Hot take: most of these new all-in-one comms units are junk for real work

I overheard a guy at the dive shop in Lafayette yesterday bragging about his $400 wireless headset like it was the best thing since sliced bread. I've been working the Gulf rigs for 12 years and I've seen those things crap out after one real saturation job. Salt water gets in the charging port after 2 months tops. I'll stick with my old hardwired Amron unit that I bought used for $150 back in 2018. Anyone else had one of those fancy new sets die halfway through a 60-foot dive?

3 comments

3 Comments

gibson.sarah21d ago

Honestly, that bit about the charging port getting salt-corroded is the real issue nobody talks about. Those new units look sleek on the surface but the minute you do a real 40-minute bottom time in the Gulf, the humidity inside the housing is just as bad as a direct salt spray. I had a buddy's wireless die on him last summer because the battery contacts rusted from just breathing heavy through the headset. The marketing is all about waterproof ratings but they never test for what happens when you're sweating in a wet hood for hours.

gibson.sarah20d ago

Did the housing have any kind of moisture wicking pad inside?

the_anthony17d ago

I threw a couple silica gel packs in mine and it solved the rust issue completely.