Dive Xtras Cuda 400 - I wasn't sure I could ever love anything more than my Shearwater, but this thing is quickly getting there.
Post your last gear purchase
- Thread starter milbournosphere
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I bought a BCD (Mares-Dragon-AT) from Acquazzurra (an authorized Mares dealer in Rome) and came back to Turkey (my home country) and had my first dive.. BUT It was out of work!! the BCD inflated but could not deflate in the horizontal position.. I was so scared to learn this defect while ascenting from minus 15 meters to 13.. I found myself floating upwards and emergency valve did not work either!! While being drifted upwards for about 4 to 5 meters, I found the end of emergency valve and pulled it up and it deflated!
I called and emailed the dealer in Rome for a couple of weeks BUT i received no response back!! till an Italian friend of mine called in and talked to them in Italian.. Now I am in touch with Mares/Istanbul/Turkey. AND The BCD from Mares, Acquazzurra-Roma is out of work and does not function according to Mares- Turkey technical service's report.
The technical department in Mares-Istanbul requires the inner mechanism of BCD Atrium Dragon with all its wires and hoses as there had been an oxidation problem in the BCD and such a problem is fatal and urgent for repair.
The technician in Mares-Istanbul has written to Mares (main branch) but still waiting for response and it has been a quite while with no response back.
I dont think I will trust that BCD even if it is repaired!! and my thrust in MARES?? unfortunately NO!!
Do you have any suggestions or can you provide some help with it??
THANKS
Sisi
I called and emailed the dealer in Rome for a couple of weeks BUT i received no response back!! till an Italian friend of mine called in and talked to them in Italian.. Now I am in touch with Mares/Istanbul/Turkey. AND The BCD from Mares, Acquazzurra-Roma is out of work and does not function according to Mares- Turkey technical service's report.
The technical department in Mares-Istanbul requires the inner mechanism of BCD Atrium Dragon with all its wires and hoses as there had been an oxidation problem in the BCD and such a problem is fatal and urgent for repair.
The technician in Mares-Istanbul has written to Mares (main branch) but still waiting for response and it has been a quite while with no response back.
I dont think I will trust that BCD even if it is repaired!! and my thrust in MARES?? unfortunately NO!!
Do you have any suggestions or can you provide some help with it??
THANKS
Sisi
Tony387
Contributor
Aluminum Backplate, Webbing, harness hardware from DGX. Time to give the SS its summer break. 
Mares gear is normally very reliable. I have, however, heard of other divers have trouble with this particular BCD and specifically with respect to valves that open and close seemingly randomly. Apparently water can get inside the hoses that activate the back valves and cause the valves to malfunction.
Hearing it once is a fluke. Hearing twice is a pattern. Hearing it more than twice (as is the case here) is reason to think that Mares should probably have recalled them. So far that hasn't happened.
My advice would be to complain to Mares.
If it were me I would cite that I have researched it and discovered that this is a common problem. In fact, it is *so* common that they apparently have communicated a maintenance protocol to their techs but have not recalled them as they should have. I would remind them that other manufacturers in the industry routinely issue recalls for much less common and much less dangerous issues and that this problem is putting people's safety at risk. I would also mention that you've posted about it on the largest online site for divers in the world and that you would like to hear their response to this complaint so you can update your thread with their standpoint.
I think if you do that, they'll do just about anything to they have to do to shut you up.
If you like that BCD then there is an obvious solution, which is to have it replaced with a Dragon that has a traditional inflator hose. As I said to start with, Mares gear is normally very good and aside from the issue you're having the Dragon is perfectly ok BCD.
R..
Tigerman
Contributor
My most recent gear purchase for once is not camera related (although my second latest is a new focus light) - new miflex houses for my regs. The old ones had served me well for a bit too long to be honest and was developing leaks in the connections..
- Messages
- 17,266
- Reaction score
- 9,466
- Location
- Somewhere between here and there
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
Mares Avanti Quattro +
cb5150
Contributor
Aeris Acell fins and a set of SP Seawing Nova bungee straps for them. They will be my new travel fins.
Happy Happy Happy
Happy Happy Happy
soccerrefjason
Contributor
Evo 3mm wetsuit.
Aqualung axiom bcd.
Aqualung air3. (I regret this purchase)
Aqualung Legend first and second stage regulator.
Suunto Cobra3 advanced air-integrated dive computer with electronic 3d compass.
IST Mask snorkel fins gloves booties.
Unknown (unremembered) dive torch. Approx $30
Marine sports dive products spare o-ring kit
small oring pick
make this all x2 because i bought an identical set for my son.
gopro hero3 black
gopro pole mount
gopro headmount (admittedly I do not use this mount for diving i use it for hiking and bike riding, but i bought it at the scuba store, sooo...)
Aqualung axiom bcd.
Aqualung air3. (I regret this purchase)
Aqualung Legend first and second stage regulator.
Suunto Cobra3 advanced air-integrated dive computer with electronic 3d compass.
IST Mask snorkel fins gloves booties.
Unknown (unremembered) dive torch. Approx $30
Marine sports dive products spare o-ring kit
small oring pick
make this all x2 because i bought an identical set for my son.
gopro hero3 black
gopro pole mount
gopro headmount (admittedly I do not use this mount for diving i use it for hiking and bike riding, but i bought it at the scuba store, sooo...)
Similar threads
