dual hose reg set with the large "saucer" for a first stage, it'll be fine to use once you have it serviced. There haven't been that many advances in dive tech in 10 years. I still use my old set of Sherwoods on occasion and they are 11 years old now and just as good as most new regs out there. The tank is something you may need to replace, but a dive shop will be able to tell you once they give it a look over. It will definitely need what's called a visual inspection and a hydrostatic test, which will set you back about 40 - 50 bucks. The buoyancy compensator (BC) should be ok if it was stored correctly. Just check it for leaks and that the inflater and dump valves work correctly or have the dive shop do that for you. It'll likely be a jacket style, but that's fine even though the trend is towards back inflation these days. If your family friend bought an old "horse collar" BC, that's something you shouldn't use.

Answer 2

You will need to take all of the equipment into a dive shop to have it checked out. Most diving equipment needs to be serviced annually. There have also been a great many advances in technology in the past decade that help you to be safer under water. Ask the dive shop for any recommendations for upgrades and don't dive with anything that could be hazardous.