The Regretful Gear Purchase
Looking back on all the gear I have collected over my 14+ years of diving - there are several pieces of dive equipment I dove until they could not be dove anymore and then there are others that I wish I had given more thought on before purchasing. I find that sharing both experiences with newer divers to be very beneficial with the latter being the most beneficial.
I am a pretty cautious consumer taking my time and conducting lots of research before making a large purchase. And as such, I have been pretty happy with most of my gear purchases to date, save for a few.
The first that comes to mind is the first computer I ever purchased. I really really wanted an Oceanic Datamax. I liked how big the screen was, it was color coded, it was totally integrated, it was an easy to use two-button, it had a user replaceable battery, and it allowed for Nitrox diving (mind you Nitrox was just barely becoming a recognizable term in the recreational market at the time I was looking into computers, but I knew I wanted something I could grow into). I had done my research - this was the dive computer for me.
When I approached my dive shop, unbeknownst to me they didn't sell Oceanic, I was quickly talked out that computer by my instructor. I was told it wasn't made anymore and the one replacing it was hundreds more. I was told this other computer*, smaller non-integrated, would do all the same things as the Oceanic Datamax and was the made from the same manufacturer.
[* I am purposefully not listing which computer it was as the computer wasn't bad - it just wasn't what I WANTED]
Less than one year later, I was quickly in need of a new computer and guess what I ended up getting? An Oceanic Datamax Pro Plus II. I own two. I now own other dive computers for other types of diving, but my Oceanic is my favorite all around dive computer and I kick myself for not simply purchasing what I knew I wanted to begin with!
What gear purchase did you regret? Sharing may assist new divers in researching and making good gear selections!
The Regretful Gear Purchase
Started by
Dive_Girl
, Apr 10 2006 01:29 PM
29 replies to this topic
#1
Dive_Girl
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 01:29 PM
It's Winter time - you know you're a diver when you're scraping ice off your windshield INSIDE your vehicle...!
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#2
FlIrishman
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 01:41 PM
I was going to the Keys 10 years ago and needed to switch from tables to a computer to dive the wrecks. A local dive store had a Cochran Captain on Sale!
Well I took it on the Princess Ann in West Palm. At 100 ft it read 86 ft.
Sent it back, got another. Next weekend did the same thing - took it to 100 ft, it read 90 ft.
Sent it back, got another, explained the problem to the tech. He said the computer either was not calibrated to salt water or that their might have been a big wave overhead so it read deeper - Hmmm - say something about Cochran? The third computer read 98 ft at 100 ft. kept it. A few months later, it also read less than 90 ft at 100 ft. I still have that friken computer and will NEVER NEVER buy a Cochran Product again!
Geo / The Irishman
Melbourne, Fl
P.S. And then again I was married once - shouldn't have done that.
Owned a few boats - shouldn't have done that - bottomless pits to throw money into
Almost bought an airplane - single engine citibra, but changed my mind at the last minute!
Well I took it on the Princess Ann in West Palm. At 100 ft it read 86 ft.
Sent it back, got another. Next weekend did the same thing - took it to 100 ft, it read 90 ft.
Sent it back, got another, explained the problem to the tech. He said the computer either was not calibrated to salt water or that their might have been a big wave overhead so it read deeper - Hmmm - say something about Cochran? The third computer read 98 ft at 100 ft. kept it. A few months later, it also read less than 90 ft at 100 ft. I still have that friken computer and will NEVER NEVER buy a Cochran Product again!
Geo / The Irishman
Melbourne, Fl
P.S. And then again I was married once - shouldn't have done that.
Owned a few boats - shouldn't have done that - bottomless pits to throw money into
Almost bought an airplane - single engine citibra, but changed my mind at the last minute!
#3
Capn Jack
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 01:48 PM
Small details, but I spent $15 on a little sausage (times 3 - 1 for each diver in the family). The first time I used it, I got really weary of holding it closed and upright. Also, obviously, I can't shoot it from 100'.... Get real, buy one that will do what you need, i.e. has an OPV, a place for a lightstick, and a solid connection so you can attach a reel or a small object to lift. ($50 roughly)
A multipurpose signaling device for my LPI - doesn't work well in the water, or above. Get a whistle, a mirror, $10 rattle, and a box of marine flares.
A multipurpose signaling device for my LPI - doesn't work well in the water, or above. Get a whistle, a mirror, $10 rattle, and a box of marine flares.
No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea. And no dolphin who inhabits one of those aquariums or one of those marine lands can be considered normal.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
Jacques Yves Cousteau
#4
Dive_Girl
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 02:55 PM
I can TOTALLY relate to the "safety snausage" purchase!!!! 
(remember I said I had a FEW purchases I regretted). I remember how proud of myself I was when I purchased my bright yellow safety snausage - what a safe diver I was! Who-hoo!
And no joke - first dive I had it attached to me, we lost the boat. Well actually the boat lost us! The anchor had slipped while four of us were on our dive. When we came back to where the anchor should have been there was a bunch of silt and then out of no where DOG SHARK - so cool dog shark, dog shark, dog shark!! My buddy and I took off after the dog shark and the other divers surfaced to find the boat a good 1/4 mile down the canal. They started the trek to retrieve the boat.
