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I go, ahem, "commando". Just like you said, swim trunks suck and speedos just look ridiculous. Those tight "skin shorts" don't look much better, and I also balk at the $40 price tag. My method does require a little extra care when getting in and out of a wetsuit, but it's worth the comfort...

I dive an 8/7/6 Xcel semi-dry (i.e. "semi-wet"). It's certainly much warmer than the 2-piece rentals I formerly used. To be sure, that's partly because the rentals were crap, and partly because the seals on the semi-dry are actually worth something. A few details to help you make your...

Others have already suggested trying a steel tank. In particular, you might try a mini, high pressure steel 72 (Scubapro makes them). These guys are much more negative than aluminum 80s, and a bit more negative than steel 80s. Hence, this should have the same effect as adding weight to your...

I dive an Xcel 8/7/6mm semi-dry with a Scubapro Knighthawk. With an Al 80, I wear 18 lbs (I'm 6'0", 160 lbs). I think I could still drop a pound or two, since I'm slightly negative at 15' with 500 PSI... For the record, I much prefer to dive the small, high pressure Scubapro steel 72s...

I dive Kona 4 or 5 times a year. I'm told that the coral is not as colorful or as generally impressive in Kona as it is elsewhere (e.g. Coz), but the nektonic life is outstanding. I regularly encounter morays, sea turtles, manta rays, eagle rays, peacock flounders, frog fish, turkey fish, and...

You're making the right decision! I got OW-certified in Monterey (T = low 50s, usually), and that's where I do most of my diving. Work takes me to Kona a couple of time a year, though. Being certified for cold water makes warm water diving seem almost magical: no hoods, no gloves, less...

Jive - You're not stuck with it. What a disappointment that it's not already a great fit, but these things definitely happen. You can have the suit altered to fit, and judging from the picture, I think you could benefit from taking it in a bit. I dive an off-the-rack Xcel 7mm semidry; it...

pinstripe1: It's not the most obvious thing to do, but you might check out the LL Bean Adventure Roller Duffel (you can see it on their website). I got the idea for looking outside of the scuba world for a dive bag somewhere else on this board. The LL Bean bag is bigger than the Akona bag (I...

I've dived with both console-mounted and wrist-mounted computers. I *far* prefer the wrist mount. The advantages of wrist-mounted gauges has been well-discussed elsewhere; I'll just at that out of the water, it's far more convenient to work with your computer if it's NOT attached to your...

I'm extremely happy with my Adventure Roller duffel from LL Bean. It's everything you'd want in a dive bag (i.e. big, wheeled with a tobaggon bottom, waterproof, apparently indestructible), plus it looks cool and doesn't advertise that it contains scuba gear. I use a tub anytime I'll be diving...

Glad I could help. I should mention that my girlfriend has the Oceanic Versa pro in a console mount and she's very happy with it. As consoles go, it's very slim. If you haven't already checked it out, the Versa pro "test dive" on the Oceanic website (http://www.oceanicww.com/index2.cfm) is...

Thanks, fotta. No need for a picture; that makes perfect sense. Glad to hear that I wasn't the only one stymied by the problem of fixing bungees. best, steve

By the way, I'm totally happy with my Oceanic Versa pro. It's my first computer, so I can't make an illuminating comparisons. Nonetheless, it stacked up well against comparable computers when I did some comparison shopping. I've got about 40 dives on it now, and no complaints.

Hey fotta - Could you describe in more detail how you swapped out the wrist strap? I was looking to replace my strap with bungees, but I couldn't figure out an easy way to do it without really carving up the boot... How did you attach the velcro strap? gracias, steve

As a cheaper alternative to a custom suit, you could buy a new or used suit off the rack and have it altered to fit you. My girlfriend has short legs and arms compared to her torso. She took her off-the-rack Xcel 7mm to a custom shop, and for something like $100, they did a really fabulous...

A dive is a dive! My certification dives are the first four dives in my logbook, signed off by my instructor.

Hang it somewhere out of direct sunlight. I found it helpful to get a couple of big, fat, plastic scuba hangers...

zboss: Don't assume that shot weight will be provided (or available, for that matter). The best thing to is to call and ask... I generally bring my own weight; fortunately, it doesn't amount to much more than 14 lbs or so, and I travel light in other respects. Occasionally, I've been...

Hi Ben - Here's my official request for 2 sets (I sent you a private message about this a couple of days ago). Thanks for doing this! I'm happy to pay up front, just let me know your preferred method. best, steve

Oceanic has a slim little console with an SPG on one side and a compass on the other. You can find it at their website... Personally, I hate having to flip my console over to read one thing versus the other (this was the set-up on the rental gear I used to use). I'd definitely try and test...