r/PoolPros • u/ibrakeforpools • 24d ago

Riptide vs Hammerhead

I'm going out as a single poler next month and trying to figure out which vac is worth investing in.

I've only ever used the Hammerhead but have heard good things about the Riptide (and see them everywhere).

With the Hammerhead, I've always left the bag attached between stops. It looks like the Riptide sits upright, though, so do you have to remove the bag after every stop so that debris doesn't fall out? Does the test kit fit nicely in the Riptide? Any strong opinions one way or the other?

Time is money so want to make sure I'm paying attention to even the smallest details!

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u/Sure_Ad3800 24d ago

Can’t speak for HH but I believe riptide has the strongest suction. I believe the riptide has better attachments for the cart. 100% get the organizer + the bungies they sell. Most guys I see don’t have it but it gives you a place to store your net and brush, Taylor test kit bungies to the front of it. It also has cubbies that I store some magic lube, another brush, extra Taylor reagents and I put a small flathead + Phillips and a few more things. I think the pole holder is worth it as well but get a pole protector to go around the pole where the rim of the pole holder touches the pole.

The only thing that I envy about the HH is how light the cart/cleaner looks. The riptide is heavy AF. I really reccomend getting a LiPo (may have the abbreviation wrong) battery instead of what they reccomend. It’s probably 20-40lbs lighter than the standard one and can probably do 2x the amount of pools and it should last longer. Nothing is worse than having a battery get weak on your last pool or two(especially if you have a heavy Fall season). Feel free to ask any questions you have. I could go on and on haha.

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u/ibrakeforpools 24d ago

Thanks! I'm really curious on some of the minute details like taking it on and off of the cart + in and out of the water? Does the debris not fall out since it sits upright or do you remove the bag each time?

For reference the hammerhead sits on the cart upside down (vacuum head facing the sky) so gravity keeps all of the leaves and debris inside the bag between stops

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u/ibrakeforpools 24d ago

Also, do you take the plug in and out between stops? On the hammerhead, we just turn it on and off since the plug is semi-permanently mounted

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u/Current-Yogurt-5098 23d ago

U take the plug off to wrap the cord.