"Review of the Top Ten 'Gear' of 2017": How useful, or useless, are these reviews ?

[stuartv]

I wasn't diving 20 years ago, so I don't have direct experience to say. But, from what I read, it seems like improvements in 20 years have been substantial.

Wetsuits are more comfy, fit better, and employ newer technologies to make them warmer for the same thickness.

Wireless Air Integration is now mature and very reliable in dive computers.

Dive computers are possibly more reliable, offer reliable wireless air integration, and definitely offer WAY better readability.

BCDs use new materials to be lighter, fit better, pack easier, and dry much more quickly (compared to integrated BCDs from 20 years ago). And maybe even give more convenient and/or more reliable weight systems.

Sidemount BCDs are vastly improved.

There are many modern fins that seem to be better than fins of 20 years ago. Whether it's a more comfy foot pocket, equal performance for lower weight, better retention (i.e. straps), or whatever. Definite improvements.

Masks? How easy was it to get a mask with custom vision correcting lenses or even gauge reader lenses 20 years ago?

 

[richmonddiver]

Online sellers like DRIS, LeisurePro, and DGX allow consumers to reviews items they sell,, so these are also sources for reviews.

I agree with this. I'm not too familiar with DGX or DRIS, but it seems Leisurepro doesn't filter the negative reviews. They also move a lot of gear, so there are a lot of reviews for a lot of their products.

 

[dberry]

IMO, the biggest problem with reviews on the sellers' websites (DGX, DRIS, LP, Amazon, etc.) is most buyers review shortly after they open the box, but rarely go back to review (or revise a review) after they get actual experience with it. This isn't just about SCUBA gear, but a general - and really annoying - issue for most on-line sales.

Some people DO revise their reviews, or at least wait a few months, but those are the exceptions.

 

[CT-Rich]

With most “best of” reviews the reader is the product. The function of the article is to provide consumers to the companies being reviewed.

 

[Roger Hobden]

With most “best of” reviews the reader is the product. The function of the article is to provide consumers to the companies being reviewed.

Ouch !

 

[RyanT]

Hey Stuart:

I'm going to say yes and no.

I wasn't diving 20 years ago, so I don't have direct experience to say. But, from what I read, it seems like improvements in 20 years have been substantial.

Wetsuits are more comfy, fit better, and employ newer technologies to make them warmer for the same thickness.

Not quite. Yes, there is stretchier material available, but that doesn't really translate into a warmer suit. The hype about "converting body heat to infra-red energy is ridiculous" Twenty years ago, there were wetsuits with titanium chips to reflect body heat. Yes, we do have better fitting wetsuits, but they aren't really warmer.

Wireless Air Integration is now mature and very reliable in dive computers.

No argument here.

Dive computers are possibly more reliable, offer reliable wireless air integration, and definitely offer WAY better readability.

My 1988 Orca Edge is still working flawlessly and is easier to read then any puck computer (unless it's dark b/c it doesn't have a back-lit screen). Of course it is not air integrated and doesn't offer multi-gas options. So on reliability, no, but other options, yes!

BCDs use new materials to be lighter, fit better, pack easier, and dry much more quickly (compared to integrated BCDs from 20 years ago). And maybe even give more convenient and/or more reliable weight systems.

My 1986 model Sherwood BC was super tough and dried quickly. It didn't have an integrated weight system though. It did have a port for a CO2 cartridge for emergency inflation though!

Sidemount BCDs are vastly improved.

Had never heard of it 20 years ago.

There are many modern fins that seem to be better than fins of 20 years ago. Whether it's a more comfy foot pocket, equal performance for lower weight, better retention (i.e. straps), or whatever. Definite improvements.

Yes and no. My old ScubaPro jet fins were comfortable and worked as well as most fins available now. Granted spring straps are an improvement and there are lighter options now.

Masks? How easy was it to get a mask with custom vision correcting lenses or even gauge reader lenses 20 years ago?

