What are good/not as good SCUBA equipment brands?

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freeze43

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Hi, I'm a very new scuba diver (just got my Open Water this week- woo!) and I'm looking for some equipment that is rugged and durable.

I had heard rumours that Oceanic stuff tends to wear out faster than, say SEAC, but it was from a dive shop trying to sell SEAC so I'm not sure what to make of it.

Has anyone had really good/really bad experiences with Oceanic, SEAC, Aeris or anything else? I'm not too concerned if I have to pay a little extra if in the long run it goes the distance.

Thanks!
 
Hi Freeze , Its a hard question , What you will experience is people tend to stick to a brand IMO, generally what they were taught with as the shop you learn from generally has a brand they push.

I have Oceanic gear and have no issues, Excursion BCD and FDX 10 regs. Some friends have oceanic BCD's and the same Oceanic regs but have recently gone over to Poseiden regs .

If you look after your gear- wash after dive, dry and store properly you really should have no wear and tear issues for some time.
Get out, put your new C card to use , hire diffent kits see what you like before you buy. Look at peoples gear set ups and configurations when out and about getting wet, ask first to see the stuff of course , people will be only to glad to help newbies.
Read the gear section in this site heaps of opinions.

Whatever brand you buy, look at the warranty inclusions, service availability, costs of service which all play a big factor for me.

Every one will have a different opinion , just like fords and holdens here in Oz.

Good luck in your diving, get out and do it, don't wait.

Cheers
Graham
 
I would say that virtually everything that's out there is at minimum "perfectly fine" from a function/reliability standpoint. As price goes up you get more features, minor increases in performance, and gear that is purpose-built for specific situations (deep diving, wreck/cave, high 02 %, etc)
 
I think that different brands tend to have strengths and weaknesses within their product lines - so it's impossible to dismiss a brand completely. A brand that makes great regulators, may not make great BCDs... or fins, or masks etc etc.

For instance;

I love my Cressi mask - well designed, good materials, very comfortable and has lasted for years. I wouldn't touch a pair of Cressi fins though.
I loved my Poseidon regulators - great performance, but I really dislike the form and function of their 'hybrid' style BCDs.


The only 'brand specific' considerations well worth considering are issues like:

- Availability and cost of service/spares.
- Warranty.
- Customer Service.

For instance;

My Poseidon regulators got sold because, whilst great in Europe, they were an absolute pain-in-the-butt to get spare parts, or servicing, when travelling/living in Asia. I ended up selling them (at a loss) for that reason and getting Scubapro instead.


In all other respects, the key is to focus on the specific qualities of the item, not the brand it represents..
 
I look at it like this, If you spend half the money and something, and it lasts half as long, you are still ok.

So, like others are saying, everything is pretty much at a certain quality level from all price points, it is mainly extra features and brand names you eventually end up paying more for
 
If a dive shop talks down the brands they don't sell, find another shop. All equipment sold by major brands names will do the job. I have a mixture of brand names, including Oceanic equipment.
 
Scubapro is a leader in SCUBA gear and has been for 50 years.

They have developed products & designs that have changed the industry.

The Scubapro Jet Fin

The Scubapro Regulators - MK 5 - Mk25; Adj - A700

The Scubapro Stab Jacket - X-Tek BackPlate/Wing

The Scubapro AIR II

The Scubapro ( Uwatec ) dive computers AirX - Galileo Sol

The Scubapro Frameless mask

The Scubapro Shotgun snorkel

Scubapro's full line - the New SubGear Line

They offer a full line of quality gear world-wide!
 
DevonDiver hit it square on the head. You buy the equipment once but you get it serviced for decades. If you cannot get it serviced then it isn't good for you.
 
Here is my take on SCUBA gear when it comes to brands. I think there are a handful of companies that will manufacture certain equipment items for different brands. BCD's come to mind, although some companies will manufacture their own branded BCDs, I think the majority of the mainstream and value brands are built by the same company or companies using the same methods and materials. So the main difference there is comfort, aesthetics and of course price. I believe the same to be for masks, fins, snorkels, and accessories.

I am not completely sure about regulators. I think that the major brands that have been around a long time like Scubapro, Mares, Dacor, US Divers etc... play a larger part in the manufacturing process of their regulators, perhaps some even have their own manufacturing plants solely for their brands. However, I don't see how it is economically feasible for the value brands to do the same, so in that category the few actual plants that rebrand the regulators is probably more common.

Local dive shops, (LDS) will more times than not push heavily the gear that they sell, some might even tell you that theirs is the only brand you should get for XYZ reasons. The shops make money from selling gear, so it is natural that they will try to sell you theirs, I do agree that a shop should not talk bad about the gear they don't sell, but it is up to you to decide to give them their business or not. You need to be aware of this when asking a LDS owner, employee or affiliated instructor.

When buying gear as a new diver, you need to consider first what environment and conditions you will be diving in. Second, before you make a huge investment, make sure that you will remain an active diver, and then buy the appropriate gear. Third, make sure that the brands you are buying will be serviceable in other regions, not just locally. In my opinion, if you are doing less than 10 dives per year you should rent your gear, as it will be more economically feasible.

Oceanic has been making SCUBA gear for a long time and have good products, they may not be the best, but certainly not what I consider a value brand. With proper care, storage and service the equipment will last you decades. I honestly am not familiar with SEAC so I have no useful opinion there.
 
Take care of anything and it will last for a very, very long time - "brand" really does not matter. Make sure however that the equipment you buy, regardless of brand, is suitable for the diving you do. As an example, if you will be doing "cold water" diving, don't buy the regulator that is not set up to handle it.

Price is not necessarily an indicator of quality - price can simply be an indicator of function.

My Aeris BCD, regs, computer have been going fine for the last six years. There, a plug for Aeris. I could also plug, Mares, Whites, Pinnacle, Oceanic, Bare, Beauchant, you name it, our equipment comes from all over the place!

Bill
 
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