Review of Mako Spearguns GEAR (suit, light, knife, fins, pole spear, gloves, booties, and more)

[MAKO Spearguns]

Hey Okis,

Sorry for the confusion. I wasn’t going on the defensive. I was actually being quite complementary of Rob and his ability to produce high quality gear. I am often quite complimentary of others.

Broseidon is correct. Yamamoto is a premium brand of neoprene. It is made in Japan and sold to Yamamoto approved factories. Since Yamamoto is considered the highest quality neoprene available, it is no surprise that RA, as well as JBL and Sea Sniper and myself would want to use it for our wetsuits as these companies, including MAKO are well known for high quality wetsuits.

And, if RA says he makes wetsuits in his factory in South Africa, then there is no reason to doubt that he makes wetsuits in his factory in South Africa. However, according to the factory that makes wetsuits for me, JBL, and Sea Sniper, they also make wetsuits for RA.

Getting back to what Broseidon said, perhaps they do have one suit for the local market in SA and another suit for the USA market. I really don’t know.

I do know, however, that I am very fortunate to be working with such capable factories who use only the highest quality materials available. And, in doing so, I have been able to build a solid product line of high quality gear.

And, if the factories that I use are also used by other well respected companies, then everybody benefits, especially the customers.

Thanks again guys for allowing me to participate in this discussion.

Dive safe,

dano

 

[Okis]

After i posted my first response i actually got curious and sent a message to Rob about this and i got a response some day ago.

"
Hi Okis,
Not true. We make in our factory but also in the East but not at the Yamamoto factory"

 

[Broseidon]

After i posted my first response i actually got curious and sent a message to Rob about this and i got a response some day ago.
"
Hi Okis,
Not true. We make in our factory but also in the East but not at the Yamamoto factory"

Well obviously the suits aren't made in the Yamamoto factory Yamamoto produce neoprene, not wetsuits. You're really struggling with this, aren't you...

 

[Okis]

Im not struggling with anything. As i said, after my first post in this thread i sent him a message, i recieved a awnser to that message and now im sharing it.

 

[Mr. X]

...
-YAMAMOTO DIVE SOCKS 5MM

Sadly, I have not been able to use these dive socks on a dive. My fins will not fit when I wear these dive socks. I can't send them back to Mako either. I walked in them to the beach and wore them in the ocean. This is when shopping online can be a pain.
...
Three pinhead sized "rust" specks have appeared but I took a clean finger to them and they wiped away. A month later they have not reappeared. Maybe they were fish blood, I will never know. The blade is still rust free and sharp...

CONCLUSION:
I am more than happy with all of my Mako gear. It is a bummer that I can't use my 5mm booties but the sales price I paid for all of my gear has been more than fair

If you dive somewhere cold (e.g. up the coast in Canada/Alaska) or if you have some over-size wellies (Wellington boots) you might yet be glad of those 5mm socks yet. I find that my feet actually get significantly smaller in colder conditions, which works out well because it means I can wear booties (3 or 4mm) in cold conditions and dive sock free in the hottest part of the Summer.

Re. specs. of rust, I would not consider that a quality issue. Choosing a steel alloy for knife, especially a dive knife, is something of a compromise. Clean, shiny & rust free can also be soft and won't take/hold an edge.

Nice reviews - thanks

And good, clear, calm, measured, controlled responses fromDano @ Mako - impressive.
If only all posters were...

 

[NoFair]

Re. specs. of rust, I would not consider that a quality issue. Choosing a steel alloy for knife, especially a dive knife, is something of a compromise. Clean, shiny & rust free can also be soft and won't take/hold an edge.

There is one steel that doesn't rust at all in seawater (stronger acids and chemicals will make it corrode) and still takes a very sharp edge and holds it well. It is a bit expensive and not too many knife makers use it (Afaik only Spyderco at the moment). It is H1 and is only made in Japan. A few other steels that are similar are also available (also a bit expensive)

 

[kwtony]

You probably watched the video of their main factory and store in South africa.





