What did you buy but eventually replaced?

[TracyN]

Had I known that I'd be going into cave diving I would not have wasted money on a jacket BC

 

[Colliam7]

Of the gear I purchased early in diving, or somewhere along the way:

A. Replaced -

1. (large, bulky, inadequate) pistol grip light, with can light (and an assortment of 'flashlight' style LEDs)
2. cheap Trident wreck reel, with Dive Rite reel(s)
3. Rubber fin straps that would regularly break, with steel spring straps
4. Expensive, large volume, bulky, single lens purge mask, with small volume, inexpensive, lightweight, two-lens non-purge mask (Seadive Caribbean)
5. blade knife (strapped onto my leg like a 'real he-man diver'), with EMT shears
6. Expensive, moderately effective, commercial defog solution(s), with inexpensive, effective biological defog solution
7. Henderson neoprene dive gloves that developed holes in the fingertips quickly, with leather-palmed paddling gloves from REI that did not develop holes in the fingertips as quickly
8. Dive Rite thigh pocket, with Halcyon bellows pockets sewn / glued on wetsuit
9. Octo second stage mouthpiece holder, with bungee necklace
10. Rubber octo / second stage holder necklace, (that came with Apeks reg set), with bungee necklace
11. Zeagle regulator mouthpiece, with Sea-Cure mouthpiece
12. Sea-Cure mouthpiece, with Apeks Comfo-Bite mouthpiece (on every second stage I won)

B. Kept and still regularly use -

1. Mares Quattro fins
2. Zeagle regulator (50D/ZX)
3. Henderson 3mm wetsuit (although have bought several more in addition)

C. Kept but seldom use -

1. Zeagle Ranger BCD - supplanted by BP/W

 

[RonFrank]

I purchased most of my gear used, and sold what I did not need.

Zeagle Ranger => Now Zeagle Stiletto and BP/W
Zeagle 50/D - had in since day 1
Titanium knife - had since the beginning
Hood - had a beanie also have a 5mm
Lights - Couple Small Intova's and a Sartek HID

I have purchased more than a few fins and have gone through a bit of exposure protection.

I purchased a 3mm fullsuit and still have it. I purchased a 7mm used farmers john, then a semi-dry, then dry. Now I have a 7mm again I have never dove as a backup in case my seals go again.

Fins I have a few pair of Mares, Force Fins, Biofins, Manta Ray... I need to sell some fins!

 

[webbedfoot]

The item I have replaced most is my Octo Holder. I have gone through several styles of Otco Holders. Round Bulb, Double Chamber Bulb, Necklace, Magnetic (never worked except on the boat) and finally now- the cheapest one ever- the silcone hikki-do that you thread through itself onto a D-ring and then stretch around the mouthpiece of the Octo. Cheap (under 3 bucks) and effective. Took twenty years of diving to get that one right.

 

[blake7]

... some because I discover something about it that I don't like (Cochran and Dive Rite computers, Northern Diver and Fusion drysuits) ...

Since you have owned so many different drysuits, I would be really interested in what you didn't like about the Whites Fusion.

Thanks!

 

[highflier]

Like this one?
http://www.amazon.com/Diving-Silicone-Regulator-Octopus-Holder/dp/B004UDFU3A

The item I have replaced most is my Octo Holder. I have gone through several styles of Otco Holders. Round Bulb, Double Chamber Bulb, Necklace, Magnetic (never worked except on the boat) and finally now- the cheapest one ever- the silcone hikki-do that you thread through itself onto a D-ring and then stretch around the mouthpiece of the Octo. Cheap (under 3 bucks) and effective. Took twenty years of diving to get that one right.

 

[Nitro91]

The item I have replaced most is my Octo Holder. I have gone through several styles of Otco Holders. Round Bulb, Double Chamber Bulb, Necklace, Magnetic (never worked except on the boat) and finally now- the cheapest one ever- the silcone hikki-do that you thread through itself onto a D-ring and then stretch around the mouthpiece of the Octo. Cheap (under 3 bucks) and effective. Took twenty years of diving to get that one right.

too easy

 

[webbedfoot]

Silicone Octo Holder. Yep that's the one! Cheap as I said and VERY effective.

 

[rhwestfall]

Been doing this for 20+ years, and still have my original gear (less a couple lights, and a computer that just gave up the ghost). My garage sale SP 109 regs were the best $20 I ever spent, and like the energizer bunny, just keep going and going and... Regrettably, the exposure gear that was tailored to a 20 year old athlete won't fit a 44 year old... got a little costly as a DS and back-inflate BC were obtained. Still have the traditional BC for warm water diving, so it wasn't "a waste".

The only thing I needed to change was my buddy..... a little too much that has nothing to do with diving, so I'll stop at that....

I find that it is the "extras" that are breaking the bank - couple pony tanks, wife's gear, daughter's gear, and some duplicate gear for that "just in case" problem. Actually, I have had friends use it while diving with me if they didn't have their own stuff...... I just say it it the price to pay if you want to play...

 

[Lemna]

One year in, and not doing too bad: only had to replace a torch. Paid 70 euros for that first one only to have its plastic body break within a few months. It's scary to realize that my perception of the price of a good dive light has changed from "70 euros for a flashlight? That's insane!" to "500 euros? Good deal!"