Help me choose my gear please

[hannesz1]

I have been researching gear for over a week now and I keep comming back to this package I found on amazon.com

Amazon Oceanic Ocean Pro BCD, Alpha 8 Sport DVT Reg, Veo 100nx 3Gauge Computer, Slimline Octo
(copy this and paste in google, then click first search result... sorry about that this forum won't let me post urls!!!)

I like that it comes with a dive computer, and the regulator has good reviews. it also has DVT which friends told me is a good feature of newer gear. And I like the BCD a lot because it doesn't look as bulky as the other models I've seen, which is something I want. also, I think this set just looks cooler than the other ones. I don't have a huge budget (about $800) so I want to get the neccessairy stuff first, the rest I can burrow or rent for now. what are your opinions about this set, and what are your suggestions if you don't think it is a good set.

 

[jamon]

Depends what you want and what you are looking for. You might also consider a back plate and wing setup which is simpler, more streamlined, will last longer, and is cheaper. I found the equipment section of the GUE.com website to be very instructive.

-Jarett

I have been researching gear for over a week now and I keep comming back to this package I found on amazon.com

Amazon Oceanic Ocean Pro BCD, Alpha 8 Sport DVT Reg, Veo 100nx 3Gauge Computer, Slimline Octo
(copy this and paste in google, then click first search result... sorry about that this forum won't let me post urls!!!)

I like that it comes with a dive computer, and the regulator has good reviews. it also has DVT which friends told me is a good feature of newer gear. And I like the BCD a lot because it doesn't look as bulky as the other models I've seen, which is something I want. also, I think this set just looks cooler than the other ones. I don't have a huge budget (about $800) so I want to get the neccessairy stuff first, the rest I can burrow or rent for now. what are your opinions about this set, and what are your suggestions if you don't think it is a good set.

Posted via Mobile Device

 

[tridacna]

I have been researching gear for over a week now and I keep comming back to this package I found on amazon.com

Amazon Oceanic Ocean Pro BCD, Alpha 8 Sport DVT Reg, Veo 100nx 3Gauge Computer, Slimline Octo

It's a fine set up.

(Ignore the usual bleating about BPWs. The sound of the sheep will drive you crazy if you listen to all of them).

That setup is available at LeisurePro for about $750. If you call them or Scubatoys, they will probably give you a package for less than that price.

 

[DevonDiver]

It's a fine set up.

Can you give a rationale for this?

You have considerable in-water experience of these items?

What are their strengths and weaknesses compared to other alternatives on the market?

(Ignore the usual bleating about BPWs. The sound of the sheep will drive you crazy if you listen to all of them).

Again, can you give a rationale for this?

You have considerable in-water experience of BP/W set-ups?

You can explain the pros and cons of this configuration....and how it may or may not be suited to the long-term diving goals of the student?

 

[tridacna]

Oh Devon the mighty, as usual, we are expected to genuflect in your presence.

You are such a sage, a font of wisdom - oh ye of two million dives. How dare we common mortals offer advice when you can offer pearls of wisdom. Your ongoing posts about just how great you are and how everyone else sucks is making me sick. The only post that gives meaning to how much you are really worth is the puny pay that you tell us that you deservedly get for your giant ego.

I hereby defer to your greatness and retract my comment. Please enlighten everyone with your illuminating and brilliant advice. Then go back under the water where you can no longer be heard.

(Oh yes, I've used that BC and reg many times and it's fine. But please ignore my worthless rant and heed only advice from his majestic diver, Devon the Great).

Can you give a rationale for your oversized ego and constant need to belittle others?

Can you give a rationale for this?

You have considerable in-water experience of these items?

What are their strengths and weaknesses compared to other alternatives on the market?



Again, can you give a rationale for this?

You have considerable in-water experience of BP/W set-ups?

You can explain the pros and cons of this configuration....and how it may or may not be suited to the long-term diving goals of the student?

