Reliability of Magazine Equipment reviews?

This is just my opinion and means nothing. Crossing my fingers hoping not to end up in court. Rodales wouldn't know good scuba gear from bad if it bit them. And if they did get their hands on some good gear they wouldn't have a clue what to do with it. I will not have that rag in my shop. Dispelling the non-truths that they put out is almost a full time job. I totaly lost petience for them when they ran the promotional campagn for the SDI solo course.

 

I've been reading RSD for several years and of all the fishwrap out there it's been pretty good. Better than Skin Diver... I think they do pretty good testing of the items they test. Take the last fin review, where full foot non-split fins were shown to be the best and the cheapest. I'm not saying they are the best but they don't take many gear manufacturers ads so they are less biased. I'm looking at last months RSD and I don't see anything but camera, knife and resort ads... Although I don't agree with their solo diving article but at least they look at the broad spetrum of diving like the tech article to the brine seeps at the Flower Garden Banks... Just like I don't agree with all aspects of DIR, but I like a lot of what they teach. So far many items I've tested that they like have been close. Not 100% but at least 60-75%...

 

are found here on this board. We're unbiased and accept no advertising =-)


Tom

 

I for one would be happy to accept lucrative deals from any manufacturers who would like me to promote thier equipment on this board!!! I accept cash or equipment. I also would be pleased to test any of thier gear in warm Carribean waters - - on thier tab of course.

 

The last couple of things I bought I used this board for advice and you guys were right. Now I'm looking at maybe going to B/P and wings next...

 

Question: If you owned a magazine that relies on advertisers to pay the rent AND you test the advertisers equipment in your “Product Review Section,” What kind of review would you give a manufacture spending $5,000.00 a month to advertise if their gear was not good?

I personally have seen some REAL junk from well known manufactures get pretty good reviews in the past!

I think the best way to review a product is talk to someone who has one or rent it and test it yourself....:box:

 

There was a lovely review in 'Diver' last month. It was for a Cressi reg. The premise was that that the last cressi reg review was very negative so the reviewer was invited to Italy to speak with the boss. The talk around the office was of horse's heads in the bed and never coming back. In the end Cressi asked what was wrong and made their new reg better. Unbiased reviews are definitely a good thing

 

Scuba Diving magazine does make a lot of money from their advertisers (equipment manufacturers). But let me also tell you from the point of view of someone closely associated with dive manufacturers. The thought from dive manufacturers about their reviews is that "you have to take the good with the bad". I know of one of the major equipment manufacturers that actually thought about pulling their adds from the magazine when they got a bad review. The re-thought their decision and decided against pulling their adds because it was against the long term benefit of the company.

In conclusion, I would say to use all of the sources available when making a decision about your equipment. Scubadiving.com, in my opinion, is a good place to start because you can find specifications about some of the equipment (summarized). You can also go to the manufacturers websites for the same info. In addition, like many others have mentioned, visit your local diveshop, and talk to other divers who have used the specific piece of equipment.

Good luck,
Nelson

 

with diverio, manufacturers have to take the heat for garbage or go under, and the reviews in RSD do sometimes trash products.

My advice would be to take it all with a grain of salt and try out the one(s) you are interested in. Usually someone you know, or is known to someone you know will have one you can try. If not try a post on the board to find someone in your area. Also some of the bigger shows offer pool try outs, and some shops rentals may be the type you're looking for.

The other side is that there are some average performing standard regs that are always a reasonable value, and if you stay in the sport more than a season or two you'll get a back-up reg anyway, so buy it first. Plus, someone here may even point out a web site so you can save money and kill an LDS (but that is a different thread.

I have four regs, all working, one is a Royal Aqua-Master (older than most on the board I think), I have never regretted buying a reg, only ever regretted selling one...

 

One thing that most reviews can't tell you is what will work for your body in your environment. Even on this board, consider the location of the people you are taking advice from. For example, you are from New Jersey. If you are going to dive only in the tropics, by all means listen to the Florida divers on everything.

If you are going to dive at home, you need to know what works in colder waters. Are you working with strong currents? Sand (gets in Air2's & makes 'em freeflow)? Rocks? Boats only?

And what about your body? Do you need 35lb of lead to sink? Then do you really want to wear an integrated BC with a heavy steel tank? One piece of gear influences the others as surely as a new pair of booties can require a new pair of fins. When you are investigating, mention all of these factors. There are also "fads" among groups when new gear comes out. What tried n true pieces have served divers like you well for several years?

I hope that this clarifies some things. Very few items are total junk, just junk to the wrong person in the wrong place. Good luck.