This wasn't difficult to find 20 years ago.

Just to add to the conversation. There is nothing new in regulators or tanks. In fact, most regulators don't breathe as well now due to manufacturers needing to meet the European CE certifications. My old ScubaPro D350 and G200 will out breathe just about anything available today, including the new SP regulators.

 

[sea_ledford]

I wasn't diving 20 years ago, so I don't have direct experience to say. But, from what I read, it seems like improvements in 20 years have been substantial.

Wetsuits are more comfy, fit better, and employ newer technologies to make them warmer for the same thickness.

Wireless Air Integration is now mature and very reliable in dive computers.

Dive computers are possibly more reliable, offer reliable wireless air integration, and definitely offer WAY better readability.

BCDs use new materials to be lighter, fit better, pack easier, and dry much more quickly (compared to integrated BCDs from 20 years ago). And maybe even give more convenient and/or more reliable weight systems.

Sidemount BCDs are vastly improved.

There are many modern fins that seem to be better than fins of 20 years ago. Whether it's a more comfy foot pocket, equal performance for lower weight, better retention (i.e. straps), or whatever. Definite improvements.

Masks? How easy was it to get a mask with custom vision correcting lenses or even gauge reader lenses 20 years ago?

Change that to 15 years instead of 20, and a lot of stuff is almost exactly the same, computers being the primary exception. Masks? The guy I am about to send my mask to still has a website from 20 years ago Fins? What is usually recommended? Jet fins, quattro avantis, Slipstreams, Dive Rite, hell even Force Fins... all but the dive rites are over 20 years old. Scubapros best selling reg combo by far is the Mk25/S600, and that is at least 10 years old, if not 15. Most of the new, low cost regs are just rebranded Apex from 15 years ago.

Otherwise almost all of the changes in dive gear have been in material sciences (like the Deep6 fin over the Jet fin), battery development and manufacturing options. Wet suits are way better than 25 years ago, but strangely the scuba suits didn't adopt most of the technology changes that were driven by free diving suits in the 2000's, and seem to be largely unchanged since I worked in a dive shop in 2009.

Technical gear has been changing alot, so sidemount (didn't commercially exist 20 years ago), CCRs (there where what, 3 options in the late 90's?) Scooters, etc have developed significantly though. Lights are a world apart from where they were even a few years ago, the amount of change in that arena is amazing!

-Chris

 

[Bob DBF]

To add a little from a longer view.

My 1986 model Sherwood BC was super tough and dried quickly. It didn't have an integrated weight system though. It did have a port for a CO2 cartridge for emergency inflation though!

And that goes for the 197? Stab jacket as well. The materials then were different, not necessarily inferior.

Yes and no. My old ScubaPro jet fins were comfortable and worked as well as most fins available now. Granted spring straps are an improvement and there are lighter options now.

I had the standard spring straps on my early '80's Farrallon Farrafin, no longer available, although I've tried a lot of different fins before and since, I keep going back to Jet fins.

Just to add to the conversation. There is nothing new in regulators or tanks. In fact, most regulators don't breathe as well now due to manufacturers needing to meet the European CE certifications. My old ScubaPro D350 and G200 will out breathe just about anything available today, including the new SP regulators.

The main difference in regulators is who you have servicing them. That being said, some regs are somewhat better in reliability (which means more to me) and breathing than others, however it is not a function of how new the reg is.

In these "Top Ten ..." Scuba blurbs, it is about the top ten that are being advertized, not the top ten regs of all times.



Bob

 

[stretchthepenn]

The "Top 10 Gear" lists are essentially pay-to-play. A few years ago, at the ATL scuba show, I spoke to the fellow who ran HOG (I disremember his name at present, but he runs Deep 6 now and posts here frequently), and asked him why I'd not seen ratings of HOG regulators in Scuba Diving. He replied that since he didn't buy advertisements, the magazine wouldn't test his equipment.