Though it does grate on me a bit, it is quite understandable. In this day and age nobody in the scuba industry can afford to make a "bad" piece of equipment. Sure there a features and differences that make one can make one style more desirable over another but in the end the regulator gives you air no matter what the style. To a good portion of the certified diving population, the mechanics of the gear is more mystery than common knowledge. When a person purchases their equipment it is only natural that they talk about it. You can compare their "pride" of purchase to someone who buys a brand new car. It is a sort of a justification of the purchase so they tend to defend their choice of brand, style and model. A dive store naturally favors the gear that it sells and would love the consumer to believe that they are the only place to purchase it. In fact they would love the consumer to believe that they are the only dive store in the area. It would not be a good business move to say that they like another brand of equipment better than the brand that they carry. Divers have become more equipment conscious over the years as far as knowing more about the various features and benefits of various pieces of scuba equipment. This has made dive stores have to work a little harder to turn that knowledge into a "sale". A good dive store will compare, not bash, other brands. I have worked in the dive retail industry for over 18 years ( currently at http://www.visibilityunlimited.com )and to tell you the truth, I prefer waiting on a customer who is knowledgeable about the gear and what features they would like that gear to have. I have also gone into other dive stores and have enquired about different features of various equipment to see what they say about them. I actually went into one and asked about an inexpensive regulator they had on display to which they replied "that's a piece of S***, what you really want is.....". I listened for a bit then hit them with "If that regulator is a piece of S*** then why is it in your store?" I know...that was a mean thing to ask but that is one thing that really grates on me. I am not without fault on having my favorites but my justification is based on slightly different criteria. Worldwide serviceability is high on the list as is the features and benefits being suitable for my needs both present and future. I am also partial to manufacturers who deal well with providing knowledge and support to the consumer in a manner that is straightforward and put in terms that the consumer can understand. Warranties (manufacturer authorized) are also high on the list. Does the manufacturer back the warranty and does the dive store or Internet retailer have the authorization to offer manufacturer warranties (or even sell their brand) is also a high priority. Then, and only then, will I have the "pride" in my purchase enough to defend, recommend and brag about it. I am off my soap box now LOL. P.S. My favorite is Oceanic (lol you didn't think that I would NOT brag now did you?)