Dumb scuba products

[Moogyboy]

So while thinking about my old regulators as well as considering a BP/W at some point, I remembered reading about the old Dacor HUB and did a Google search. Not many results. Seems it wasn't The Future Of Dive Gear that it was hyped to be, and even though I never owned one and am really not much of an expert, it always struck me as a pretty gimmicky, ill conceived product, the kind of thing that might have been dreamed up by an industrial design student for a senior thesis project but rather tone-deaf regarding the direction the market was actually heading in. That's what I mean by a Dumb Scuba Product. I'd love to learn of other examples of poorly thought out, overpriced, and/or under-useful products and what-were-they-thinking concepts that the experienced divers have run across over the years. I'm fascinated by inglorious flops and would love to hear your opinions.

Cheers

Billy S.

 

[tursiops]

Scuba Masks by HydroOptix -- Products -- 4.5DD Overview

 

[BoltSnap]

So while thinking about my old regulators as well as considering a BP/W at some point, I remembered reading about the old Dacor HUB and did a Google search. Not many results. Seems it wasn't The Future Of Dive Gear that it was hyped to be, and even though I never owned one and am really not much of an expert, it always struck me as a pretty gimmicky, ill conceived product, the kind of thing that might have been dreamed up by an industrial design student for a senior thesis project but rather tone-deaf regarding the direction the market was actually heading in. That's what I mean by a Dumb Scuba Product. I'd love to learn of other examples of poorly thought out, overpriced, and/or under-useful products and what-were-they-thinking concepts that the experienced divers have run across over the years. I'm fascinated by inglorious flops and would love to hear your opinions.

Cheers

Billy S.

Mares came out with similar product and AL too.

 

[runsongas]

did mares maybe just rebadge the dacor after their acquisition?

 

[Bob DBF]

I guess, since the Aqua Lung i3 system came out, Dacor's push button BC inflation / deflation was a precursor of the future, although I'm not a fan of either.



Bob

 

[BoltSnap]

did mares maybe just rebadge the dacor after their acquisition?

I don't remember the exact details since it has been a very long time, I was a Dacor and Mares dealer at the time, but I think they were very similar or at least one based on the other.

 

[Jonn]

Scuba Masks by HydroOptix -- Products -- 4.5DD Overview

I’m nearsighted, and tried one out in a pool. It works, just like it says. The problem is water pooling in the bottom of those huge bubbles when looking down. I have a big mustache so my mask always leaks, but it’s not a problem with a flat plane of glass. The complex venting system is no more effective than regular mask clearing.

I think HydroOptix should have just licensed the technology to a regular mask manufacturer instead of trying to go it alone. It was stunningly expensive and rather poor quality for what it was. I suspect it’s an idea that will come around again once the patents expire, and be one of those niche things that a few people really like.

 

[davehicks]

My nomination for the Dumb Scuba Product hall of shame:

Any camera or video product that attaches to your Head.
​

The worst idea ever! One - you will loose it. Two - The resulting video with be a motion sickness nightmare. Three - Even if you miraculously don't loose it and make a decent video you still look like a dufus.

 

[Kamaros]

Fresh out of DEMA: www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/hydroid-aquabreather.587413/

tl;dr: some kind of rebreather helmet that supposedly uses a can of KO2 to produce oxygen (note: KO2 has an explosive reaction when contacting water). According to the thread, the demonstrator blacked out during a pool demo.

 

[MichaelMc]

That 'returns you to the surface if you stay too long, automatic BC.