When should I buy my own gear? BCD REG Computer weights etc.

[DivemasterDennis]

So here is my opinion, to consider with everyone else. I believe you should buy gear as early in your diving career as is practical. That is, when you know the basic conditions in which you will be doing most of your diving. I am also in favor of new gear purchased from a dive center with a service department, that comes with a warranty. I have purchased used gear, but only if I have known its history- including use level and service history, and only after I became competent to do a lot of my own servicing. New gear, properly cared for and regularly serviced, will last for a loooong time and be worth the value spent. You can add accessories and stuff as time passes. For diving In the San Diego SO Cal area cold water gear is essential. That inslude a reg that will operate efficiently in colder water. Of course, if you are a compulsive buyer like me, you will end up with a cold water rig, a warm water rig, a training rig, and a pool rig. So that last rule of equipment buying is to know that once you start, it's hard to stop.
DivemasterDennis

 

[doctormike]

If you are going to dive deep often and use doubles I would advise you to go with the bp/w.

I agree. On the other hand, if you are going to dive a single tank at recreational depths, THEN I would advise you to go with the bp/w.

Scuba diving equipment is essentially a life support system for people that venture under water for extended periods of time.

If you went in to space or to some other environment that does not support human life, would you trust your life to rental equipment?​

So are you saying that rental gear is inherently dangerous and shouldn't be used for safety reasons? Actually, if you buy a regulator but don't dive often (and don't do regular maintenance), you may have more issues than you would with regularly maintained rental equipment. I'm all for buying your own gear for lots of reasons, but I wouldn't say that safety is necessarily one of them.

I'm pretty sure that astronauts don't buy their own equipment!

 

[TSandM]

Congratulations on acquiring your gear!

To answer your first question, if you use a steel tank, that will help, because you will have some weight behind you. If the BC has trim pockets in the back (and I think the BD does) put some of your required weight there, too. It will not only help you balance when upright, but it will also help you avoid being feet-low when diving.

Did your computer come in a console with a pressure gauge? If so, it will be attached to your high pressure hose. You have to figure out a way to secure it so that it is tidy, but you can easily see it. This is one of the fundamental problems with consoles. You can attached them with a clip, but then you have to unclip it to see it. You can use a retractor, but that adds significant length and allows the console to hang, and in addition, it has been our experience with retractors (which we put on our student setups, because the dive shop provides nothing to secure the gauges) that salt water makes them corrode and jam after not too many uses.

Some people bring the console up and clip it to one of the d-rings. That keeps it close to the body, and if the location of the d-rings works out well, makes it visible. It's not a setup you can use with a long hose, and you have to remember to undo it to get out of your gear on the surface, if you are diving off a boat where you need to do that.

The final option is to remove the computer and pressure gauge from the console and put the computer on your wrist. That leaves only the pressure gauge to secure to your BC, which can be done with a clip. The advantage to this is having the depth gauge where you can monitor it constantly, especially when you are ascending and descending. The disadvantage is that it's easier to forget the computer! Your pressure gauge only need to be monitored every few minutes, and unclipping it to look at it isn't that big a problem. Or you can clip it up to a d-ring as previously described.

Octos are perennially problematic. The issue is that an octo holder has to perform two diametrically opposed jobs -- it has to retain the octo securely until it is needed, but release it easily when that's required. I have never seen anything do both jobs well. We've tried everything from snorkel keepers to magnets, and if something lets the octo go when pulled, it will almost always let it go during a dive. This is one of the big reasons we encourage all our students to go to a primary donate/bungied backup arrangement. It keeps the hoses tidy, it keeps the backup reg clean and in an absolutely reliable position, and permits for a very easy and intuitive donation procedure which virtually eliminates the possibility of presenting a reg upside-down.

