salty
Contributor
Hold on this could be a wild ride
The Mares & Dacor HUB
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wetlettuce
Contributor
Hi
Before I found this board and changed to Halcyon gear I bought a HUB. They do look the business !
I always wanted to have as few hoses and dangly bits as possible and I liked the idea of getting rid of the 'elephants trunk' and replacing it with that power inflator thingy always in the same place and dumps air from both dumps at same time etc.
HOWEVER, since doing over 50 dives in it from Stoney to Oban to Red Sea there are problems with the HUB that I felt were too serious to dive with it anymore.
Both the main second stage and the octopus run off the same hose, so that means you don't have an alternative second stage should that hose go kaput. I attached a pony to the cylinder but then I had more hoses which is what I wanted to avoid !
I found that when you were horizontal it doesn't dump air at all, and you have to stick bum up or head up to let it dump air so it didn't save any effort over the elephant trunk. (Divers in the club liked it because it is quite good for controlled buoyant lifts (it does dump air QUICK))
When kitted up with drysuit etc. it was difficult to put fins on as the front is so bulky.
Non standard hoses meant losing a days diving in Oban and the octopus leaked on two seperate occasions which didn't give me much faith in the unit. I now do not buy anything without standard hoses, not even Apeks ATX stuff, no matter what anyone says.
I haven't even sold the HUB, I wouldn't even sell it to someone because I like people too much.
You'll hear it on the board loads, but backplate and harness IS better. And Halcyon gear still looks the business.
Hope that helps
Before I found this board and changed to Halcyon gear I bought a HUB. They do look the business !
I always wanted to have as few hoses and dangly bits as possible and I liked the idea of getting rid of the 'elephants trunk' and replacing it with that power inflator thingy always in the same place and dumps air from both dumps at same time etc.
HOWEVER, since doing over 50 dives in it from Stoney to Oban to Red Sea there are problems with the HUB that I felt were too serious to dive with it anymore.
Both the main second stage and the octopus run off the same hose, so that means you don't have an alternative second stage should that hose go kaput. I attached a pony to the cylinder but then I had more hoses which is what I wanted to avoid !
I found that when you were horizontal it doesn't dump air at all, and you have to stick bum up or head up to let it dump air so it didn't save any effort over the elephant trunk. (Divers in the club liked it because it is quite good for controlled buoyant lifts (it does dump air QUICK))
When kitted up with drysuit etc. it was difficult to put fins on as the front is so bulky.
Non standard hoses meant losing a days diving in Oban and the octopus leaked on two seperate occasions which didn't give me much faith in the unit. I now do not buy anything without standard hoses, not even Apeks ATX stuff, no matter what anyone says.
I haven't even sold the HUB, I wouldn't even sell it to someone because I like people too much.
You'll hear it on the board loads, but backplate and harness IS better. And Halcyon gear still looks the business.
Hope that helps
Green_Manelishi
Contributor
Buy either a BP or a conventional BC.
Either one allows more mix and match to your preferences.
Either one allows more mix and match to your preferences.
lacydiver once bubbled...
Hi folks,
This is my first post on the board, so don't slaughter me. I have been thinking about purchasing a Mares (Dacor) HUB integrated bcd and regulator system. I do not own a BCD or regulator currently. I have over 60 dives under my belt and the majority of those were in the caribbean. I do dive here in Newfoundland, but only when the water warms up to wetsuit conditions (I consider this to be when the water has no surface ice present).
Would this be a good purchase or should I go with a more traditional purchase?
Thanks for the help.
I'm not one to slag off people's equipment choices but I really don't think the HUB is suitable (or safe) for scuba diving. The reason is what they did with the hose routing. If you were to take the regulator and all the hoses off the HUB and just hang it on a tank without the BCD there to hide the mess you would be amazed at how scary it looks. :scared: There are several single points of failure on the HUB that are nicely hidden where to can't see or check them. For example there is very important splitter behind your back. If you were to pop a hose on that splitter it would shut down your primary reg, your octopus and your inflater all at the same time and you would be faced with a very serious if not life threatening problem. If you ask me, this sort of thing is not appropriate for diving gear and therefore I conclude that the HUB is not fit-for-purpose.
R..
ElectricZombie
Contributor
The HUB is not safe for any type of diving!
As I have said before, it is a deathtrap!
Do yourself a favor and check into a Backplate and Wing setup. Halcyon makes great gear.
As I have said before, it is a deathtrap!
Do yourself a favor and check into a Backplate and Wing setup. Halcyon makes great gear.
ScubaVP
Guest
I tried the Dacor HUB once in a pool during my OW training. I knew instantly that this thing sucked big time. The inflator was not intuitive to use, and I have never been impressed with the Dacor Viper series of regs....they breath too wet for my liking. In my opinion, the HUB was made for divers who are not serious about the sport. It was designed for the "once a year diver who knows just enough to try and not kill themselves" diver.
I have not used a BP/Wing setup, but I do dive with a back inflation BC. They are fantastic!
I have not used a BP/Wing setup, but I do dive with a back inflation BC. They are fantastic!
One caveat not mentioned. They cost too much! You can get a decent bc and reg setup for alot less. Same with bp and reg setup.
Both of the above are much more versatile than the HUB ever thought of being.
I own both a jacket bc and bp/harness/wings.
Both of the above are much more versatile than the HUB ever thought of being.
I own both a jacket bc and bp/harness/wings.
cyklon_300
Contributor
You have a myriad of much better choices. The HUB incorporates numerous design features that are ill-conceived and provide no advantage to the wearer.
From my own experience, I've had a SeaQuest horse collar (ha!), a Zeagle back-inflate, and now a BP/W. Each item was a dramatic improvement over the previous piece of gear.
From my own experience, I've had a SeaQuest horse collar (ha!), a Zeagle back-inflate, and now a BP/W. Each item was a dramatic improvement over the previous piece of gear.
danw2002
Contributor
The 'Hub' is a classic case of a group of non-divers all getting together and seeing if they can come up with the next new diving craze.....and you know what happens when non-divers do all the design work on a new piece........they dont have a clue.....:bonk: :bonk:
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