Hello from Ohio....

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

matt45648

Registered
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Location
OH-IO!!!
# of dives
0 - 24
Stumbled onto this forum while searching for used scuba gear... My wife, daughter, and myself just got certified open water (literally this past weekend). It began as a rush to certify prior to our vacation to Oahu where we will be going on at least one dive. I did not think my wife would be into it, but luckily she is. So after we get back from vacation I will be looking to purchase some decent used gear if I can find a decent deal.

I live in southern Ohio, 2 hours south of Columbus on the river. The closest place I have to dive is the twin quarries in Circleville, but it's better than nothing.

Any suggestions on some mid level gear to watch out for in the marketplace?
 
Welcome. A few observations.

1.) Figure out what kind of diving you want to do. A tropical diver who's not very cold sensitive may be happy in a 3-mm full or shorty wetsuit. Someone doing some quarry diving spending time in water in the 60's may want a 'dual purpose' 5-mm wetsuit - tolerable in the tropics, fine in the quarry beneath that first thermocline.

2.) You may want to buy yourself things that need to fit. A mask with little or no leakage is a wonderful find, and cost doesn't necessarily determine fit. I'm a tough fit, and my mask was pretty cheap. Scuba boots and fins need to fit, especially if you have usually big feet like I do. A wetsuit especially needs to fit.

3.) If you dive locally, you may or may not want to buy a tank, and then there's the steel vs. aluminum and how many cubic feet debate. Be mindful you'll need to pay for periodic hydro. and viz. on a tank. May not be worth it. When you make dive trips abroad, tanks and weights are likely to be provided.

4.) A dive computer is nice to know how to use. Unlike a BCD or regulator, the interface will vary widely against competitors. Console, wrist puck or watch style? Air integrated or not? Capable of downloading dives to your computer or not? Intuitive interface or one more like a typical wrist watch?

If you are foot-heavy like many divers, fins that aren't negatively buoyant are a good start. I like my 2XL Deep 6 Eddy fins, which are slightly positively buoyant and have big fin pockets. Don't expect to find them used, but the prices are good (and they come with spring straps).

If you guy a regulator 2nd hand, you'll likely want to get it serviced before you use it. You'll want a brand that a local dive shop services, by the way. I like my Atomic Aquatics B2, but I've found getting it serviced on Caribbean trips when things came up...was more difficult. I think ScubaPro is easier to find servicing abroad for, when something goes wrong.

Most divers dive jacket-style BCDs. On this forum, a lot of people like back plate/wing setups. Either works; be aware there are options (and there are other options, like rear inflate, the ScubaPro Hydros, etc...).

If you really want to know what people here think, post asking about the gear before you buy it. If you buy and then post asking if you got a good deal, it's a bit late.
 
Welcome to SB. My wife, son, and myself took the OW course, similar to you, before going to Grand Cayman (in 1998) to do our checkout dives. Can't help with suggestions about gear as we rented until we knew we were going to be in a position to continue diving - purchased new gear after a couple of trips - it helped that I realized the type of diving I would generally be doing.....Caribbean!!
 
Stumbled onto this forum while searching for used scuba gear... My wife, daughter, and myself just got certified open water (literally this past weekend). It began as a rush to certify prior to our vacation to Oahu where we will be going on at least one dive. I did not think my wife would be into it, but luckily she is. So after we get back from vacation I will be looking to purchase some decent used gear if I can find a decent deal.

I live in southern Ohio, 2 hours south of Columbus on the river. The closest place I have to dive is the twin quarries in Circleville, but it's better than nothing.

Any suggestions on some mid level gear to watch out for in the marketplace?

I have a small Zeagle Mariner BCD barely used. I will send photos if interested.
 
Diving in ohio means you’ll want environmentally sealed regs and a warm suit. A 3mm full and 3mm short suit that can be layered together is a good versatile option. Hood and gloves go a long way as well. I am a fan of the backplate and wing for lots of reasons.

it may not be much further for you to drive to the quarry in new paris or lancaster just to change scenery. There is another couple dive spots in Kentucky to consider.
 
My wife is going back to school, so the next 4'ish years will be fairly restrictive... I'd like to get gear that will be suitable for diving most conditions outside of drysuit diving. Most of my diving in the coming years will be local (within 3-4 hr drive), however I can see several trips to places like the Carolinas and Florida. Right now Im mostly focused on BCD, reg, computer setup. We all three have mask, snorkel, shoes, fins... and daughter has a 3mil wetsuit.
 
For a dive computer I've been looking at the Shearwater Peregrine. Thoughts?
 
Can’t go wrong with a Shearwater.

And get yourself up to Gilboa and White Star. Gilboa ownership just changed recently, for a huge change.
 
Can’t go wrong with a Shearwater.

And get yourself up to Gilboa and White Star. Gilboa ownership just changed recently, for a huge change.

I'm pretty sure the dive shop i certified with purchased Gilboa... Columbus Scuba Inc.
 

Back
Top Bottom