 

[fjpatrum]

So here is my opinion, to consider with everyone else. I believe you should buy gear as early in your diving career as is practical. That is, when you know the basic conditions in which you will be doing most of your diving. I am also in favor of new gear purchased from a dive center with a service department, that comes with a warranty. I have purchased used gear, but only if I have known its history- including use level and service history, and only after I became competent to do a lot of my own servicing. New gear, properly cared for and regularly serviced, will last for a loooong time and be worth the value spent. You can add accessories and stuff as time passes. For diving In the San Diego SO Cal area cold water gear is essential. That inslude a reg that will operate efficiently in colder water. Of course, if you are a compulsive buyer like me, you will end up with a cold water rig, a warm water rig, a training rig, and a pool rig. So that last rule of equipment buying is to know that once you start, it's hard to stop.
DivemasterDennis

Not to turn this into a new versus used argument, but the part I bolded is 100% correct for all gear, new and used. I agree with you that if you're more comfortable with new gear, it's the right choice for you but I really don't like seeing people discourage secondary markets to new divers. Buying used is a great way to not break the bank and own your own gear (hopefully allowing more diving) while you're getting to "know the basic conditions in which you will be doing most of your diving". Implying a warranty or a 'service department' is somehow necessary for gear to be safe (which I don't think you've done in this post) or reliable is a major disservice to a lot of divers, new and experienced alike.

I spent less than $350 on my first set of (used) gear that included BC, regs, and computer. I sold the BC for $50 to a scubaboard member because I found it didn't fit me well in cold water conditions (which I didn't think I'd ever be diving when I took my OW course). Worked fine in warm water and pool conditions but in cold water there was just too much squeeze. I still have and use all the other gear. If I had rented, it would have taken me 6 or 7 dive days to accumulate that cost and would have also meant I dove (even) less than I do because the money would have been used elsewhere and not been available for gear rentals when I did have time to dive.


I'm not trying to be a zealot. New gear is the right choice for a lot of people (clearly you fall into that category). Buying from shops with a reasonable mark-up is the right choice for a lot of people. I just don't like seeing it pushed so hard to new divers who may not know what they want to do. I swore in my OW course I was never ever ever ever ever going to dive in anything like cold water. After my first 12 dives, only 3 of them had been in water above 55 degrees. Even after 30 dives, 18 of them are still in "cold" water. I was wrong about what I wanted to do as I suspect many (perhaps most) divers are. I recognize that's why people say "wait and rent" but for many of us that means less diving which eventually dwindles to no diving. That's why I push buying used so much, especially for those who already express some comfort in the concept.

Off my soapbox now. Mostly sorry for the rant.

 

[diversteve]

All in all, i've read up a lot about the Black Diamond/ c300 and it seems like everyone likes them, I liked the way the BCD fits and the features it has, i'm still trying to understand how not to float on my face on the surface though (haven't tried it yet though) any tips?

Does it have back trim weight pockets? Try putting up to 40% of your weight in them - or less till you can float mostly upright. If you're used to a jacket BC from class, it's not going to feel the same. Typically you float slightly lower in the water and can also easily flip over onto your back when you have it right. Play around with the weighting, when mine is dialed in, I float almost vertically.

any tips for connecting my computer to my bcd, i realized it's going to hang now, i saw a retractable lanyard on a video once and that seemed cool but I can't seem to find one online, also, any tips for not having my octo dangle? I got one of those nylon clips but the hose still protrudes, i'd like to make it streamlined

Cetacea - Scuba Diving Accessories sells all kinds of options.

Trident sells this type of stuff also - usually a dive shop will have a rack of it somewhere. I know Sport Chalet at UTC does since I bought a clip there once - in case you're up near LaJolla.

I've used a high-force retractor with my 2 gauge console for years. Mine is slightly smaller and maybe a little lighter than yours since it's depth/pressure - I wear my computer on my wrist. Mine has a nylon line and little to no metal parts. I velcro the hose in with my inflator hose and clip it off on the bottom front left d-ring. It's there when you need it, can be pulled up if necessary and the pressure in the hose ensures it doesn't move much. And stays high and tight against my BC.