What did you buy that you regret?

[Wayward Son]

Simple, he just eliminated the possible o-ring blowout failure point. How can people not dive DIN, that's what makes me wonder?

Simple: Money.

I am willing to use DIN gear. I own 2 yoke regs, and 8 tanks with yoke valves. I'll be happy to change. Are you willing to pay to have my regs converted (one may be tough, it's a 1978 Mk5) and replace all 8 valves for me? Or find someone who thinks it's worth spending their money to convert me?

So far, I have not seen a single compelling reason why it's worth any of my money to do it, but if someone feels evangelical about it & wants to see 2 divers make the change, I'm game

 

[Marek K]

with one thin velcro strap, this writing slate does not stay put. If you put it on comfortably, when the suit compresses under pressure, it slides down to your wrist. Or it slips around behind your arm. If you put it on tight enough to stay in place, it cuts off circulation to the hand. Great idea but poorly designed.

Someone should design one that does stay in place

Throw the velcro away.Replace it with bungy

A cheapie wrist slate works well for me... the one I got was flat, but I heated it up in the oven and formed it around a bottle until it was properly curved.

It's got the single velcro strap, and I do have to cinch it tight to keep the slate in place. But I can get it tight enough without cutting off circulation. And like a velcro watch strap, I do have to tighten it at depth around the wetsuit. In fact, the cheapie Timex Helix DM watch I wear on the same wrist tends to keep the slate in place, I think.

I've never had much luck experimenting with bungees, like for wrist gauge boots. If they're able to slip around my hands, they don't hold tight enough... maybe I've been using the wrong kind of bungee... Are there different elasticities?

--Marek

 

[Goose75]

Simple, he just eliminated the possible o-ring blowout failure point. How can people not dive DIN, that's what makes me wonder?

Two reasons. Availability in my part of the world is formost. The second is that once I leave the doors of my shop, I'm lucky enough to get a 3000psi fill.

To try and not stray off topic without at least contributing to it, I'll second the tank bangers. A dive knife is easier for me to use and I have trouble hearing the banger through a hood anyway.

 

[mello-yellow]

Italian Seac-sub Sorius regulator. Got it new in Florida for $104. It's a low-end reg, well suited for a pony, which is what I used it for. Thought it was a good deal at the time. Problem is, I live in Massachusetts, and the entire New England has only one scuba shop which will service this model! So, when it needed servicing in 2003, I had to ship it to Connecticut and back, which added over $20 to service cost. In 2004 I happened to drive through CT and dropped it off, but the dealer was unable to get one missing part, anywhere. The reg sat in the shop for several months. After several fruitless calls to Florida and to Italy, the dealer shipped it to me for free, and I managed to get rid of it on eBay for $40.

Before you buy equipment, make sure someone around can service it.

 

[mongoose]

I won't say that I completely *regret* puchasing my SpareAir, but I do think in retrospect it is unnecessary. So are pony bottles. Your pony bottle/spare air/etc. is on your buddy's back. If you don't get more than a short swim away from your buddy, you don't need the darned thing.

Since I have it, I go ahead and carry it, but I don't let it be an excuse to leave my buddy. I would consider it useless below about 40 feet. I don't advise buying it.

just my 2psi
--'Goose

 

[JKSteger]

Two words...Retractable clips!!!


Jeremy

 

[scubaren]

I've never experienced it but have been told that "Spare Air" makes it possible for a person to "run out of air twice", i.e. not enough to get you back in many cases especially where you need to do a safety stop.

 

[PerroneFord]

My only regrettable purchases have been:

1. Soft weight belt. I know people like these more than hard weights. But for me, the hard weight belt just works better. Takes up less real estate and doesn't feel as shifty.

2. Zeagle BC. Not to say this unit was bad. On the contrary, I liked it very much when I bought it. But I didn't know about the BP/W back then, and it would have been useful to just go that route from the outset. For recrational use, I think the Zeagle is great.

3. Bad dive training. Now mind you, I had a decent instructor. But from what I have learned about SCUBA training over the years, I think I would have been MUCH happier with an instructor who was cave certified and would have been far harder on me/us from the beginning. Fortunately, I am not averse to working on my own, and now I am spending hours in the pool relearning all my skills properly. Meaning not while I'm on my knees at the bottom of a pool.

While I would CERTAINLY buy some different gear today than I did 11 years ago, I am still happy with most of what I bought. I spent real money on quality gear and most of it is still usable. I am still using my 11 year old regs for now, my USD blades are nearly new, but I have Jetfins now, I am still using my divebag and mask.

 

[matt_unique]

BC was the purchase that I regret the most. $450 item that is only used because "I have it" during winter shore dives. Otherwise I would use only my BP/W.

--Matt

 

[michaelp68]

Two immediately come to mind:

1. My dive computer is in a console, clipped to my BC, with my spg and compass. I like my computer, but I wish I'd bought a wrist one, and put my compass on the other wrist.

2. I bought a shaker/noise maker. All I can say is what the !@#$ was I thinking?

Michael