Chinese diving equipment

[Joris Vd]

Dear people at scubaboard,

I was wondering, just out of interest if any of you guys had ever bought chinese diving equipment (this can go from reels to regs/bcds etc.) and found any of it of good quality?
I was just wondering because alot of diving equipment is technically very basic.
Like for example there's regulators on ali express for 20-30 dollars,
I haven't bought one and am not really planning on buying any, but it's always interesting to know if there's actually quality stuff between the heaps and heaps of **** you find online.

With kind regards,
Joris

 

[HantsDiver]

I have a couple of cheap torches and they are actually shockingly good.

I probs wouldn't trust regs from ali express. Everything else though I'd give it a go with.

 

[MelasLithos]

Well, I live in China, and there's this fantastic and dangerous thing called Taobao. Dfifficult to resist...
I own a lot of accessories made in China (spools, DSMB, etc.), and have no issues with those.
My lights all come from China too, and same as above, I am very happy with those.

When I started buying my gear, I asked the same question to diver friends here, and was told that they would not buying anything more technical than a BCD here. Everything else was fine. I kept to that. I am not sure though if it comes from experience or just prejudice. In my case, I'll admit, it's totally predjudice. But I believe it's important to trust your gear, so buy the one you feel you ca n trust (my regs and wings all come from Europe/USA).

 

[undrwater]

Link to $20 regulators? I'd buy one just to take it apart. Maybe dive it attached to pony on a non pony dive.

 

[Joris Vd]

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link to ali-express? This is a second stage + hose for 18.50

LumiParty Duikuitrusting Verstelbare Explorer Duiken Dive 2nd Podium Regulator Octopus Waterpijp met Mondstuk in LumiParty Duikuitrusting Verstelbare Explorer Duiken Dive 2nd Podium Regulator Octopus Waterpijp met Mondstuk van snorkels op AliExpress.com | Alibaba Groep

 

[northernone]

I've handled or dove a few dozen of the lower end Chinese equipment pieces.... it can be dangerous, it can be good, it can be clones of quality designs or it can be the identical item without the branding. The issue is in inaccurate advertising, poorer material choices or inconsistent quality control. I generally disassemble a new product and if the components are good quality reassembling carefully with proper lube can get a good product at a low price. I've got 1200 hrs on a Chinese canister flashlight for example.

For general perspective, the fire hazard cellphone power adapters and the genuine Apple adapters both come from China... so far I've tore down a few dozen identical looking white wall plugs from various suppliers, costing between 43 cents and 16$... and found 6 different interior designs... ranging from scary quality to oem clones. Not price related particularly. Markup and unscrupulous/ignorant sellers confuse the perceived and actual values.

The reg pictured on the aliexpress link is about 9$ wholesale each (50 units) plus freight. Fairly low end, I encountered it in Panama as rental gear and tracked down a supplier for curiosity sake, I've not owned it myself. I'd hazard a guess you'd receive the item pictured for the price listed. Also, aliexpress platform anti fraud system is good if you do get burnt, I've had 4,000$ refunded by them, just time considering preparing evidence. That markup on aliexpress is fairly typical so it doesn't look like a scam to me.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[Diver0001]

Well, I live in China, and there's this fantastic and dangerous thing called Taobao. Dfifficult to resist...
I own a lot of accessories made in China (spools, DSMB, etc.), and have no issues with those.
My lights all come from China too, and same as above, I am very happy with those.

When I started buying my gear, I asked the same question to diver friends here, and was told that they would not buying anything more technical than a BCD here. Everything else was fine. I kept to that. I am not sure though if it comes from experience or just prejudice. In my case, I'll admit, it's totally predjudice. But I believe it's important to trust your gear, so buy the one you feel you ca n trust (my regs and wings all come from Europe/USA).

I have quite a bit of contact with Chinese high-tech companies because of my work. In fact I just got back from China and one thing is clear, which is that there is NOTHING the Chinese can't do and most things they can't do better than Europeans or Americans. I think the average person should go to China and see how they actually do things.... it is Absolutely... Jaw... Dropping.... how much further they are than we are in the west.

Many Americans and Europeans think that the Chinese are copy cats and/or don't care about quality..... But that's not true. It might have been 20 or 30 years ago... but these days.... these days the Chinese have passed us on the right and we are eating their dust.

Even major American products that you THINK of as being typically American are made in China. The iPhone, for example. There is very little about the iPhone that is American. The design might have been made by a few Americans..... but the iPhone is a Chinese product made with Korean chips and Chinese parts.

Do you want to know why an iPhone costs so much? Not because of the manufacturing..... it costs less than 1/3 of the retail value to make.... 2/3 of the cost is because Apple wants you to believe that it is superior American Engineering...... Which is laughable because the Americans don't even have the ability to manufacture an iPhone.

R..

 

[undrwater]

I have quite a bit of contact with Chinese high-tech companies because of my work. In fact I just got back from China and one thing is clear, which is that there is NOTHING the Chinese can't do and most things they can't do better than Europeans or Americans. I think the average person should go to China and see how they actually do things.... it is Absolutely... Jaw... Dropping.... how much further they are than we are in the west.

Many Americans and Europeans think that the Chinese are copy cats and/or don't care about quality..... But that's not true. It might have been 20 or 30 years ago... but these days.... these days the Chinese have passed us on the right and we are eating their dust.

Even major American products that you THINK of as being typically American are made in China. The iPhone, for example. There is very little about the iPhone that is American. The design might have been made by a few Americans..... but the iPhone is a Chinese product made with Korean chips and Chinese parts.

Do you want to know why an iPhone costs so much? Not because of the manufacturing..... it costs less than 1/3 of the retail value to make.... 2/3 of the cost is because Apple wants you to believe that it is superior American Engineering...... Which is laughable because the Americans don't even have the ability to manufacture an iPhone.

R..

Echoes of Japan. I was listening to a story on how the Chinese are borrowing educational ideas from the US and other countries to address the creativity gap they have. Thinking about that, there are some interesting implications for its future.

 

[Diver0001]

Echoes of Japan. I was listening to a story on how the Chinese are borrowing educational ideas from the US and other countries to address the creativity gap they have. Thinking about that, there are some interesting implications for its future.

People don't understand...... American business people think that the Chinese have a "creativity gap" but the fact is that this is not true in the least..... In fact, it is the other way around..... Americans VASTLY .... VASTLY ... underestimate the Chinese.

 

[undrwater]

People don't understand...... American business people think that the Chinese have a "creativity gap" but the fact is that this is not true in the least..... In fact, it is the other way around..... Americans VASTLY .... VASTLY ... underestimate the Chinese.

I don't know if it's true, but the report indicated that the Chinese themselves are concerned about a creativity gap.