Found out my drysuit inflator valve is older than me

I was cleaning gear last weekend and noticed a date stamp on my Si-Tech inflator valve. Looked it up and it was made in 1987, which is 8 years before I was born. Found the info in a scuba gear history forum where someone was dating old parts. Kinda wild to think about how many dives that little thing has been through. Anybody else ever check the age of their random gear pieces?

3 comments

3 Comments

val_ramirez16d ago

Check the o-ring on it, that old rubber is probably toast by now.

kai_burns7316d ago

Ha! Nothing says "this gear will probably outlive you" like a valve that was blowing up wetsuits before you were even a twinkle in your dad's eye. I'd be half tempted to ask that thing for a dive log just to see what it's been through. Honestly, at that point the O-ring is less of a concern and more of a historical artifact itself. Might as well frame it and call it a conversation starter for your next wreck dive.

grant15516d ago

Oh man, @kai_burns73 isn't wrong there. I've got an old first stage from the 80s that I swear has more stories than most divers I know. Still works like a tank though, just gotta swap the O-rings every decade or so.