A100 Aquatica vs Sea &Sea housing - D100 Nikon

Heck, I know people who have been disappointed by:

Ikelite

Subal

Seacam

Aquatica

Light and Motion

Nexus and

UK Germany

and many others.

The point is that EVERY COMPANY will have dis-satisfied customers. I don't think that anyone will be labeled as an "Aquatica basher" for posting legitimate concerns here. That's one of the things that Wetpixel's all about.

Things can and will go wrong - it's how a company deals with and fixes problems with their products that set them apart.

When I don't get a response to an email, I usually try calling. Not everyone these days is as "internet centric" as we are here at Wetpixel, so sometimes a phone call is better than an email, or is a necessary followup.

FWIW, I've gotten great service from most companies in this industry. I'd like to think that it's because I'm a nice guy, have a good attitude, and am willing to cut people some slack when they make honest mistakes. Heck, I make mistakes all of the time.

Cheers

James

Hello,

Different people have different experiences with companies and services. Even good people dealing with good companies will have bad experiences which don't necesarily "characterize" either the person or the company.

I don't think it's fair to characterize Kasey as someone who "can't be pleased".

His frustrations seem reasonable and I too would be looking to sell my housing. Especially after that remark by Mauricio.

I would, however, like to point out that the Management at Aquatica seems to care enough to follow this forum and contribute when appropriate. With all the "Sea&Sea bashing" I've seen here recently, I don't see anybody from that operation defending itself.

I met Blake at the Long Beach, CA scuba show this past year and handled the new housings for the D-100 and S2. He seemed very knowledgable and helpful with the follow-up information he had sent to me.

Just wanted to end by throwing Ikelite another compliment. I have never seen better customer service offered by any company. I had a minor problem with the housing which did not prevent me taking pictures. I E-mailed Ike and he E-mailed me back within 2 hours. I sent the housing in and they turned it around in less than a week for me to make my next local dive trip. Typical service by Ikelite.

John

Thanks for the support John.

I think it is great for companies to lurk on sites like this one, and give general advice and maybe even a product plug here and there. Ike is great for that. On the flip side, it is somewhat unnerving and utterly unprofessional to attack a dissatisfied customer for speaking up.

Perhaps Sea and Sea has been quietly observing the communications on this forum. I know some of the other manufacturers lurk without commenting. I doubt they are leaving unfriendly phone messages, however.

Re-reading my initial post, I really don't think it deserved the backlash I've gotten from Aquatica. I relayed my negative experience as I've relayed positive experiences in the past. The 1st week with my housing I wrote a glowing review of its performance. I'd like to think that I can continue to post my candid experiences with housings, distributors and mfrs without being personally trounced by industry.

This is an industry not accustomed to honest critique. Pick up any dive magazine and you'll understand - every regulator is one of the best ever made, and every pair of fins is one of the most efficient. The web introduces a network for end users that is not influenced by advertising dollars, and you'll find honest people relaying real-use experiences - and they can't always be positive.

Kasey

Even though I own no Aquatica housing I've dealt with Blake in the past and was treated very well. Mauricio is also a pleasure to deal with and I recommend buying through him if you can.

I'm sure James gets good treatment from Blake but I don't think it's because of any special status that James has. My impression of both Blake and Mauricio is that they love what they do and genuinely want to do a good job. Hopefully they can get these issues sorted out.

I'm sure James gets good treatment from Blake but I don't think it's because of any special status that James has.

Well, I certainly don't have any special status, and I have had great service from Blake and Aquatica.

I've been following this thread with some interest as I just recently ordered an Aquatica D100 housing. I got word yesterday that it will ship on Monday.

I'll have a Sea & Sea DX100 w/flat and dome port for sale at a bargain price.