There is a lot of advice in here. When I taught myself to scuba dive, JFK and Marilyn Monroe were still alive. I have always liked Scubapro bc's, although I have not owned any for some time now. I had one stolen in 1991 that I still can get irate about if I think about it.
I have never owned a Scubapro regulator even when I could them get for below dealer cost. The people who owned them absolutely loved them, but they were also constantly messing with them. I used Oceanic regs for years and years up until they decided not to sell me repair parts anymore.
The regs I use now are some rebranded Italian jobs that just seem to work year after year - that's the first stage part. I use them for deep diving and they're also on my deco bottles. I serviced them a couple of times, but I think that I'll just buy new cheap 1st stages to replace them when I get around to it. I use a Dive Rite second stage now that I probably won't ever service it since it just works fine as it is. I can get the parts for that well enough, and the DiveRite-GearExpress guys are close by down in Pompano if I ever decide to visit them.
The trick to buying scuba gear is to try to buy it once. No matter what you buy, if you don't have to buy two or three of whatever you're gonna use, it's way cheaper. Women are way better at doing informed dive gear purchases than guys since since you're...uh, well, you're all just smarter than us.
Good luck with the diving and pay no attention to anything that I wrote about not servicing my gear every year. It's a good idea if you have someone with measurable intelligence doing the servicing. I did a lot of servicing and repairs so I know when something is going to FUBAR in me. Plus, if it does, it already happened a bunch of times before.
No way.. I don't know how long ago that was even though I love Marilyn.. But you pic beggs to differ your age!
OMG.. Someone stole your BC!!.. I would soo be livid as well!
BAHAHA... I had to laugh out loud on this one.. And i'll have to agree.. My fiance keeps saying just buy something already.. But I'm the critical thinker here, I want something good, for a good deal and that will last me.
) He just doesn't seem to understand.. But he will when he is buying new gear and mine is still perfectly fine.
)
My issue I had with the Regs I used in my OW classes was the air seemed to poor into my mouth.. My instructor kept getting on to me because apparently he said I wasn't breathing deep enough.. I'm a light/calm breather so I see no need in sucking up too much air that I almost choke myself..
Tht's awesome you can service your own gear.. I don't think I will attempt it.. I'm the type that likes to look at pictures while putting things totally and if a few pieces are left over, then oh well.. I think I got that from my PawPaw.. :-/
---------- Post Merged at 10:02 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:55 PM ----------
If you have to have Pink - and want to spend $254 on really good fins...
Apollo Bio Fins Pro C-Series
Those are super cute!!!.. I don't know if I'm ready to splurge that much on fins yet.. I did however make the mistake of buying my mask, fins and snorkel on ebay as a set just bc it was pink.. My FI and the dive shop his brother works out thought it was hysterical.. So I will probably look into buying these items once I get my reg and computer.
)
---------- Post Merged at 10:08 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:55 PM ----------
Heavens, I should have heard about Hayden! We had friends in Cullman for awhile and visited them there and my daddy took us all over for football games back in the day. I'll get some pictures up. I dove in my husband's Seaquest Pro QD for certification and it was not made for a woman's figure at all! I so disliked the way it would ride up. Can't wait to see how the Zena stays in place.
Hayden is very small.. It's only one exit.. It's easy to miss.. I believe I was 17 before I realized it was one city over from where I was living.. lol.. My Grandparents have a place on Smith Lake, it's actually Curry but we still call it Cullman.
Can't wait to see the pics!..
) Oh, I could not agree with you more!.. All the BC's I used for my classes were terrible!!.. When I got in the pool with the LadyHawk a couple of weeks ago it was like angels singing.. lol. I loved how the Zena fit outside of the pool, it really seems to hold everything in one place ;o) I'm sure you will love your Zena!.. I'm soo glad they make women spacific items these days!!
