Mares Gear?

[ericg98]

Would like some feedback on Mares gear, do they put out good dive equip and are parts easy to get if needed? I live in Germany but dive mostly in the Pacific,(ie Guam) Their pricing looks good and the products seem to be of good quality, bvut I can not try or look at any since there are no dive shops here.

Any opinions oh knowledgable ones? :doctor:

 

[RICHinNC]

The only thing i would be cautious about is the HUB. If anything goes wrong your whole system is dead and you arent diving.

i was just in germany and just south of kitzigen there was a great dive shop.

Plus i just did a search on the internet for...dive shops germany.. and got a long list. might want to give it a try.

 

[Diver0001]

ericg98 once bubbled...
Would like some feedback on Mares gear, do they put out good dive equip and are parts easy to get if needed? I live in Germany but dive mostly in the Pacific,(ie Guam) Their pricing looks good and the products seem to be of good quality, bvut I can not try or look at any since there are no dive shops here.

Any opinions oh knowledgable ones? :doctor:

They're obviously a serious player in the recreational market.

Their regulators are mostly good and with the exception of the HUB (which by design is not fit-for-purpose in my opinion) their range of BCD's is also good. I personally think the air-trim system is a keeper but opinions are pretty split about that.

Their fins (quattros) are excellent but the Vollo isn't. The same thing is probably true for their other bits of gear. It's a good idea to get feedback on specific pieces before you buy. Also www.scubadiving.com does gear reviews and while you can question the neutrality of the reviews Mares gear is often represented.

I've heard various stories about their customer services over the years, the majority of which have been positive.

R..

 

[MgicTwnger]

My LDS, which has recently become a Mares dealer, tells me that he has a hard time getting parts. He blames it on the fact that Mares is in Italy.

 

[MaresMan1]

As my login name implies, I buy a lot of Mares equipment. I agree with most of the posts here, Mares is very good with their regs, BC, wetsuits and fins. The models to stay away from are the HUB and Volo (for reasons already stated).

I have the Airtrim BC (Morphos for travel) and I really love it. I even got good reviews from my TecRec buddies, who were suprised by the BC. It's light, folds up small for travel and the Airtrim system works really well (just have to keep it clean, like any BC).

I also use their MC1 computer, which I am also very happy with.
I have not run into any parts problems as I am near NYC and Mares has a major office in Conneticut.

The best thing to do if you can, is to demo the equipment and see what you like/dislike. You will be happier in the end with the money well spent.

Enjoy the ride.
:mean:

 

[zboss]

a Mares MR12 Reg and Octo... the complaint I have is that my octo diapgram went bad after about 30 dives. My regulator works well - it breathes dry and is only slightly difficult to breath from when I look up or roll over on my back and look up. Also - the hoses that come with the reg are very stiff and often cause my jaw to get tired - I have to say that this may be because I have did not have the regulator custom fitted for length... something I am considering. I am also considering getting a custom mouth piece.

 

[DiveTub]

Mares Kit
I have a ton of Mares Kit

2 MR22's
2 Rubys
1 V16
1 Proton
1 Ice ohh baby you got to try one of these !!
2 Quattro’s
2 Masks
1 Vector 1000 BCD

the list goes on

I love there kit, I have never had anything of Mares fail at any time during my diving career "touch wood" !!

I even had the opportunity to take a HUB for a dive, although I would never buy such a thing it was very comfy to dive in.

 

[ericg98]

Very good advise from all! As a novice ,I greatly appreciate all the advice on gear that I can get. I think by the time I am finsihed buying gear, I will have a mixture of everything. Your advise is great esp. since all the dive shops around here are far away , that and my lack of passable German.

Thanks,
E

 

[ifukuda]

I've been using a Mares reg (V16 + Epos) for almost 2 years. I have no complaints regarding the performance of this reg at all. It's a good reg.

The only problem I have with Mares regs is that the warantee on them is only 2 years long. After the warantee expires, Mares no longer covers the cost of the parts for annual servicing.

That's the only reason I'll be getting rid of mine.

 

[MaresMan1]

ifukuda once bubbled...
I've been using a Mares reg (V16 + Epos) for almost 2 years. I have no complaints regarding the performance of this reg at all. It's a good reg.

The only problem I have with Mares regs is that the warantee on them is only 2 years long. After the warantee expires, Mares no longer covers the cost of the parts for annual servicing.

That's the only reason I'll be getting rid of mine.

Ifukuda,

Do you know of a manufacturer that has a warantee over 2 years, without buying an extended warantee? If so, please let us know as I might switch also. The only other regs I like that breathe similar are Apeks and Poseidon. Don't know if their warantees are any longer though.

Enjoy the ride
:mean: