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Blew $500 on a Kirby Morgan knockoff hat and it almost drowned me on a shallow job
I'm not here to trash budget gear for no reason, but that cheap knockoff helmet was the worst money I ever spent on this trade. It failed a leak test at 40 feet in a marina job outside Gulfport two months back, and water started coming in around the face seal faster than I could clear it. My tender got me up in maybe 15 seconds, which felt like an hour, and I was coughing salt water for the rest of the day. The real thing costs closer to $3,000, and I get the urge to save, but a bent exhaust valve on a knockoff will kill you. I sent it back for a partial refund and still ate about $200 in shipping and parts. Anyone here ever run a cheap hat and live to regret it, or did some of you get lucky?
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riverhunt4d ago
Ran a cheap hat for one season early on and swapped the exhaust valve for an OEM part before I ever splashed it, which is the only reason I trust it at all. The seal kit it came with was junk too, so I rebuilt the whole thing with real parts from a local shop and now check it every single dive. Saving money on the shell is one thing, but the valve and seal are where they cut corners, so that's where I put my cash.
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