Consumer Reports for scuba equipment?

[OnTheMark]

So, now that I'm newly certified and headed to Key West this weekend for a reef dive, I am interested in acquiring my own equipment. I'm sure if I asked, "what regulator should I get?," I would get several suggestions all from very qualified divers. However, they may also be biased; certainly my opinions typically are.

Is there an Consumer Reports equivalent for scuba equipment and would give me both the pros and cons of various scuba gear?

 

[rick00001967]

scubadiving.com / scuba lab

ScubaLab

 

[pauldw]

Not that I've seen. For a lot of outdoor gear there's Outdoor Gear Labs, but they don't do Scuba. There are a few places that'll do "Best xxx Scuba Gear of 2020," but I've never been impressed with those places. Best I've found is customer reviews of specific gear on a seller's web site, or searching specific gear on, say, Scubaboard to see what people say about it. But, as you've noted, just asking people what gear they like will have too many people just listing what they have or have heard of.

 

[lexvil]

The best of stuff will give you a better idea of who pays more for advertising than anything else.

 

[tursiops]

So, now that I'm newly certified and headed to Key West this weekend for a reef dive, I am interested in acquiring my own equipment. I'm sure if I asked, "what regulator should I get?," I would get several suggestions all from very qualified divers. However, they may also be biased; certainly my opinions typically are.

Is there an Consumer Reports equivalent for scuba equipment and would give me both the pros and cons of various scuba gear?

No, there is no independent testing authority, although NOAA used to run one.
If you pose the right question, you get a better answer. For example, asking "what should I buy?" is a very different question than "what are the pros and cons of XXX." The former question involves the assumption about YOUR likes and dislikes and the kind of diving YOU do. The latter focuses attention more on facts. For example, I can happily tell you the pros and cons of various dive computers, but ranking them -- for you -- is impossible.
You might also take an Equipment Specialty class ( a good one!) that discusses such pros and cons. Be careful not to take it from a shop that biases the information toward what it sells.

 

[tursiops]

P.S.
Under "buying guide" you'll find some of that pros/cons info at various sites. Compare a few.

 

[Hartattack]

Below are some links to a "school of thought" when choosing equipment.

Link 1
Link 2

Some might agree, some might not. Nevertheless, it's a great example of standardized equipment choices and why those particular choices are made.

 

[Belzelbub]

scubadiving.com / scuba lab

ScubaLab

This is probably closest, but not exactly the same as CR. Scuba Diving does run advertisements, unlike CR. So while CR can be brutal at times, I wouldn’t expect a Scubalab review to be too rough on an advertiser.

It’s a good starting point, and their reviews definitely add value, and are probably most thorough, but it’s tough to say they are truly unbiased.

OP,
The good news is that there is not a lot of truly bad gear out there. Regulator technology hasn’t changed all that much recently. Most important is making sure the gear can be maintained locally.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

OP...I would recommend not rushing to buy regulators. Purchasing now for a dive this weekend is rushing (my opinion). Why not rent for this trip?

As far as recommendations...people are going to recommend that you buy what they’re diving. That’s how it works. Their regulators might be the right ones for them, but they may or may not be the right ones for you.

I rushed out and bought all new gear when I initially got certified. ~2 years in...I’m still using roughly half of the gear from that initial purchase. I suspect that it’s the same story for many others, based off reading similar accounts here.

If you want to buy this week, I’d recommend to go by whichever shop it is that you intend to service your gear and see what regulators they recommend and which makes and models they service.

 

[BoltSnap]

Atomic's Z2 with sealed first stage or SP's MK21 or MK17 or MK11 with C370 second stage.