Still behind on doing the unboxings. At least this one is sort of in the time frame when I originally received it. Kinda. Not really.
So, normally the ReefBoxes come in this nice reusable/recyclable box. Sturdy and blue, and two months in, I’m at the stage where I’m like “OOOOH THE BLUE BOX HAS ARRIVED WITH FUN STUFF FOR ME” when I see it on my porch.
So I was a little surprised when this month’s ReefBox was just a boring brown box. “Have they changed their packaging?” I asked myself. I imagine it would probably be cheaper, but… my blue box? WHERE’S MY BLUE BOX?
The ReefBox people anticipated that. So imagine my delight when I opened the box, and saw this…
Oh boy oh boy oh boy…
Well shit.
OK, so no one likes to do gear maintenance. We want it to be working all the time, without any muss nor fuss. We like to think we keep our BCDs bone dry after a day in the water, that we haven’t peed in our wetsuit, that we didn’t just tear our wetsuit on the piece of the diveboat. Everything should work like it did the day we took it out of the packaging or off the hanger.
So, April is Cruelest Month… And here’s the ReefBox to prove it!
They are NOT kidding. There was a lot of stuff in this box. Here’s the stuff I know I will use:
1. The Wetsuit/Drysuit shampoo. I don’t think I’ve cleaned my 3mm once since I’ve gotten it and it has seen a LOT of use at least like 40 dives. And, not gonna lie, there’s been some pee in it (OH DON’T ACT LIKE YOU’VE NEVER PEED IN YOUR WETSUIT). My 5mm hasn’t see as much use, but hey, at 100ft, Lake Pleasant, Arizona gets to about 55 degrees
2. BCD cleaner – also in need of cleaning. When I get back from Catalina Island and before I hand it in for the yearly inspection.
3. Odor Eliminator. You bet. Especially likely on the South Africa and Philippines trips.
4. Neoprene patch? Well, I’m as graceful on land as an elephant seal, so yes.
5. UV Protectant! I’ll totally use this. Hey, this box is really useful.
6. Zipper grease? OK, now you’re just making stuff up. I’ve never… had a problem… OK. I can see where the zipper grease would be helpful, especially after cleaning the Wetsuit.
7. Silicone grease? Yeah, OK. Welcome to my Save-A-Dive.
8. Repair patches, say hi to your friend the silicone grease.
9. Mesh bag. Yeah, OK, throw that in.
So everything. I will use everything here.
This month’s ReefBox deal is for the Utila Lodge in Honduras, 10% off a Seven Night stay. How long are these things good for? We’ve already established I’m booked solid. But becoming a licensed Lionfish hunter? THAT looks fun.
Let’s do the ratings!
1. Environmental Friendliness: 7 out of 10. Let’s be honest here, we’re talking about soaps, cleansers, greases, etc. None of this stuff is meant to get into the marine environment, but neither is your shampoo, body wash, or hair gel. It doesn’t seem to be any more or less worse than that. Maybe eat a week of vegetarian meals to balance out the environmental damage.
2. Usefulness: 10 out of 10. This box SCREAMS usefulness and necessity.
3. Value: 10 out of 10. With the initial unboxing, I figured my box-per-month cost is $27.16. Per this month’s ReefBox info card (or the discount to the Utila Lodge), the box is worth $63.10, and that’s $35.94 in savings. Slightly less than previous stuff, but there’s so much stuff.
4. Fun: [N/A] This is a hard question to answer. If you’re one of those people who like to do their own maintenance, 10 out of 10. If you’re like me and just hurl it over the counter at the dive shop and run, less so. We’ll remove this value from this month. They did include stickers! That’s kinda fun.
So, the rating I give this box is a solid 9. Well worth it.
We’re finally caught up, and the May unboxing will be on Tuesday. Stay tuned!