Sometime later my buddy and I surfaced to um no boat. We looked and looked and finally we realized the tiny speck on the horizon was the boat (I say it was hard to see because of the CURVATURE OF THE EARTH it was so far away!). But never fear I had my super cool brand new safety snausage! I'll just alert the boat to our position.
Once deployed and filled the darn thing wouldn't stay upright! This was nothing like the ads! I had to hold the stupid thing upright while waving it. I was not allowed to use the safety whistle as it kept attracting seals who were getting closer and closer every time I would use it and I was told to stop whistling immediately because he didn't want to get bit on the butt by some seal - I tried to suppress my immense giggling.
Once reunited with the boat, our friend looked at my buddy and I like we were little kids and all he said was
"Well you can tell who the diver was that followed the silt trail left by the anchor - THE BOAT OWNER!"
"um we saw a cool dog shark?"
I went right out and bought a 50lb lift bag and reel.
(remember I said I had a FEW purchases I regretted). I remember how proud of myself I was when I purchased my bright yellow safety snausage - what a safe diver I was! Who-hoo!And no joke - first dive I had it attached to me, we lost the boat. Well actually the boat lost us! The anchor had slipped while four of us were on our dive. When we came back to where the anchor should have been there was a bunch of silt and then out of no where DOG SHARK - so cool dog shark, dog shark, dog shark!! My buddy and I took off after the dog shark and the other divers surfaced to find the boat a good 1/4 mile down the canal. They started the trek to retrieve the boat.
Sometime later my buddy and I surfaced to um no boat. We looked and looked and finally we realized the tiny speck on the horizon was the boat (I say it was hard to see because of the CURVATURE OF THE EARTH it was so far away!). But never fear I had my super cool brand new safety snausage! I'll just alert the boat to our position.
Once deployed and filled the darn thing wouldn't stay upright! This was nothing like the ads! I had to hold the stupid thing upright while waving it. I was not allowed to use the safety whistle as it kept attracting seals who were getting closer and closer every time I would use it and I was told to stop whistling immediately because he didn't want to get bit on the butt by some seal - I tried to suppress my immense giggling.
Once reunited with the boat, our friend looked at my buddy and I like we were little kids and all he said was
"Well you can tell who the diver was that followed the silt trail left by the anchor - THE BOAT OWNER!"
"um we saw a cool dog shark?"
I went right out and bought a 50lb lift bag and reel.
It's Winter time - you know you're a diver when you're scraping ice off your windshield INSIDE your vehicle...!
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#5
Desert_Diver
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 06:08 PM
Well, the sausage a LOT of us got suckered into, before we tried to use it. At least it's a cheap throw-away. I had a bigger one (DiveRite? from last year) I took to Fiji 'cos my 35lb Carter weighed three times as much, and it didn't work in the water, either. I want a LIGHTSABRE, not a limp sausage (open for interpretation and jokes)
I bought a DiveRite comp that I couldn't see at depth, didn't think about needing a backlight 'till I started going a tad deeper... oops. Other than that, it was a nice comp.
My most annoying purchase was one I was *forced* into to get certified. I even called the shop and asked "Are you really gonna make me carry a worthless snorkel with me?" I'd never used one in my life, and didn't figure diving was the right venue for it 'cos the water's not calm enough to make it useable. The one time I tried to use it in the ocean, a wave crashed over me and flooded the snorkel, right through the 'dry' valve. Yeah, right, pretty much what I'd figured in advance. I tossed it after I got my temporary C card.
Second most disturbing was the Tusa 'Xpert Zoom' fins that Rodales rated as 'better than sliced bread'. Another disaster, and two other folks I've talked to pitched theirs, as well. As a newbie, I was trusting the magazine. Quothe the raven....
I bought a DiveRite comp that I couldn't see at depth, didn't think about needing a backlight 'till I started going a tad deeper... oops. Other than that, it was a nice comp.
My most annoying purchase was one I was *forced* into to get certified. I even called the shop and asked "Are you really gonna make me carry a worthless snorkel with me?" I'd never used one in my life, and didn't figure diving was the right venue for it 'cos the water's not calm enough to make it useable. The one time I tried to use it in the ocean, a wave crashed over me and flooded the snorkel, right through the 'dry' valve. Yeah, right, pretty much what I'd figured in advance. I tossed it after I got my temporary C card.
Second most disturbing was the Tusa 'Xpert Zoom' fins that Rodales rated as 'better than sliced bread'. Another disaster, and two other folks I've talked to pitched theirs, as well. As a newbie, I was trusting the magazine. Quothe the raven....
#6
finGrabber
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 08:17 PM
I regret spending money on those stupid dive shop clips when I could have spent half the money on stainless steel double enders at Home Depot or Lowes
I also found out that the fins I bought for my OW class, SeaQuest I think, would collapse around the center when I did any kind of kick; I have since replaced them with Mares Quattros and my problem has been solved!
I also found out that the fins I bought for my OW class, SeaQuest I think, would collapse around the center when I did any kind of kick; I have since replaced them with Mares Quattros and my problem has been solved!
