Any equipment buying regrets ?

[rhwestfall]

AL100

 

[rongoodman]

Hollis Prism 2. I just never got the chance to dive it enough to stay current on it, so it's up for sale at the Add Helium consignment page.

 

[tridacna]

A 6 cubic foot pony bottle. Too small and doesn't get used. Would feel guilty selling it to someone else.

Useful for filling car tires. I had a slow leak once; kept it in the trunk with a inflator adaptor hose. Saved me a few times...

 

[Diver0001]

Do you have any equipment buying regrets ? What equipment did you buy and realized afterwards you had made a mistake ? Why was it a mistake ?

Every drysuit I've ever had was a BARE, save one. I bought a Mares XR, which was a lemon. I sent it back and got another XR, which was a lemon, which I sent back. They wanted to replace it a third time but I got all recalcitrant about it and they reimbursed the purchase price. Actually, this was very sporting of Mares and I was quite satisfied with how they dealt with it.

.... Then I took the money they reimbursed me and bought a BARE drysuit. I'm happy a pig in mud now that I went back to BARE. I'll never buy another Mares drysuit.

R..

 

[dcg69]

Every drysuit I've ever had was a BARE, save one. I bought a Mares XR, which was a lemon. I sent it back and got another XR, which was a lemon, which I sent back. They wanted to replace it a third time but I got all recalcitrant about it and they reimbursed the purchase price. Actually, this was very sporting of Mares and I was quite satisfied with how they dealt with it.

.... Then I took the money they reimbursed me and bought a BARE drysuit. I'm happy a pig in mud now that I went back to BARE. I'll never buy another Mares drysuit.

R..

Hi Diver0001,
may I ask what was the issue with the two Mares XR drysuits you sent back ?
I'm considering buying one because I can get a staff discounted price on Mares gear, but I hear mixed opinions

Thanks !

 

[WeRtheOcean]

Never buy a wetsuit off eBay. Turned out it was a custom made suit for a specific person, who must have been shaped like a balloon, because that is what the farmer john part looked like on me. And the beavertail flared out at the hips and let water in.

 

[stronj1]

Shorty wetsuit (really better to cover as much skin as possible)

 

[Bubblesong]

Shorty wetsuit (really better to cover as much skin as possible)

I got bad sunburn using a shorty in Bermuda, but I still use it for indoor pool finning practice at Hotels.
I did not buy a dive skin as I prefer two piece rash guard pants and tops.

 

[Snoweman]

They simply did not work for me and my diving. Expensive, not powerful enough and required an odd kick to use IMO. I really wanted to like them but after owning I quickly moved on.

Wow. I love my force fins. I bought mine off of eBay for a lot less than retail. I no longer flutter kick with my thighs. I do a full bicycle kick. Folks on the boat like to joke about them, until they see how fast I can go. BUT.... the real reason I like them is that I don't get the blisters on the top of my toes like I used to with my previous fins.

 

[Diver0001]

Hi Diver0001,
may I ask what was the issue with the two Mares XR drysuits you sent back ?
I'm considering buying one because I can get a staff discounted price on Mares gear, but I hear mixed opinions

Thanks !

Mares said it was a bad batch of the trilaminate material. The short story is that the suits were tea bags. Every other dive they sprang a new leak somewhere. One of the suits also had a cuff seal that basically fell off in the middle of a dive. It just tore away from where it was glued to the suit.

They say that the problems have been solved and I know a few people who have suits that don't have these problems. After trying twice I gave up and Mares was very good about reimbursing me. On the up side if it's true that the problems were solved then it's a very comfortable suit to wear.

R..