What did you buy that you regret?

[Bratface]

Jacket BC---I believed the lies that a back inflated BC would dump my face in the water.
Instrument console--didn't take long to switch from taking a brick underwater to wrist mount.
A couple pairs of fins until I found a pair that didn't rub the top of my feet raw (high arches).


What I got rid of that I wish I had kept: my long-sleeved shorty. Wore it over a full suit for colder water. I thought it was a pain to get my arms into a wetsuit twice. Now that I've bought a new thicker wet$uit, I $ee that it wa$n't $o bad afterall.

 

[randini]

No real regrets here. I worked at a LDS to save up $ to buy my gear and was able to try everything and get all the inside poop on all the gear before deciding what to buy. The 30% employee discount also made purchases hard to regret.

I guess I would have liked the shop to deal in more than US Divers and Scubapro so I could have had more to chose from (Zeagle would have been cool). But overall no real complaits.

I did buy a speagun that was utterly useless as it was only 20" or so (first time I used it I took a shot at a fish and the spear just bounced right off it and I swear the fish looked at me as if saying "WT*?" before taking off), but it was used and only cost me $25.

 

[Onehappyisland]

Air2 ; ever tryed to deflate a bcd with the inflator in your mouth and a stressed out of air buddy looking for the surface?
BCD ; One piece of bulky equipment with useless pockets.
Snorkle ; 4 times used in 18 years (in my OWD course, because my instructor told me)
Split fins ; they s#$% if you want to stay in place by taking photos.

 

[stargazer61]

Great thread - I am looking at buying gear and have found this really useful. One silly question if I may - what does BP/W stand for and how and why is this better than a jacket BCD?

 

[daniel f aleman]

One silly question if I may - what does BP/W stand for and how and why is this better than a jacket BCD?

Haha! Yer funny...

 

[scubafool]

Great thread - I am looking at buying gear and have found this really useful. One silly question if I may - what does BP/W stand for and how and why is this better than a jacket BCD?

This is just one of many, many, many threads on just this subject. http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=177008

BP/W stands for backplate & wing, which is a metal or hard plastic plate with a harness attached to it, and a bladder that attaches to the plate on the back. The tank attaches behind the wing.

To find out why it is/isn't better than a jacket BC, read that and other threads on that subject that can be found using the search function, or start a thread. You should get plenty of responses, LOL.

 

[BIGG_BUDD]

Console PC
Yellow fins (gag)
Yellow mask (gag)

 

[Scubagolf]

A dive computer that is not Nitrox compatible. A waste... should have thought about the future.

Second this. I first bought an Aeris Atmos 1 (air only), and then sold it in favor of the Atmos 2 (nitrox capable). Fortunately no loss, as I sold the Atmos 1 on eBay for the same price I had paid for it at Scubatoys.

 

[ReefHound]

I DID IT !
Read every last page and comment !
I should get a certificate of completion !

I'm not even going to try.

I'd be curious to know, for those useless items people regretted buying, did you buy them online or at the LDS? In other words, did all the "advice" and expertise of a LDS really translate into fewer buying mistakes?

My regrets:

Spare Air. Yikes, I can't believe I just admitted that publicly. Even though I never had illusions that it was anything more than Spare Breath. Got it a year ago and haven't taken it on a dive once. Fortunately I bought it used for half the price of a new one. Anyone want to buy it from me?

Cheapo safety sausage. The $10 version that is just a piece of thin vinyl. I gave it away and got a better cordura fabric one.

Sealife DC300 camera. It's a POS P&S camera that has been nothing but frustrating. Again, at least bought it used for cheap. Shoulda spent more on something better, now looking at an Olympus SP-350 setup. Anyone want to buy it from me?

 

[WaterKtn]

A 7mm wetsuit that is so tight on my hands it makes them swell up to twice their normal size for a couple days after diving. No, the suit will not relax THAT much. I'm going to try for a Henderson this time.

Same with gloves - if they are tight in the store, think how much trouble they'll be trying to put on in the water - and impossible if your hands are now twice their normal size :11doh:

A clip with a long curled plastic cord attached to another clip that clips to itself in the middle - its like buying a plastic Medusa or something to attach to your BC - I have absolutely no idea why I thought this would be useful. It should be used in a class to identify how you can get caught up on an obstacle or something. To my credit - I've never actually used it and can only give the excuse that I bought it online soon after I was certified because it looked interesting and complex... :embarass:

Also - buying clear colored mask and snorkel (used only for snorkeling) - if you drop it, its just that much harder to find if it has no color to it.

I really thought I needed a slate - I've only brought it with me a few times, never used it and its now at the bottom of the dive bag.

What I do like is all of my Oceanic stuff, BC/Reg/Computer/Mask and my awesome Armor boat bag with the reinforced plastic mesh, giant side pocket and side zipper. I can bring everything I need with me on a boat in that bad - I could probably even get a tank in there if pressed