#7
ScubaDadMiami
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 08:59 PM
I regret spending money on those stupid dive shop clips when I could have spent half the money on stainless steel double enders at Home Depot or Lowes
Trust me, the hardware store clips are not the same. They are stainless. However, they usually aren't marine grade stainless. Also, the springs are certainly not up to par and will fail sooner rather than later. Been there, done that!
"The most important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein
"For the diligent diver, closed circuit rebreathers are actually safer than open circuit scuba." Tom Mount
"For the diligent diver, closed circuit rebreathers are actually safer than open circuit scuba." Tom Mount
#8
finGrabber
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 09:02 PM
I regret spending money on those stupid dive shop clips when I could have spent half the money on stainless steel double enders at Home Depot or Lowes
Trust me, the hardware store clips are not the same. They are stainless. However, they usually aren't marine grade stainless. Also, the springs are certainly not up to par and will fail sooner rather than later. Been there, done that!
Well, that is true about marine grade products; it can be difficult to find a good outlet for such things in Dallas
does anyone know of a good mailorder outlet for stainless clips that don't have the "dive gear" supplement attached?
#9
Dive_Girl
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 09:42 PM
Fin, I've looked high and low and although you may get marine grade clips, the springs inside are often easily corroded. I have learned, through a many corroded clips, to go through a dive gear vendor. I buy mine through DiveRite. I stick by them and the prices - because I only have to invest in the clip ONCE...well unless I lose one on a dive or to my sticky fingered dive buddy!! 
It's Winter time - you know you're a diver when you're scraping ice off your windshield INSIDE your vehicle...!
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#10
scubafanatic
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 10:00 PM
I regret spending money on those stupid dive shop clips when I could have spent half the money on stainless steel double enders at Home Depot or Lowes
Trust me, the hardware store clips are not the same. They are stainless. However, they usually aren't marine grade stainless. Also, the springs are certainly not up to par and will fail sooner rather than later. Been there, done that!
Well, that is true about marine grade products; it can be difficult to find a good outlet for such things in Dallas
does anyone know of a good mailorder outlet for stainless clips that don't have the "dive gear" supplement attached?
Hi Kim,
...after purchasing a few brass clips, I smartened up and bought 'real' stainless steel clips at my LDS.... I can show you what I use on the T&C Explorer......there's just no substitute for the proper marine grade SS clips....they're about $10 each, but they're essentially immortal and will last forever.
Karl
#11
6Gill
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Posted 10 April 2006 - 10:01 PM
Well, that is true about marine grade products; it can be difficult to find a good outlet for such things in Dallas
does anyone know of a good mailorder outlet for stainless clips that don't have the "dive gear" supplement attached?
We order ours from www.nixdogcollars.com and have been very happy with the them.Click on the icon marked diving snaps.
Eric
#12
Latitude Adjustment
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Posted 11 April 2006 - 06:39 AM
Way back I bought a Farallon (now Oceanic) multi tissue dive computer, this was somewhere in time between the wind up Bend-O-matic and the electronic computers we have now, it used springs and a membrain to move some bars across a green, yellow and red background.
It looked neat but no two on a dive ever aggreed with one another on your tissue loading and it soon ended up in a corner in the garage.
It looked neat but no two on a dive ever aggreed with one another on your tissue loading and it soon ended up in a corner in the garage.
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By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
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By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
_________________________________________(log in name signature)
Signed and Dated
#13
WreckGoddess
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Posted 12 April 2006 - 03:29 PM
hmm.. well I bought two aluminum 80's.. that I dove once before my dive buddy turned them into stage bottles.. that was 2 years ago. 
Haven't seen them since. Any comment VADiver??
Haven't seen them since. Any comment VADiver??
"If you gave me several million years, there would be nothing that did not grow in beauty if it were surrounded by water."
~JAN ERIK VOLD, What All The World Knows, 1970~
Check out the next NOVA/DC/MD Happy Hour/Or Local Event
~JAN ERIK VOLD, What All The World Knows, 1970~
Check out the next NOVA/DC/MD Happy Hour/Or Local Event
#14
konascubagirl
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Posted 12 April 2006 - 03:56 PM
When I was a newbie, someone convinced me to ditch the weight belt and get an intergrated BDC. I HATE the stupid thing! I am pretty sure an unconscious diver at the surface would drown due to wearing it....the stupid thing tips you forward at the surface. Glad I bought it on sale. I wear my old BCD and weight belt most of the time...
KSG
KSG
#15
mantarraya
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Posted 12 April 2006 - 04:20 PM
Mine was the very large wrist-mount Oceanic XTC-100 computer. Bought it as a my first nitrox computer, thinking the big screen would be cool for someone with presbyopia. It malfunctioned on my 2nd dive the first time I took it out at the Flower Gardens. Luckily, I still had my air computer on my console, so was still in business. It was replaced, and haven't had problems with the 2nd, but it is still way too big and clunky, IMO. Like my Suunto Vyper way better, even if it is more conservative.
Back after a long absence - whew, too busy at work!
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