I have a rental home with prefinished oak. My new renters coming in have two dogs so I was holding off until they leave to get the floors professionally refinished. I just wanted to get a recoat to protect it. Using what I learned from this site, I screened with 150 grit screens both the living room and the dining room. I vacumed and then wiped the surface clean with mineral spirits. I did the upstairs dining room with minwax OMU ( as recommended on this site as a cheap alternative to the professional grade finishes). I rolled it on using a Purdy Dove 3/8 in nap roller. It came out very nice, looks professionally done.
Then I got stupid, and tried the waterbased minwax on the living room. I started to have my doubts as soon as I put it on. It just would not level out, kind of beaded up. Now I have bad alligator skin over most of the floor. I know that the water based a harder to work with, but I do not think the problem was with the application of the urethane. I must have did something wrong with the prepping of the floor, but I thought that I did a good screening and cleaning with mineral spirits. Also the temperature and humidity was ideal. I am not sure what caused it, but more interested in what to do next.

1) Rescreen (hand sand) and try a different water base?

2) Rescreen (hand sand) and use an oil base? I would like to do this because I had such good results with the oil based. The problem is that I do not have 30-60 days to let the water based cure.

3) Some other option?

4) Suck it up, admit defeat, and call in a pro to bail me out? Does it require a full refinish to fix?

I would like to get it acceptable, not perfect. The new renters have lots of area rugs (deployments in Afghanistan), and two big labs.

I am short on time because I leave home for a 2 months and would like to fix it before I leave. Gentlemen, thanks in advance for any advice.

The problem is you tacked with mineral spirits. Mineral spirits is fine when you're using oil, but you have to tack with water if you're using water-based. Read the instructions on the bottle.

Screen at least twice using two different grits (100 then 150 maybe) then tack with the APPROPRIATE solvent. Finally, finish per manufacture's instructions.

Thanks. Once I do a good screening with 100 then 150 should I can I use an Oil based or should I use a water based?

Now that you have put a water-based on the floor, you will need to stay with that.