But for clarification, It says that the suits they make in their shop are sold in the african market (ie off the shelf and their custom tailored suits). The rest of the suits i believe are made in south america where they are distributed around the world.

 

[David C Galea]

I felt the same way 4 years ago when I first started using Mako products because everything was online, I started with small items like a mask which before the Mako were Omer ,Cressi and Beuchat masks that all leaked ! I bought the Mako minimus and after my first dive with the mask when I got home I ordered 2 more masks, I own 3 of there open cell suits 5mm and 7mm and I stopped using my Yazbeck after wearing the Mako mainly because of the knife pocket which I personally love not to mention that Mako open-cell was 1/2 the price of my Yazbeck, all of the other products that I have purchased from Mako get a 5 star rating, buying a speargun though would be tough for me just because I really need to physically see and exam the gun,other than that the staff I have dealt with over the phone have been great dudes to deal with and are very honest and down to earth about the gear they sell, just for the record I have been free diving since 1978 on the northern California coast and typically dive once a week (weather permitting) and Iam very hard on the gear, there gear cuts it and you can not beat the price !

 

[stefpix]

I think some of the issue here is that European brands are priced up quite a bit in the US compared to here in Europe. Omer, Cressi, Mares and Salvimar can easily be fond at lower prices than what we usually see in the US.

I agree I checked prices in a shop in Olbia, Sardinia, Italy and items in general seemed 30 / 40% cheaper than in the USA. I wonder if in major cities like Milan / Rome maybe it could be had for even less. Doesn't Cressi and other Italian companies design and manifacture most of their products in Italy? BTW I find on Cressi fins the US size number does not correspond to the US size number (US size number is smaller than actual size), Anyway I just bought a Mako predator 70 3g, seems very well made. I still have to try it (I wish it came with blue bands rather than black), most likely tomorrow. Alternatives were the Salvimar Voodoo and the Rob Allen Scorpia, more or less on the same price level. But Mako comes with 16mm bands instead of one of the other twos. I just started again after my teens, shot some fish with a Beuchat 50 cm, but wanted something more powerful. I am in Brooklyn NY and go on day trips to Long Island.
Anyway the US market seems to charge more for some diving stuff compared to Italy, but I could say the same about coffee drinks and wine.

stefano
http://stefanogiovannini.com

 

[stefpix]

PS I have a Cressi Apnea 5mm wetsuit that i feel a little constricting and I have a cheap 3mm surfsuit with zipper on the back that may leak, so I am considering a Mako wetsuit 3mm or 5mm open cell. I wish Mako or other wetsuit makers would have one or 2 weight pockets or straps on the chest to distribute weight more evenly. A couple of ponds close to the shoulders would be great. I am wondering why no maker designed that. Does Mako design their Predator spearguns and wetsuits?

 

[stefpix]

I think some of the issue here is that European brands are priced up quite a bit in the US compared to here in Europe. Omer, Cressi, Mares and Salvimar can easily be fond at lower prices than what we usually see in the US.

Yes I was looking on Italian websites, the Salvimar Noah sells for about 30 Euros (or less, IVA / VAT included), while in the USA it goes for $74 + state tax. Floats on European sites that sell for Euro 9 / 14 in the USA are listed for $30 and up. Spearguns sold for Euro 90 in the USA are about $200. While on wetsuits I do not see such a large difference
Anyway I have Mako gear (fins, wetsuit, speargun) and I am happy with.
Regarding the fact that Mako products are made in the same factories as brand names, it is possible, as Salvimar Noah mask is made in China (although I wonder if the MAKO Minimus Mask may be more like the Maxale), but the Cressi fins I have are made in Italy (like a lot of Cressi products), so I am not sure if the Mako fins would be made in the same factory.

Anyway, for a US resident / citizen into spearfishing / snorkeling it is worth to bring a larger bag on a European trip and buy some accessories and spare parts.

I am wondering if the European market is larger overall or US distributors have larger margins.

 

[Pinniped72]

I don't know for sure but pound to a penny I bet its all down to international trade deals and tarrifs

 

[Mr. X]

...I am wondering if the European market is larger overall or US distributors have larger margins.

