How do you judge or form an opinion on gear you have not tried?

[MXGratefulDiver]

Right up until the point that it fails.

Everything fails at some point. I had a spring strap break on me at a most inconvenient time (at 90 feet inside a swim-thru in Cozumel). Does that mean I shouldn't use spring straps?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Teamcasa]

At what point, after how long, does a possible failure become a non-issue?

Right up until the point that it fails.

What's the point? Even the most reliable piece of gear can fail.

On that same point, a mask failure or leak is the number one piece of gear that fails to meet expectations yet we don’t see much angst when a new mask shows up on the market.

How would we evaluate a new mask unless we actually test it ourselves? We can’t. With mask fit being the single most important factor, all we can do is buy, dive and hope it does not leak. If it does, we hope the shop will let us return it and try another.

 

[24940]

How would we evaluate a new mask unless we actually test it ourselves? We can’t.

We can't evaluate fit very well, but form and function can be extrapolated with reasonable accuracy.

I have to wear a snorkel while instructing. Last night, the funky little keeper I use to attach the snorkel to my mask failed and my snorkel departed. One solution might be to invent a mask with a built in snorkel. As an experienced diver, do you need to test this hair brained idea to deem it a solution which creates more problem than it would solve??

 

[Melicertes]

I think that all gear is fallible - why else would we train for contingencies if not to mitigate the consequences of an equipment related emergency (amongst other things) underwater? That said, there obviously is gear that have over time proven to be reliable and therefore we have preferences towards certain manufacturers/models because they have a proven track record.

I also think that, being quite the gadget lover myself, there is nothing wrong with fooling around with gear that have no apparent "one step for man, one giant leap for mankind" type of revolutionary impact on the diving community. Heck, I love to play with toys (they just keep on getting more expensive these days,) and I have no problem with someone "playing" with something just for the :mooner: of it. I would want to still ensure that the new toy/s do not unreasonably increase the risk to a diver's safety, but other than that - if you want to dive it for the heck of it go right ahead. [edit: Will I spend the $$ on a piece of gear/equipment that I don't have a particular interest in in playing with, not likely, but that's because I either have no interest in the product or do not see any reasonable need that would drive me towards buying the product. Does this necessarily make the product junk? No. On a superficial level, can I hold a reasonable opinion about the product - sure. Is it the final say on the product - by no means - I could very likely change my mind if speaking to someone with more personal experience using the product.]

Now, I can certainly see the need to keep gear setup simple, reliable, and functional when entering the tech diving arena, but that is the other extreme. We're talking about a whole new environment where critical dependency on gear is that much more pronounced. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I agree that what may work for one person may not work for another, and even if it does work for one person, the equipment may not necessarily work for them for all types of diving they will be doing. In the end it's all relative and not just relative to the person but also to the diving environment and even the purpose for diving with/without a specific piece of equipment.