Search results

...and know what your instructor likes. For me, a six-pack of Great Divide Yeti is most welcome, a six-pack of Budweiser is not ;)

Except that they are annoying with a harness if you have a lot of weight on there. Weights at the back foul on the backplate, weights on the right foul the lamp cannister. Anything more than about 8 lbs on a weight belt and I'd consider another solution.

I'd imagine probably an L or XL from most manufacturers would fit. Obviously the best option is just to go along to the LDS and try a few (or get a backplate, of course, which fits everyone :)).

Well, the DIR answer is to get big thigh pockets on your suit. I can't see any reason why this shouldn't be the best option for non-DIR divers too. Everything is then nicely tucked away where it can't entangle or fall off and is easy to get at when you need it. Those big pockets can be bought...

When dives go right then most people have no problems. It's when something goes wrong that the difference between a skilled diver and a once-a-year holiday diver becomes clear. Unskilled divers simply can't deal with the situation and often respond by panicking and/or drowning. Diving is safe...

Tricky - I've seen some kids around that age who are naturals and some who really lose all interest the moment the skills get difficult. Certainly one of the biggest problems is teaching kids that age in a group - they lose attention easily and in a group you can't stop teaching the rest every 2...

Well, once upon a time there was a boy called William Hogarth Main...

Why not just a BP/W with the pockets which fit on the waistband?

I think it depends on where in the world you are. In the dive resorts the instructors earn peanuts and I think you'd have to search a long way to find one who would find a tip insulting. On the other hand, those who teach at home as a hobby probably would rather have thanks or a bottle of...

I'm actually kind of surprised if you need more than about 10 lbs with that build and wetsuit. Still, you can always start with 14 on your first dive if and drop a couple of lbs per dive until you get it right.

The incidence of PFO's is not the issue here - no-one is disputing the 25% figure. What is under discussion is whether PFO are worth worrying about.

Very true - I actually found burn marks and soot inside my tanks around the valve seal the first time I took it apart - it had previously come "O2 clean" from the shop. Yes, I prefer to do my own O2 cleaning now.

It may feel a bit like you are being pushed forward if you switch from a vest to a wing type BCD but within a few dives you will be used to the new balance and it is no problem. Just a bit like getting a new car - takes a while to get the feel of it.

Hmm, I'm not sure I'd take it on trust that a secondhand tank was O2 clean.

It's almost certainly nylon - just melt the end a bit with a flame. And you might want to tie a couple of knots into the string anyway to make it easier to grab.

The DIR-Zone / DTD ones have buckles mounted already and work pretty well:

Yeah, weight belts are a pain with BP/W setups. I've found three solutions which work: 1) The weight pouches which fit in the waistband. These are basically the BP/W equivalent of integrated weight and work pretty well. I have a few picky DIR issues with them, but if you're not DIR then these...

Yes, even properly maintained compressors can go wrong - it only takes a leak to develop around a piston for oil to get into the air. It's pretty unlikely if the shop is getting their compressor serviced properly, but not impossible.

If you want another course straight after OW then Peak Performance Buoyancy would probably be a better choice. Getting your buoyancy sorted out is the most important scuba skill and the basis for most others.

I guess Spielberg can though...