First gear purchase

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I have nit been down there yet, but always looking for new places.

My schedule is strange, I get off work Thursday mornings and dive Stockton Lake. Fridays I am off and dive Stockton, Table Rock, or Beaver. Let me know if that works for you. I have plates, harnesses, and regs.

Also, if interested, there will be a Midwest get together the end of September at the Beaver Lake scuba park by the dam. There is a thread in the Midwest section.

DW
 
My schedule is strange, I get off work Thursday mornings and dive Stockton Lake. Fridays I am off and dive Stockton, Table Rock, or Beaver. Let me know if that works for you. I have plates, harnesses, and regs.

Also, if interested, there will be a Midwest get together the end of September at the Beaver Lake scuba park by the dam. There is a thread in the Midwest section.

DW

Thanks again for the offer, I decided to just do it, and ordered the gear. Excited to give it a try. I figure the worst would be I can't stand it and I swap it out for something else. Since it is modular, I can make small changes.
 
So you bought all of your gear? What regulator did you pick just out of curiosity? I just wrote an article on the best scuba regulators. I actually like the low maintenance of a position first stage like a Cressi AC2. Since you are going to be in cold water I was going to recommend the Cressi T10 SC Cromo Compact Pro for the regulator. Also, Cressi Aquqpro is a good all-around BCD and my favorite style of weight pockets.
 
They do not, it is a really small shop.
I notice that you list West Des Moines as your location. I have been through Des Moines a few times on road trips, and it seems like a fairly large city. I am guessing that there are probably a few options available for dive shops. Although it is nice (not to mention convenient) to frequent the closest shop, perhaps a visit to some of the other shops in the Des Moines area might be as they say, "just what the doctor ordered".

Given your situation, my recommendation would be to hold off on getting a BCD for a while. Rent a few first and find out what you like. Scubaboard is very biased toward the BP/W, but one solution does not solve all issues. Maybe, you might find that a different style works better for you, so try a "jacket style", try a "back inflate", try a BP/W, try whatever you can get your hands on. See what works best for you, because, after all, that is what is important.

Out of curiosity, what would the $850 apeks reg do that a 450 Titan, or a hog d3 would not do for a newer diver? Just wondering what the difference is.
When I started out, I bought a relatively cheap reg. It worked great at depth, but as I got near the surface and lower on air (for instance at a safety stop) it became harder to breathe. That was several years ago, but my reg was the first piece of my gear that I upgraded, and I haven't looked back. To answer your question, some regs will breathe easier and more consistently than others. (FWIW, I currently use an Aqualung Legend.)
___________________________________________________________________________________

OK, back to my recommendations.

Dive packages appear to be a very good deal initially, and in the short term, they are. They get you diving with your own gear at a relatively reasonable cost. It is the long term though where they turn out to not be such a great deal. Also, by buying your gear individually, you are not committed to a large purchase all at one time and you can get a piece and then save a little while if you need to to pick up the next piece.

If I were just starting out, the first thing that I would get would be a computer. The big reason for this is because the dive computer will have the largest learning curve. You probably don't want to try to learn how to use a new computer every time you go diving. While there are several that will meet your needs, I think right now, the one that I would recommend would be the Shearwater Peregrine. It is not Air Integrated, so you will also need to get an SPG to go with it.

The next piece up gear that I would get would be a reg set. Again, there are many good choices out there but one that has consistently good reviews is the Deep 6 reg set. (Deep 6 can also hook you up with an SPG.)

As I said, I'd hold off and try a few BCDs before you make a final decision.

This will in all likelihood cost you more than your target of $1k, but I believe it will probably cost you less in the long run.
 
Thanks again for the offer, I decided to just do it, and ordered the gear. Excited to give it a try. I figure the worst would be I can't stand it and I swap it out for something else. Since it is modular, I can make small changes.

Congrats!!

DW
 
Looks like I was a bit late in making a recommendation.

Congrats on your purchase! I hope it turns out to be just what you need and opens the door for you to many years of fun, adventure and great stories.
 
So you bought all of your gear? What regulator did you pick just out of curiosity? I just wrote an article on the best scuba regulators. I actually like the low maintenance of a position first stage like a Cressi AC2. Since you are going to be in cold water I was going to recommend the Cressi T10 SC Cromo Compact Pro for the regulator. Also, Cressi Aquqpro is a good all-around BCD and my favorite style of weight pockets.

I got the hog D3 din reg set, and hog total bouyancy control system.
 
I notice that you list West Des Moines as your location. I have been through Des Moines a few times on road trips, and it seems like a fairly large city. I am guessing that there are probably a few options available for dive shops. Although it is nice (not to mention convenient) to frequent the closest shop, perhaps a visit to some of the other shops in the Des Moines area might be as they say, "just what the doctor ordered".

Given your situation, my recommendation would be to hold off on getting a BCD for a while. Rent a few first and find out what you like. Scubaboard is very biased toward the BP/W, but one solution does not solve all issues. Maybe, you might find that a different style works better for you, so try a "jacket style", try a "back inflate", try a BP/W, try whatever you can get your hands on. See what works best for you, because, after all, that is what is important.


When I started out, I bought a relatively cheap reg. It worked great at depth, but as I got near the surface and lower on air (for instance at a safety stop) it became harder to breathe. That was several years ago, but my reg was the first piece of my gear that I upgraded, and I haven't looked back. To answer your question, some regs will breathe easier and more consistently than others. (FWIW, I currently use an Aqualung Legend.)
___________________________________________________________________________________

OK, back to my recommendations.

Dive packages appear to be a very good deal initially, and in the short term, they are. They get you diving with your own gear at a relatively reasonable cost. It is the long term though where they turn out to not be such a great deal. Also, by buying your gear individually, you are not committed to a large purchase all at one time and you can get a piece and then save a little while if you need to to pick up the next piece.

If I were just starting out, the first thing that I would get would be a computer. The big reason for this is because the dive computer will have the largest learning curve. You probably don't want to try to learn how to use a new computer every time you go diving. While there are several that will meet your needs, I think right now, the one that I would recommend would be the Shearwater Peregrine. It is not Air Integrated, so you will also need to get an SPG to go with it.

The next piece up gear that I would get would be a reg set. Again, there are many good choices out there but one that has consistently good reviews is the Deep 6 reg set. (Deep 6 can also hook you up with an SPG.)

As I said, I'd hold off and try a few BCDs before you make a final decision.

This will in all likelihood cost you more than your target of $1k, but I believe it will probably cost you less in the long run.


Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, it was a bit late, but I appreciate you taking the time to explain things. I an leery about jumping in with a full set, but have had a few times with bad experiences with rental gear, so wanted to get something to get started. I may end up replacing some, but I figure by the time I do, I will have a much better understanding of what I want, and need. I also hope to have moved down south in a few years once our nest is (hopefully) empty, and then might be in a different position, and may have different needs.
 
I got the hog D3 din reg set, and hog total bouyancy control system.
I started early with a bp/w cuz it allowed me to customize my set up to my disability easily and I don't regret it... simple stuff well built! I don't think that you'll be disappointed! (My girlfriend switches for a bp/w now too after trying mine).

I think the reg hog will be just fine! now we'll see you for the computer purchase :wink:

don't hesitate to give a feedback!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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