 

[jamon]

LOL- Wow tridacna, you may consider taking off those hurt, angry pants, and putting on some happy pants. It looks like Devon was just asking you to expand on your off the cuff remarks and add some value to your post. If you don't like BP&Ws, that is fine, but can you explain your reasoning? Or if you like the Oceanic rig, what do you like about it? I thought this forum was supposed to be a place where we could share ideas and help each other out? How does your post above help anyone?

 

[hannesz1]

hey guys, no reason to get emotional about this, all I'm asking is an experienced person's opinion about the gear I selected and if there is anything else I should be aware of. so far you guys have been good help, thank you
I'd like to get a few more opininos though before I go ahead and buy

 

[tlt]

To answer the users question politely, the bottom line, any equipment that will get you diving safely is better than nothing at all. Everyone has personal preferences, and you need to rent to try out various types of equipment for your style of diving. Many dive shops rotate, I think 20% of their equipment as current model stuff, so getting wet with it should be possible. I suggest you start at your local dive shops if you need a little hand holding. I say shops, because every shop pushes a specific brand, and you can probably take the sum of several shops and make more sense of it.

Ordering online is great if you know what you want, but until you have some experience, sometimes it is better to have a local place to go that you can rely on. Many folks offer packages, some probably ok, some probably not. If you want to really determine the exact correct equipment here, then you need to post enough information here so that someone can make some judgements on your planned diving style.

The type of information that might be useful is where you will be diving (Florida?) - and the type of diving you will be doing, like wreck, or if you plan on getting technical (cave) a short distance down the road, etc. How many dives a year might you be doing? The right choice for first, second stage you use for example might depend on water temperature, work load and so on.. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but thoughts and specifics along those lines might help narrow down your choices, and help make the answer become obvious. It might well be worth the work, considering some decent mid to high end equipment that is well maintained could last you 10 or more years.. All of that being said... you can ignore the rest of this post, it is not for you. With this information some resident experts who know it all, and have done it all can probably give you some great suggestions and ideas, i'm just a bleating sheep (lol).

Are you are going to answer a question (lol), it would be nice if you could elaborate on the various choices for the novice user who reads it later. Please state advantages and disadvantages of the subject matter. Some comments, about some other post, with no useful information for the person with a question might as well not be left at all. When I post a question, I need an answer, not a life coach. Nothing personal, i've read a lot of the know it all posts on this web site with no substance, and if you have a lot of knowledge, share it please.

Let's move this conversation about EQUIPMENT further, or drop it.

 

[OldNSalty]

Also, could you tell us why you picked that setup? Maybe there is an alternative that you haven't looked at. Is it price alone?

 

[Damselfish]

I have been researching gear for over a week now

So what have you come up with in your research? Researching dive gear isn't so much about finding a package you can afford that looks good. While budget is obviously very important, the research should be about figuring out what you like/need, and what gear meets that.

BCs are one of the hardest things to pick out, and you can't really tell if they're going to fit well and have things in the "right" places for you without trying it on, at least. "Not bulky" is considered a good thing by many people, but there are many styles and features to consider.

I think this set just looks cooler than the other ones.

"looks cool" is a bad way to pick dive gear. Depending on your definition of cool it can lead you to some real junk.

what are your suggestions if you don't think it is a good set.

Oceanic has a decent rep and you'd probably do ok. But, I don't think sets are usually a good idea. They're unlikely to combine stuff that you would pick out on your own. They can be a cheap way to get in, you save money on rentals, and maybe you won't mind if you soon find you want to replace parts of it. Or maybe you'll get lucky and like it all for a long time. But, there are places that will let you at least build your own package and discount that.

This package isn't actually sold by Amazon, its sold by someplace called "Visibility Unlimited." I've never heard of them. Maybe they're great, but if you're going to buy online it's good to buy from someplace people have had good experience with, and make sure you know what their warranty policies are - that is also something you should research. And make sure you know where you are going to get the regulator serviced. Just like local places, some online shops are wonderful and others get lots of bad reviews. Your profile says you're in S Florida - there should be lots of shops and competition. Have you looked around locally?