What item of equipment was a waste of money?

[The Iceni]

gedunk once bubbled...
The little English guy is funny to watch but to be honest i have no idea what he is selling.

Our rejects end up in all parts of the world. Sadly many get on TV (For me that irritating guy on "Magnum PI" takes the biscuit!)

Some of us are hardly "little".Many, like me, are over 6 feet tall and have no desire to be TV stars.

 

[Lemonade]

The one that hooks up in-line with the inflator... Was trying to eliminate an extra hose. Bad idea... A big, fairly heavy piece of gear hanging on the inflator... What was I thinking?!

Luckily the thing got squashed by a tank the second day (I swear it was not done on purpose ), and I didn't have to find an excuse to throw it away!

 

[tholt576]

I have to agree with all the votes for dive knife. I have a great big one. I don't even take it with me anymore. I like my shears much more.

 

[gmbaker]

I am pretty sure his name was Higgins. He always told those long stories....

Our rejects end up in all parts of the world. Sadly many get on TV (For me that irritating guy on "Magnum PI" takes the biscuit!)

 

[arcticcat]

what is a suicide clip?

 

[Rick Murchison]

arcticcat once bubbled...
what is a suicide clip?

Any clip whose gate can be opened by just pressing it against a line. They're very easy to snap onto a line or a "D" ring. The problem with them is that they're too easy, and you can inadvertantly clip yourself to a line without taking any action to open the gate. An example is a "swivel snap."
See attached pic.
Rick

 

[seabass]

$10 Tank boot, the tank still rolls like crazy in the trunk unless I brace it with other stuff.

$75 ikelight flashlight with a fluorescent lamp. The light overall is too dim to be useful and too big to use as a backup. In addition the switch doesn't lock so turned on in my gear bag and ran the batteries out. Gave it to my friend.

$250 jacket style BC.

$180 Nitrox computer - it is rare that nitrox has been useful for the types of diving I can do. I always run out of air first.

$1.00 Non stainless steel keychain rings, used to provide attachment points on gear with small holes. They rust after 1 dive.

 

[The Iceni]

Lemonade once bubbled...
The one that hooks up in-line with the inflator... Was trying to eliminate an extra hose. Bad idea... A big, fairly heavy piece of gear hanging on the inflator... What was I thinking?!

Luckily the thing got squashed by a tank the second day (I swear it was not done on purpose ), and I didn't have to find an excuse to throw it away!

Genesis Sidekick, Scuba Pro Air 2, Buddy Auto Air, . .

All of these devices do the same thing surely, and are hardlly heavy? They are there as an alternative air source for the diver himself to use in those uncommon emergencies. In my opinion (for what its worth) combined with a top-of-the range main reg with a 2 metre LP hose for your out-of-air buddy to use, if necessary, this is surely the most ergonomically and finacially efficient set-up available.

I do not see the point in having another expensive reg at the end of yet another hose (in addition to the power inflator) since whenever it is needed there is only one way the diver or buddy pair should be heading and that's towards the surface?

Some of the advertising blurb reads as follows;

No need to drag that extra octopus hose around anymore. Since it's located right next to your power inflator, it is much easier to locate in an out of air emergency. You get one less hose and more function. I can't stand it when you jump in off the dive boat and your dangling octopus hits the water wrong and free flows your air away. The Genesis Sidekick stays close to you and is specially tuned to resist those unwanted free flows.

OK that was hype but like all such "reserve parachutes" there is no need for a snap shackle, suicide clip or similar, to mount the octopus in a position where it can easily be found and disconnected by my buddy before it can be used. In the buddy check I ensure he knows he has only to help himself to my main reg and guess where that will always be?

My Buddy Auto air breathes reasonably well down to more than 40 meters. OK its not anyhere nearly as good as my Apex T100 main reg but it is there for me to use in emergencies only and my set up ideally suits the type of diving I currently do.

 

[Lemonade]

After bad experience with Genesis Sidekick I probably won't even consider gadgets like Air2, etc. But I must say Genesis Sidekick is definitely significantly heavier and bulkier than Air2 and its placement seems more awkward.

 

[The Iceni]

Lemonade once bubbled...
After bad experience with Genesis Sidekick . . . .

Hi Lemonade,

We are all influenced by experiece, good or bad. I think I have provided a good theoretical justification for my use of the Buddy Auto Air and similar devices, at least in principle. What exactly went wrong?

Was it a design fault?

I forgot to mention I have also have a signalling device - the oddly name Buddy Blast - in line with my inflator hose and can still get to it quickly and breathe easily from it when necessary. Although they make excellent regulators the Apex equivalent - the Octo plus - is just as basic as all the others (cheap and nasty). My own is based on an original 1970s design!

At least these devices reduce the number of dangly bits - the so called Christmas Tree effect!

Methinks there may be considerabale prejudice against such items of equipment and in consequence the main reg manufacturers do not offer a modern quaility version as they obviously do not sell well, particularly to technical divers.

I still think it odd as the idea makes considerable sense.