Equipment purchase priority-BCD or Reg?

[potato cod]

So, I've been diving for about a year, and am gradually getting my own gear, but can usually only afford one major item at a time. The two major items I have left are a bc and reg. Any opinion on which is more important to own?

I wonder if having a bcd I'm familiar with will help improve buoyancy and take the guesswork out of how much weight I need every time I dive (and weight check delays), but the reg is perhaps the more important piece of "life-support" so I'm torn...

Any insights would be appreciated!

 

[tuner fish]

Tell us more about your needs, your diving conditions. Also, would you fit just fine in your average rental BC?

 

[The Kraken]

I tend to suggest that gear which effects buoyancy and thermal protection be given priority when purchasing new equipment.

Familiarity with gear removes some of the task loading for a new diver and makes diving safer and easier.

the K

 

[Sas]

I bought all my gear at once, but if I had to buy it in parts I would have gone regs first. Rental regs did not breathe that well at depth I found (below 18m or so), and yea, they are life support! Some shops don't take the best care of them. My other reason would be hygiene reasons - again some shops may not clean them well. With the BC, I would not get one unless you have tried a bunch to know what you like - backinflate, jacket-style or BP/W. Do you know which one of those you like most? If so, you are in a better position to buy a BC but if you haven't given a few types a shot I would definitely hold off on buying the BC.

But as someone said, if you don't fit standard BCs that is a good reason to get one

 

[potato cod]

Hi, thanks for the responses.

Tuner Fish, in answer to your questions, I don't like cold water, so I'm a "vacation warrior" who dives in tropical waters, and even then with more wetsuit than most--that was my first purchase after using an ill-fitting rental. Well, my wetsuit has different configurations depending on time of year: jane + long-sleeve shorty + hooded vest if it's cooler or just the long-sleeve shorty + vest if it's warmer. (I always wear the vest because I love how the hood keeps my long hair out of my face). This adds to the weight confusion because I need rather different amounts for the two configurations. Still figuring that out because I've been trying to pare down the weight and I know I was diving with WAY too much at the beginning...

Also, I usually go several months between dive trips, so this is my concern with the reg servicing.

I haven't had problems fitting into a s or xs rental bc, but I HAVE noticed differences in comfort and ease of getting into the pockets.

 

[gypsyjim]

I know I focussed on the regs first when I was purchasing for both of my teenagers and getting back into diving again myself. Picked up a few used rental bcd's cheap at the end of the season, which got us started as the kids were learning and deciding what setups they preferred. As you said regulators are life support, and as such I want to know their service history and who has been handling them. This made them MY priority purchase. Of course I began diving long before bcd's, so I still tend to think of bcd's as accessories: VERY useful accessories, but not on the same level as life support. My opinion only.

 

[foles1972]

Hi Potato -- I would also suggest that you buy a good quality reg first. As some of the other posters (and you) have already mentioned the regulator is life support eqipment. You should buy the best quality reg that you can personally afford. There are many great brands to choose from.

The type of BC that you use should not change the amount of weight that you need. Like you stated, it is more likely the changes in the configuration of your wetsuit that are affecting the amount of weight that you need. Most rental BCs that I have seen and used seemed like they were maintained well enough to use without a second thought.

Good luck and have fun diving!

 

[Damselfish]

Can you can rent a decent reg but have trouble getting a BC you like? Less problems with BCs but all the rental regs are crap? If so your answer is easy, otherwise it's not so obvious. I lean slightly towards getting a BC as there is much more to get used to on a BC than a reg. A bad rental reg can make your dive suck; probably you won't wind up with anything actually dangerous, but it happens.

What gear and prices have you looked at? The most expensive gear is not always the best, or even worth it for many people. If you do your homework it's possible to get some pretty good deals on perfectly fine gear, new or used. It may not be your dream gear and you may wind up replacing it at some point (or not.) Now possibly buying twice because you bought something expensive too soon that you don't like is a waste of money. But buying twice because you started with something at a good price, and broke even compared to renting, might not be a bad thing.

You say "I usually go several months between dive trips, so this is my concern with the reg servicing." What exactly is your concern with reg servicing? Leaving something sitting a couple years is a concern, several months is not. But note that reg servicing can be pricey and you put that recurring cost off off longer if you rent regs.

When you say dive trips every couple months, are you talking something semi local you can drive to, or are you flying someplace (you mention tropical?) If you are actually flying someplace warm every couple months it might be worth skipping a trip to get the gear!

 

[scubaskipper]

Reg., best you can afford. Everyone has opinions about brand. Balanced/ diaph. first stage. I found Aqualung to be one of the easier and cheaper service kits. Not allot of special tools needed. No tricks of the trade built in. You may say, what does this have to do with anything. I've found over the years, that many places have a service guy that's doing OJT. Some weeks we get a 30% reg. failure rate on the boat. Many times this is on the first dive. I go with the theory, pay peanuts, get monkeys. I know the way rentals are serviced and the way they get treated by customers, I wouldn't touch one. Rental BCD can take more neglect and abuse before critical conditions appear. Just an observation.

 

[azcat2tx]

I bought all my gear at the same time so I can't advise one way or the other I did notice improvement with buoyancy with my own BCD by the second dive trip. Of course, I was also not concerned about my reg having issues, like I was on the last rental trip in Mexico.

If you choose to buy a BCD, when you are trying them on, you will probably be in a store, on dry land...sans tank. Make sure to add about 10 pounds (5 kilos) of weight to the back of the BCD to simulate the weight of a tank (if the shop will not put the tank on for you). This will give you a better feel of the BCD, and whether or not you are comfortable in it.