Why junky, why not top of the line?

[Jaydubya]

Often the difference in price has nothing to do with performance or reliability. For my diving, I would pay up for balanced regulators that are cold water capable but I wouldn't pay up for chrome accents and status indicators. One way to save money is to buy pre-owned but that can be scary for the novice. I have no problem with used gear in good condition. In fact, all the gear I own is used. Some of it was used when I bought it.

 

[Cixelsyd]

You have to be aware of the game Scuba manufacturers are playing. The truth is, every piece of equipment you get from an established manufacturer is pretty similar ot any other and all are going to be safe. however, that's not a good sales pitch, so every year they come up with new and "better" features and spend lots of money convincing divers that they all need the new "better" features. You don't, really, but there are enough people out there who want "the best" to make the game worthwhile for manufacturers.

Unless you need specialized gear for very specific types of diving, just buy whatever gear fits and works best for you, regardless of price. Cheaper gear won't endanger you so long as you take care of it and get it fit right.

 

[Kenny13]

Yeah, you have to be careful about your wording when refering to lower cost gear as "junk". Just remember that equipment such as cylinders and regulators are essentially life support equipment, and even the lowest cost products of those types carry a lot of liability for a manufacturer if they cannot perform the function they are intended for.

As previously mentioned, in a lot of cases there is a fine line between the lower cost stuff and the most expensive. There's nothing wrong with taking the approach of saving to get the more expensive stuff if that's what makes you feel better, but don't think that you need to spend all that $$$$$ on the best stuff to be safe and enjoy this sport.

 

[fnfalman]

Buy whatever you want to buy. End of story.

 

[spoolin01]

Why focus inordinately on scuba? Is scuba the greatest risk you face? Maybe you can describe the car you've purchased and all the safety upgrades and training you've gone through in order to take that extra risk reduction that's available. That would make it more evident that your post is about safety.

How's that jumbo jet pilot's training going? It could save your life one day.

 

[CaboJim]

As stated, this is not a cheap sport, especially in dealing with the costs of equipment.
But what always amazes me is when a newbie will go out and buy the more expensive line, before he/she knows that this sport is really something that they want to do.

 

[Blackwood]

, ive been a knife enthusiate for a good chunk of my life. if I had a video recorder I would show you the differences just between the steals, or the factory edges some knives come with.

As a knife collector myself (microtech fan), I'm aware of many features.

For diving, factory edge and hardness aren't much of a concern. Corrosion resistance and toughness are primary, with replacement cost playing into it as well.

 

[reefracer]

and basically im wondering is scuba a sport that you can kind of skimp on gear a little. it seemed like something that you couldnt. but everyone so far is telling me that most things are created pretty close to equal. if most regs and octos are the same internally is it ok to buy something thats a lot cheaper (within reason). thats all i want to know. because im very new to scuba diving and havent had any equipment break on me yet. are most things easy fixes? im trying to get a better stand point on the scuba gear avaliable.

well you get what you pay for...my gear was not top of the line when purchased but it was not "cheap".....17 years later.....600 plus dives...... I still have what I paid for and the gear is still current and relevant to everything I dive today..... the old saying "you get what you pay for" might be applicable but whatever you buy will last as long as you care for it....it is your life source so treat it like one and it will be your friend for along time to come!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

One thing to thank lawyers and sue happy goomers is that no mfg in their right mind is going to put out something that will hurt you. You DO NOT have to spend 800 for a coldwater reg. I can sell you one for half that and the average diver would not be able to tell the difference in performance. Except that if I set it up, the less expensive reg may breath better than the high end one that was not correctly adjusted.

 

[TSandM]

At the very bottom end of gear, there is poor gear. For example, some very cheap fins are plastic, flimsy, don't push well and don't last very long. With things like regulators, this is going to be much less likely, because no company can afford the liability of regulators that fail and cause accidents. Within a very broad middle range of prices, equipment will be functional, and the highest priced items are often placed there because they are the "new, improved" version, with lots of bells and whistles that, in the end, do not turn out to be anywhere near as great as the manufacturer touts them to be.

For new divers, buying high end everything is really absurd (and I wish dive shops didn't push people into $200 fins all the time) because we know that, sadly, many people who get certified will never dive at all, or very much. Buying a set of relatively inexpensive equipment and USING it is a good way to stay in the sport. If you find that you're addicted, you can trade up, and although selling used gear does not recoup much of the cost of it, it does help some.

When fins can run from $30 to $700, I don't blame ANYBODY for asking if there is a less expensive way to get the job done.