Article on Rodales gear review scams

[Greg_Manko]

You always have to take equipment reviews with a grain of salt!
This is true for almost any type of gear.
Anytime you have human beings judge something - scuba gear or figure skating - you are going to have controversy and enigmatic results of the "best one year/worst the next year" variety, etc.
My bet is that ScubaPro simply didn't like playing in a "review lottery". When I purchased my SP reg I asked the LDS owner what he dove with. Of course, he might have got it at a huge discount. But a lot of sporting goods companies give shop employees and instructors discounts.
Gear reviews are great as a summary of what's out there and as a comparison of product features, but they sure ain't gospel.

 

[5615mike]

OneBrightGator once bubbled...


Does anyone know why they didn't/don't test ScubaPro and Sherwood regs then?

Ben

Don't know if you ever read Sport Diver but it looks to me like SP has moved to SD in a HUGE way and has mulitiple page ads, like 8 in the last one. Again, as stated in one of my previous posts, I don't understand why any lab or review group that is UNBIASED is needing anyones permission to test gear that is available to the general public. So why would Rodales even listen to SP request of not to test their gear anylonger?

Well, now I'm off topic. Sorryff:

 

[jviehe]

5615mike once bubbled...


Don't know if you ever read Sport Diver but it looks to me like SP has moved to SD in a HUGE way and has mulitiple page ads, like 8 in the last one. Again, as stated in one of my previous posts, I don't understand why any lab or review group that is UNBIASED is needing anyones permission to test gear that is available to the general public. So why would Rodales even listen to SP request of not to test their gear anylonger?

Well, now I'm off topic. Sorryff:

To avoid lawsuits

 

[5615mike]

jviehe once bubbled...


To avoid lawsuits

Oh boy......this is going to sound like I'm trolling, so in memory of our old friend Karl......"Ad Hominum", that one's also for you as well Cornfed.

Why don't you expand on your answer.

 

[jviehe]

5615mike once bubbled...


Oh boy......this is going to sound like I'm trolling, so in memory of our old friend Karl......"Ad Hominum", that one's also for you as well Cornfed.

Why don't you expand on your answer.

It's possible that if Rodales says something bad about a product they will be sued (much like as with force fins), so they get permission from the company to review a product. If SP says no, they dont reveiw them, then SP cant sue them.

 

[5615mike]

jviehe once bubbled...


It's possible that if Rodales says something bad about a product they will be sued (much like as with force fins), so they get permission from the company to review a product. If SP says no, they dont reveiw them, then SP cant sue them.

That's BS. Well, not really...It should be but your right......you can sue anyone for anything but reaping financial rewards from it is an entirely different situation all together. This is part of the problem with the good ol' US of A. Everyone wants to blame someone else for their problems or misgivings. Don't get me wrong, if someone has been wronged I'm all for going after them. But lurking around corners for someone to sue is like tryng to win the lottery......oops...... ff:

If an agency/lab is TRUELY an independant voice and they have statisical data to back up their reports/findings, I said reports, not opinions, then the mfg. is going to have to prove there was intent on behalf of the agency/lab to harm before they would find any liability and win any award. If the mfg does not like the statistitcs of their product, well then they should have better QC program. If you don't want improper performing products on the market then you should not release them. Allowing mfg. to send the products in for review is a joke. Very easy for them to send R&D products that look exactly like what is on the market or they can send specifically tuned products for a better review. IMO Reviews and tests should always be done with over the counter purchases just like any other end user would acquire them.

Just because someone says something about your product/service that you do not agree with does not mean your due any financial return.

just my .02 worth

 

[SubMariner]

Here's what's up on Rodales D2D about this suit:

http://www.scubadiving.com/article/0,7424,99-7-0-584,00.html

Interesting, eh?!

 

[jviehe]

SubMariner once bubbled...
Here's what's up on Rodales D2D about this suit:

http://www.scubadiving.com/article/0,7424,99-7-0-584,00.html

Interesting, eh?!

Now, the question is, wo do you believe? Personally I choose Rodales, as I've bought several things based on their reccomendation and have never regretted it.

 

[MikeFerrara]

theskull once bubbled...


One local dive shop told me they refused to carry them because Force Fins would not provide just 1 pair of loaners for their instructors to try out before deciding if they were worth selling. To be a dealer they would have to first place a substantial order of various sizes. I understand Force Fins' position perfectly having had a chance to dive them myself. Perhaps if you had to buy them first you would make yourself learn to like them since the money was spent.

theskull

I owned a dive shop for almost 4 years and never once did ANY manufacturer provide anything free for us to try. Never never never.

scubapro wanted an $18,000 first order. aqualung was almost $13,000.

 

[ElectricZombie]

I did notice that a year or two a go, none of the Apeks regs received a perfect score. In the latest issue, every Apeks reg they tested got a perfect score. Could this be because Apeks is now their main advertiser since SP left? Apeks is a good reg but it seems like Roadales has been inconsistant with their current reviews based on their past findings.