Is Dacor junk??

[Sirto]

I have a comment on Dacor / Mares concerning lack of customer service. I bought a Mares M1 computer and needed to replace a missing o ring on the battery compartment. This is a user replaceable battery so it's meant to be opened by the user. I called Mares "customer service" and they wouldn't sell me the O ring nor tell me the size required . They said I had to go through a local dealer. The problem is that no dealer I talked to (and I talked to 5) was willing / able to get parts from Mares until they had at least $100 worth of items to order.

After much searching and some help from Scubaboard members I determined the size that was needed and got a replacement at a hardware store.

Based on this experience I don't intend to ever buy from them again.

 

[idratherbediving]

i recently purchased a mares mr12 and axis pro reg for the secondary side of my doubles, the only problem i have had was that it came from the factory adjusted way loose on the second stage, i took it to my lds that i got it from and it was adjusted and breathes great and no more freeflowing. i think that as with all gear it is not only a matter of having equipment serviced but properly tuned as well, and that depends on quality techs at the dive shops.

 

[WarmGoingCold]

I have a DACOR setup(Viper reg)/Talon BC) and love it. No complaints. I looked at alot of the posts that said this stuff just plain "sucked" and for the most part, the people criticizing had no experience on the equipement, and therefore I wouldn't trust those as being opinions based on experience.

As for Mares being bad, I am not sure where this comes from either. It just happens that the DM's that I have dove with in warm water have all used Mares equipement. I don't have any experience with Mares stuff, but it doesn't make sense to me that people who dive day in and day out would use *crap* for equipement.

My reg is absolutely wonderfull. Breathing is the same at 10 as it is at 110.

 

[steve2281]

I own some Dacor stuff that I have had good luck with, however, I will never buy Dacor or Mares again after the way they have screwed us on parts for their older regs. Old Dacor regs are pretty well useless since you can't get overhaul kits for them. In a few years, they might do the same thing for their current product line.

 

[Swarth]

Just remember James Bond used a Dacor Mask in Thunderball!

 

[Moogyboy]

Just remember James Bond used a Dacor Mask in Thunderball!

Aah, but wasn't that a Sportsways Waterlung reg he used?

And speaking of which, what the sam-hail was that square reg that whatsherface in the black and white bikini was diving with? Not that I was looking at *it* that closely...

cheers

Billy S.

 

[Moogyboy]

At any rate, not that I'm an expert on vintage Dacor, but there was a time when Dacor was definitely NOT junk, when their stuff was right up there with U.S. Divers/Aqua Lung as top-quality gear. I believe they had a feature called "Dial A Breath" which was their ace up the sleeve, and seems like it was quite an innovation at the time.

From my limited knowledge, it seems like Dacor's image problem probably started in the '80s or '90s. While USD and Scubapro stuck with unpretentious, conservative pro type gear, Dacor got the marketing bug and invested in the impressionable newbie/resort diver market, and became increasingly gimmicky at the expense of simple, reliable design. But that's just an uneducated guess. Opinions?

cheers,

Billy S.

 

[badsign]

I got cert in 1979 and for that christmas I got the new Scubapro stabiling jacket ( orange,w/metal tank band) I put about 15 dives on it and had it in storage until I wanted to dive again 20 yrs later. I paid 150 for the bc in 1979 and it was a med. I now am a XXL and I sold that BC for 70.00 to an old school diver in Japan. I then went and bought a Dacor Nautica BC with Integrated weights , power inflator and some other features. I paid 75.00 for this and it is brand new. I sold a top of the line BC (in 79') and bought one that has ten times the features and fits me now for basically the same price. It is a Dacor and it is much more comfortable than the BC I had, plus I dont have all the weight on my hips that I used to.

 

[montyb]

I had two sets of Dacor 960's one with a metal 2nd. stage other with a plastic 2nd stage. They were a great set of regs. As has been mentioned in a lot of these messages it isn't the quality of the older dacor 1st. and 2nd stages its the fact that they are still good regs but you cant get parts for them...therefore what good are they. I guess you could dive with them until they malfunctioned but if you did and something happened whose fault would it be. How long have we heard and read have your life support equipment serviced once a year. Therefore no matter what, it comes down to your fault. A lot of people have come to the conclusion that they don't want to dive with their dacor regs - Ebay is swamped with them -- I feel sorry for those that don't know whats going on and buy one of them all ready to take them to the lds to have them serviced and go diving -- but -- as the saying goes, Let The Buyer Beware.... Oh yea, I retired those regs and picked up a pair of Poseidon jetstream/odin with yellow octo's.
just my 2 or 3 cents.

montyb

 

[matt t.]

I am a newbie doing extensive research for equipment at various websites. I have read a great deal of comments here and other places, along with looking at prices of equipment at online dealers. I can't put my finger on one particular review, but is Dacor consider the Yugo of equipment, specifically BC's? Is this one brand that I should stay away from?

KenH

Yes, Dacor IS junk. There are alot better alternatives out there for the same or less money. Shop around.