FAQ ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS

Gear & Brands

FAQ ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS

Our general policy is not to accept orders for products where demand exceeds supply yet the product is not physically in our warehouse. For more information about the sometimes deceptive pre-order practice, read Why We Don't Accept "Pre-Orders".

We know it is frustrating trying to purchase a product that is in short supply. Instead of accepting pre-orders, our product description pages will usually include a link titled "Notify me when this product is in stock." located near the out-of-stock product name. You may click on the link and enter your email address to register to receive an automated email alert when the item becomes available to order for immediate shipment. You may also wish to add our divegearexpress.com domain name to your contacts whitelist so the email will not be sidelined as spam. If the product is high demand, once you receive the alert we recommend you act fast to place your order as the item may rapidly sell out.

Apeks®, Dive Rite®, Mares XR,OMS®, and Poseidon are our primary "full line" scuba diving product brands. Our DGX Gears house brand represents time tested premium quality products at the right price that are really in stock and ship today with customer service from Dive Gear Express that you can rely upon. You can see all our brands summarized on our Featured Brands page.

All products purchased through Dive Gear Express are backed by the branded manufacturer limited warranty. Warranties vary by brand and type of product so please consult the manufacturer's website and/or user manual of the product in question for specific warranty details.

All our house brand DGX Gears™ products are guaranteed for the useful life of the product, backed by Dive Gear Express. All rechargeable batteries, generic and unbranded products are guaranteed by Dive Gear Express for two years from date of purchase. All services by Dive Gear Express are guaranteed for a period of ninety days. All service kits and repair parts are sold with no guarantees.

In general, warranties from all brands are limited to defects in materials or workmanship, only apply to personal use in recreational diving related applications by the original purchaser, and exclude all other uses as well as excluding normal wear, modifications and cosmetic defects. Warranty liability is limited to the manufacturer's choice of repair to the original product, replacement with a similar or reconditioned product, or refund.

Warranty service usually requires return to either Dive Gear Express or the branded manufacturer if you prefer. If you are are unable to use a pre-paid return label then you pay for warranty shipping costs back to us and we always pay for the warranty shipping costs back to you.

Yes, it's In-Stock in our warehouse. We understand, it's frustrating to order something you need in a hurry only to learn later it's out-of-stock. We go to extremes to make sure our website product descriptions accurately indicate the stock status for each of our products and their status is updated daily. In rare circumstances our inventory count might be inaccurate, or we might receive multiple orders for the same item at roughly the same time when we have limited inventory. As a general rule, if the status is "In-Stock" on our website, then as far as the best information we have at the moment, the item really is in our warehouse.

Unfortunately, unless we have explicitly listed an estimated date on the product description page, our best answer is "NOT SOON." If you are willing to postpone your purchase, then our product description page usually includes a link titled "Notify me when this product is in stock." located near the out-of-stock product name. You may click on the link and enter your email address to register to receive an automated email alert when the item becomes available to order for immediate shipment. Also add our divegearexpress.com domain name to your contacts whitelist so the email will not be sidelined as spam. If the product is high demand, once you receive the alert we recommend you act fast to place your order as the item may rapidly sell out.

We stock accessories such as seals and gloves, as well as top and bottom separates in the Sharkskin line. However, we do not sell the full one-piece exposure suits themselves on our website. In our long experience the sizing guides from all the exposure suit manufacturers, drysuit and full wetsuit, are not reliable enough to make the final selection of a product for which fit has so much importance and yet is so subjective. This is especially true in the thicker wetsuit materials, plus the variety of undergarments further complicate the process of determining the suit size of drysuits. Full exposure suits are a product for which there is no substitution for try on and in-store fitting advice.

If it is time to replace your existing suit from Dive Rite, DUI, OMS or Sharkskin and you already know your size, please Contact Us to discuss a special order.

We do stock a few generic replacement parts such as hoses and O-rings, but in general our answer has to be "probably not" for most BC and regulator parts from these popular brands. We know it's frustrating; some dive equipment brands do not believe the consumer has the right to repair using concerns about liability or safety as their reason for prohibiting the retail sale of their branded individual replacement parts to consumers. The good news is that we agree the consumer has the right to repair and our Dive Gear Express policy is to sell individual parts for most brands we currently stock.
Unfortunately, our answer regarding compatibility must be "we don't know" when we are not a service center for your equipment brand. We offer our generic service parts and tools for use only by qualified repair technicians who are able to determine compatibility for themselves using our descriptions and photographs. We do not recommend a trial and error repair strategy for life support equipment. The safe practice in circumstances of uncertainty is to contact the service department at the manufacturer. We especially recommend against DIY repairs on BC devices.

According to our suppliers, their Nitrox Ready products are oxygen compatible and oxygen clean from the factory, prior to initial use, for compressed gases greater than 23.5% oxygen. (Air is defined as containing from 19% to 23.5% oxygen.) However, most suppliers in the dive industry specify their Nitrox Ready products for use with gas mixtures containing a maximum of 40% oxygen as the upper limit. Although controversial, some dive industry professionals are of the opinion that Nitrox Ready products do not have to be dedicated to oxygen service and may be used interchangeably with CGA Grade "E" air as long as the Nitrox Ready product never contacts gas mixtures in excess of 40% oxygen.

To better understand the issues associated with handling oxygen rich compressed gas, please read Understanding Nitrox Ready.

Yes and no; this simple question has a complex answer because there is no widely recognized scuba diving standard for what constitutes suitability for oxygen service. Hypothetically, the equipment we sell could be used with oxygen if we describe it as Nitrox Ready, otherwise you should assume air only service. However, from the point of view of stringent U.S. aerospace guidelines and Compressed Gas Association handling standards for oxygen, nothing in general use in recreational diving is suitable for oxygen service. Using oxygen for diving requires you to make an informed decision to accept for yourself the risks of handing the oxygen. To help form your opinion about the answer read our article About Oxygen Disclaimers.