Some consider the EU to be the second largest market in the world (although it won't be when the UK leaves on 29 March 2019). I would think the USA is the largest market. In the past, US retailers generally offered much more competitive prices than their European counterparts, their costs are usually lower, they enjoy the economies of scale, much more favourable taxes and more competition. However, I see that changing, partly due to Amazon bringing real competition to Europe - causing retailers to raise their game or fold (much like Walmart did in the USA).

That said, you are right, dive gear often seems uncharacteristically expensive in the USA. Probably because much is imported from Europe & Taiwan. I don't think the US has tariffs on Chinese goods - but I could be wrong - because of their "special relationship" (our "special relationship" doesn't enjoy that benefit, perhaps because of the UK's EU membership?). I believe quite a lot of dive gear (perhaps inc. Mako & Rabitech) comes from capitalist Taiwan rather than communist China (BTW I know somebody who lived in China for several years with his Chinese wife & he reckons Britain is more communist than China these days! ).

I suspect the explanation is largely down to shipping costs, tariffs and the use of distributors - middle men, who also need to cover their costs and make a profit. Distributors can be useful but it comes at a cost. One of the biggest benefits of the EU's common market that I saw was the end to exclusive national distributors, who had brand monopolies for their designated country. It allowed me to shop around buy my speargun from Italy, my float from Spain & my wetsuit from the UK. Unfortunately shipping within the EU tends to be far more expensive than shipping within the USA - the USPS offers impressive value.

 

[stefpix]

I noticed when I moved in the USA that most beer bottles at a supermarket or at a deli cornerstore are all around $2 each. Some 1.75, some 2.25 , whether they are from California, NY, Czech republic or Germany. In Italy you can buy 3 bottle of Peroni or some other local beer for 2 euro something, while other beer cost 2 euro per bottle. Same with wine. I have the sense that in the USA they sell what the market will bear.
Dive flags / floats that on Italian sites cost 9 / 14 euros here are 30 to 50 dollars.
But occasionally I can find really good deals.

It is cheaper to buy some pneumatic guns from this Italian online store and have it shipped to the USA than buy it here.

It is also interesting how popular are Italian brands in the USA, and that so much stuff is still made in Italy rather than in countries with cheaper labor and workers' protections.

 

[Mr. X]

... In Italy you can buy 3 bottle of Peroni or some other local beer for 2 euro something, while other beer cost 2 euro per bottle. ... I have the sense that in the USA they sell what the market will bear...

Coincidentally I had a Peroni in a restuarant last Sunday and a small bottle of Peroni cost £4.75/$6.37/5.37 euros! Just tasted like generic lager to me (not a lager fan). My son occasionally works in a pub and reckons the bigger bottles are more than a pound cheaper at this pub -- but that's still around £3.70! Perhaps the moral of this story is, don't buy booze in restuarants and if you do, buy local! When in Rome...

...
It is also interesting how popular are Italian brands in the USA, and that so much stuff is still made in Italy rather than in countries with cheaper labor and workers' protections.

The Italians are market leaders in spearfishing gear - lots of: history, companies, products, innovation. They have the climate & conditions too. Also they love eating a wide variety of seafood - in the UK (to our shame) somewhere in recent history we lost our love of seafood (partly due to high cost) - most avoid it, often only eating fish fingers (containing "white fish") or battered fish (cod/haddock/plaice) from a chip shop these days. More recently TV chefs (such as Hugh Fernley-Wittingstall & Rick Stein) have helped to rekindle some interest in seafood but their interest has also help glamorize seafood & inflate prices.

South Africa has carved out a niche for itself too, with the likes of Rob Allen & Rabitech & Orcas, etc.. They have developed their own systems to deal with the large fish and conditions around their coast & neighbouring coasts.

Less developed countries tend to be good at reproducing existing designs to order but often don't have the domain knowledge or experience (and perhaps interest/capital/contacts) to develop & market new ones. Quite a lot of "Italian" products are actually made in Taiwan for Italian companies, I think my Omer Alien mask was made in Taiwan but my Seasub Combat-X mask was made in Italy.