equipment brands

[JD.Gattis]

Do most people stick to one brand of gear or mix and match. I would like to have my stuff be all the same brand (ex. cressi) . But local dive shop mixes it all up. what do you think.

 

[Gabriel90512]

Do most people stick to one brand of gear or mix and match. I would like to have my stuff be all the same brand (ex. cressi) . But local dive shop mixes it all up. what do you think.

i mix it up .......... you may like scuba pro fins
and a daco BCD ... or what ever...
use what works best for the dives you do....


you dont have to stick with one brand ...

 

[boney]

Whatever fits the best and you're most comfortable with... My stuff happened to be mostly from the same manufacturer as I had no idea that all those companies were part of one larger company... it even turned out that my older fins were from them too! But you should attempt to try on a bunch of gear before you just stick with one brand, some sizes will vary from brand to brand which may actually fit you better...

 

[The Kraken]

My only observation regarding your question is that no one scuba gear manufacturer make THE BEST product in all categories (ie, fins, masks, bc's etc.)

Most of the divers I know don't take note of such details on other divers.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with being brand loyal but I think, in the long run, you will find it quite difficult to do so.

I think that you will find that most divers have a mix of different manufacturers gear.

 

[Ishie]

If you really like stuff that happens to be from the same brand, then that's great. Personally, I keep finding myself impressed by Mares so I'm ending up with their stuff, but I get whatever I like. I love my Mares Volos, and am probably going to buy the Proton Ice and Proton Octo by Mares, but my boots are Henderson (so is my dream wetsuit), and mask is TUSA.

Ishie

 

[Freak]

heh, I am so mixed up it's not even funny. Well, ok, it is funny. grey and blue Henderson dive shirt, bright orange trunks, yellow Dacor fins, Black Tussa boots, clear Dacor snorkel, smoke Edge mask. Plus whatever brand and color of gear that I rent. Sure, I look like a clown, but I have fun!

 

[Northeastwrecks]

I mix and match. Kraken's right, evaluate each manufacturer and buy the best from each.

I love Cressi masks. I hate pretty much everything else that they make. So I've got a Cressi mask. The rest of my gear came from other manufacturers.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Do most people stick to one brand of gear or mix and match. I would like to have my stuff be all the same brand (ex. cressi) . But local dive shop mixes it all up. what do you think.

Mixing brands is fine, as a matter of fact it is usually a good idea. The only place you might not want to mix brands is your regulator. It is a good idea to keep your first stage regulator, your primary second stage regulator and your octopus (secondary or Alternate Air Source" regulator) all from the same manufacturer. The reason for the regulator is that some second stages require different internal pressures than may pe provided by the first stage you choose. It is also easier to get the gear maintained if it is from the same manufacturer. If you choose differing manufacturers it is certainly possible, even pretty easy, to find parts that will operate properly together (the internal pressure thing from above). You might find that when you need to get maintenance performed you might need to take them to different shops.

In general mixing brands is probably good. Think about it, just because one manufacturer makes a mask that fits your face the best does not mean that their fins are any good, or that they make the best regulator for you. If you find a BC that suits you it does not mean that the same company can make a good wetsuit. My regulator is from US Divers (now Aqualung), my computer is from Cochran, my BC comes from Jet Harness and DiveRite, my fins are ScubaPro, my wetsuits come from Henderson, SeaQuest, and Xcel, my lights from Sartek and Underwater Kinetics. Taken as a whole all of my gear works well together even though it is from many different manufacturers. I have taken a "pick and choose" approach to my gear, allowing me to pick the best from many different manufacturers.

In your home do you have only one brand of electronics? Does the same company make your TV, your VCR, your clock radio, your telephone, your computer, your stereo, and your microwave? There is no requirement that all of your SCUBA gear be from the same company.

Mark Vlahos

 

[jonnythan]

I think I'd be impressed if someone were able to completely outfit themselves with gear from only one company.

 

[Kestrell]

I'm pretty mixed up too. Atomic, Zeagle, UK, Henderson, Dacor, Mares, Aeris Suunto, Cressi, Manta.

It is fine to mix and match, just make sure your LDS is able to service any gear that requires it, like BC and regulator.