Is It Too Cheesy To Get All One-Brand Gear?

[Phaedrus]

Okay, let's say it was all from different brands (to ensure the "best" item (within my budget)), but still coordinated - how about that?

Or should I deliberately seek out un-coordinated, mismatched gear? (no wink smilie)

Then of course, we have to make sure Mrs Phaedrus is coordinated herself while not clashing with my gear.

Hmmm . . . what to do . . .

Mark

[JasonP]

Originally Posted by Tim Ingmire

I think you could get everything from one brand and I'm going to name one - Mares. I'm happy for somebody to prove me wrong but I'd like somebody to tell what gear they make that would not be fit for purpose (HUB excluded). In my view they make perfectly good BCD's, Regs, Wet suits etc.

Well just about every piece of kit you can buy is fit for purpose these days. I've worn a few Mares BCDs and never really found them very comfortable. I've been a bit underwhelmed by their regs too.

But you could kit yourself out entirely in their gear if you're diving wet. The same goes for Scubapro, Oceanic, etc, but I think you could get better for the money by mixing and matching. Dry suits are a bit different.

Jason

[Woz]

Originally Posted by Tim Ingmire

I think you could get everything from one brand and I'm going to name one - Mares. I'm happy for somebody to prove me wrong but I'd like somebody to tell what gear they make that would not be fit for purpose (HUB excluded). In my view they make perfectly good BCD's, Regs, Wet suits etc.

Their DSMBs are shite and they don't make reels.

Apart from that I'd struggle to find a bad Mares product (apart from, as you say, the Hub).

If you buy from all the same manufacturer then I have to say you would look a bit of a saddo. Then again there are people on here who won't buy a stage unless it's white and a while back you could buy a white AL80 for peanuts as everyone went silly and bought the unpainted silver ones until they realised that they rotted in seawater and looked shit then everyone went and bought their white ones back again.

I'd buy the kit to do the job rather then by brand.

[ShinyD]

Heh - I get stick for being coordinated

My suit, gloves and hood are all Waterproof branded (Swedish Manufacturer) and the rest of my gear (BCD, regs, cylinder, etc) are different makes (to suit the job), but just match the suit.

More by accident than design really.

It's not hard to mix and match and keep within a colour scheme if you're fashion conscious like wot I am (not!)

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

Okay, let's say it was all from different brands (to ensure the "best" item (within my budget)), but still coordinated - how about that?

Mark

Just buy what you want Mark, but if you want colour co-ordination, I find Blue and Black look good

[Sixsquid]

Originally Posted by Southern_Dave

Heh - I get stick for being coordinated

and I get it for not being co-ordinated I don't even do symmetry. I have kit, hooks, clips, whatever, where I need them and if they're not in the same place on the other side than that's the way it is

I do have the same 1st stages on my twins now though

[DiverChris]

Have you seen the film "Open Water".

The one thing that struck me was that everyone on the dive boat had kit by the same manufacture (can't remember which) and that is was all nicely co-ordinated....It was at that point I thought the film lost all credibility.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by Fiona

Just buy what you want Mark, but if you want colour co-ordination, I find Blue and Black look good

Fascists!

Whats wrong with royal blue and BRIGHTyellow?

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

IF I was to buy my entire set-up in one go (lotto win, bank loan - whatever), would it be unacceptably cheesy and ridicule-inviting to buy it all or most of it from one brand?

Yes it would but go right ahead and do it anyway. When there are people in the boat who've done that, they distract the piss taking away from people like me.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by DiverChris

Have you seen the film "Open Water".

The one thing that struck me was that everyone on the dive boat had kit by the same manufacture (can't remember which) and that is was all nicely co-ordinated....It was at that point I thought the film lost all credibility.

So you've never been on a GBR dayboat then?