Your opinions for rugged gear...

[tlarcombe]

Hello all.

I am new to operating a dive business (dive centre). I have worked at this dive centre for four years, but for the last two years it is my own business, I run it, I employ instructors and DMs (interns).

As a side note, I would bet that I am one of a very few people who operated a diving centre with only an Open Water qualification (although you will be glad to know that this year I got DM and I am booked at the end of the season on the IDC. As an aside to the side note it is a PADI registered dive centre, and I do have other non-padi quals - just before anyone want to start shouting. And the professional stuff I left to the professionals.

My current problems are around longevity of my gear.

The tourist (busy) season here is just two months. I can look at my diary and tell you that in July and August I will (and have been for the last four years) dive 3 or 4 times a day, every day for these two months. For the months of June and September I will probably dive twice a day, and for the rest of the year only when I want and for fun!

I average 450 dives a year - with over half in the tourist season. My dive log is now just a circled number next to each customer in the business diary. I know from experience the dive parameters based upon the customers qualification and the dive site for that excursion.

For newer divers out there, do as I say - not as I do! Don't under-estimate the value of your dive log. Record everything - it will help make you a more rounded diver at the beginning. Understanding your physiological responses to suit type/thickness, weight, depth, conditions and air consumption. From my point of view as a dive centre operator I put more value on looking at your logbook than on any collection of cards you fan out in front of me - also remember your log book runs across all the different dive organisations you may train with.

Sorry, tangential thinking - back to my original question...

My gear (because of the way I dive) wears out very quickly. I go through boots (really though boots - specifically the soles split) once a season. My wetsuit (I won't name the brands - because I am here to glean information not to shame) is just about to split on different seams for the fourth time this season. My computer (it's a pretty simple 2 gas) failed on a 30m dive, cleaned, serviced, changed o-rings, siliconed etc - lasted ok for another 100 dives and then leaked again. My regs, I am qualified to service some TUSA and all Oceanic regs, have great differences in how long they go before there is a discernible change in operation - and of course they are both hugely different to service, in number of components, time taken and cost. Tanks, I am PSI/PCI - so do my on visuals - but valves are causing some trouble this year....

What pieces/brands of gear do you have that has provided you with real solid reliability? What do you wear/take when you are in a real harsh environment? What have you got that stands up to the test of time? What gear are you proud of, because its been to extremes or because its years old and still going? Is new (this years model) gear as well made and reliable as some older gear?

I have lots of old gear here: an ALBJ, an Italian fiberglass encased twinset, bottles with J valves, navy oval masks made with real vulcanized rubber! None of which we use as a school - I am looking for recommendations for current, available stuff.

PS - make a good suggestion, even if I don't use it, and I am happy for you to come here, contact me directly and dive for free.

Tony.

 

[bakodiver391]

I've used DiveRite regulators, masks and computers for over a decade and found them to be very robust. Your wetsuits are going to crush down to paper thin in a season of professional diving, doesn't seem to matter what brand. Best just to buy cheaper wetsuits and replace often.

 

[fjpatrum]

I don't dive anywhere near what you're doing (obviously) but I don't think any (soft) gear is going to survive long in that kind of use.

My suggestion would be to get at least 2 of everything and rotate them (except possibly the computer) every day so that you get at least one day of dry time between soakings. Also, a good thorough fresh water soak for a couple hours at night will help a lot.

For gear like wetsuits, I'd actually rotate three or four of them. I've probably got a 1000 days worth of dives/surfing/snorkeling/pool sessions on my oldest (Billabong) wetsuit but it has lasted 10+ years to get that kind of wear. I'd expect to cut that lifespan in half if I were wearing it every day so max 2 years of every day use like you're suggesting.

If you're going through multiple seams on wetsuits in a year I'd say you're not getting them rinsed & dried well enough or they're terribly mis-sized.

As for other gear, about the only thing you can do is rinse them well at the end of the day, let the dry out of direct sunlight, and do regular maintenance and checks on them.

 

[decompression]

At my shop there are items we use that are more robust and others we buy cheaper as there is no alternative. For student/rental gear we use SS back plates, simple webbing and Oxycheq wings. Whites Kevlar gloves are solid. However there's not much for wetsuits, boots hoods that are economical and robust. Apeks and scuba pro regs withstand our students and freezing cold silty diving we do here. Keep things as simple as possible and use metal as opposed to plastic when possible (buckles, fin straps etc).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Subcooled]

Your wetsuits are going to crush down to paper thin

I know this is fruitless but trilaminate/rubber dry suits do not crush to...

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I'm not sure about the seasonal changes where you dive..but I like to have a good suit to wear when it is cold. As soon as it warms up, I go to a beater suit that has a few holes and is crushed and is fadded. Then after some hard use, the good suit becomes the old suit and I buy another one, but only use it when I absolutely need to. This type of cycling through a few sets of suits will enhance their longevity a lot.

Glueing and repairing and sewing suits and especially boots is ESSENTIAL to prolong their life. They may not look nice, but they will last if you learn how to make simple suit repairs. an unattended thread that pulls from a seam will ruin a suit, yet a dab of wetsuit glue (or even super glue) will effectively lock down the thread and stop the run.

As for regulators, I'm no expert, but I think I would retrofit them will good functional rubber "dust caps" and then soak them most nights in freshwater. Soaking rather than rinsing is very effective in reducing corrosion and maintenance in my experience of using gear hard.

Tanks valves are going to need periodic work, but if you open them up and lubricate the threads and replace the stem O-rings and neck O-rings and inspect the seat, the maintenance should be quick and easy. Handles get twisted off when the valve threads are tight.. As soon as they are tight, cleaning them up will go a long way.

 

[tlarcombe]

Thanks all for your replies, I have taken all the advice on board. I am true to my word, if you find yourselves in the Northern Sporades (Greece) contact me directly here (or find me on FB - it's not hard) and I will take you diving - no charge.

Dive Safe.

T.

 

[Searcaigh]

Since you are in Greece you might find some comments from most of the SB members more US orientated rather than European such as the mention of Dive Rite, although I myself use Dive Rite wings.

I have always been a fan of Mares regulators and found them pretty well bulletproof, my first MR12 Mk III lasted over 20 years, and they do have a replacement reg that is recommended for dive schools / rental outlets called the Rover 12s.

Other reg option is the ScubaPro Mk2, simple and easy to service.

A wetsuit is a wetsuit, find a Chinese supplier, but I would be wanting to check sizes first before ordering a bulk delivery, if not check Italy or Spain.

BCDs, look for a more local European brand, although I have seen quite a few people here in UAE using Frog brand made in S. Africa, one dive centre here uses their gear for teaching so it must be reasonable.

Good luck with your search