A little help for a newly qualified youngster

[dmaziuk]

good point Froggle and thanks for the pointer - something I didn't pick up on - was 10c in Ellerton in April so its a fair point

+1: e.g. PMS has MC9Xs sets for only 20 quid more than Mc5 ones: Items in Planet Multi Store store on eBay ! so why not go sealed and cold water rated.

Edit: brain fart: I means MC9 Sc of course.

 

[Diver0001]

Hi folks, I've been diving for a good few years - on and off. My 11 year old daughter qualified yesterday as an open water diver - couldn't be prouder.

I committed to her that once through her training and she'd proven the capability and care for kit, that I would purchase her own gear.

The time has come for me to stand up to my commitment and hope you learned folks can advise on my proposed purchase. I'm looking at the cress travelight BCD with Cressi MC5 regs. We dive mostly in the UK - lakes and some sea and are planning on a trip to the US next year where we will likely be diving too. Clearly at the age of 11 I have lots to balance - easy to use, relatively lightweight gear, thats durable, SAFE, and will support her as she develops into a more experienced diver - she hopes to start her junior advanced next year when she hits 12.

Cressi Ladies Travel Light BCD and MC5 XS Compact Regulator Package

I'd welcome any guidance, feedback on the above. Thanks,

Dale

Hi Dale,

Congratulations to your daughter. I dive with my daughter too although I didn't certify her until she was a little older but there's nothing like sharing diving for father/daughter time.

I have zero experience with the Cressi regulator you linked so I'll leave other people to advise you about that. What I would advise, however, is to take the DIN coupling regardless of the regulator you choose.

As far as the BCD goes, the shop where I work has some Cressi BCD's in the rental stock and while I don't mind the way they fit and perform, I don't like their inflator mechanism. My personal opinion is that Sherwood/Apeks/Aqualung make the best inflators (I even took the inflator off of my old Sherwood vest to put on my diverite wing and it was a big improvement), Mares are ok, Cressi are on my list of mediocre inflators. The reason I think this has to do with giving lessons with these vests. I don't like how slowly they fill. I guess it has the advantage that the diver is maybe a little less likely to yo-yo if they don't quite have the BCD mastered but on the surface when you want the vest full you don't want to have to wait for it. That's my personal preference, as I said.

You will also have to realize that your daughter is still growing so she'll only have this vest for a few years. If it were me, I would buy a vest 2nd hand. You will need patience (and maybe some advice) to find a suitable one in good shape but there is a very lively market for 2nd hand scuba gear. I bought a Sherwood Diva that looked like it had never been dived in for my daughter for €75 from someone who just wanted to get rid of it. That said, my daughter agreed for me to buy her 2nd hand gear as long as it was good if she could buy a new wetsuit because she didn't like the idea of wearing someone's old suit that they probably peed in.... ok.

I had some gear laying around that I gave her but the basics of her set is a Sherwood Diva, Aqualung Legend LX supreme, Mares Avantii fins, a compass from Suunto and a Vyper computer from Suunto, a mask I ended up with by accident (got shuffled into my gear on dive day and I couldn't find an owner to return it to) and a suit from Cressi. I paid less for everything else than she paid for the suit.

R..

 

[ams511]

The girl is 11, so I would assume she would grow. Consequently, you need a BC that will grow with her. How adjustable is the BCs you are looking at? Will it be able to keep up with her when she becomes a woman in a few years?

Rather than Cressi, I would recommend Apeks. They are owned by Aqualung so you have AL's worldwide dealer network. Also Apeks is based in the UK. They have great deals on reg setups in the UK and EU (I am in the US and jealous). For a BC I would recommend one of their wings with a soft backplate and a one piece harness. It would be similar to a normal BC. The harness system is infinitely adjustable, even you could dive it if you want. When she gets taller you can add a metal backplate to move some weight of her belt.

If she decides latter on in life to move away from diving, you will have much better resale out of that gear than a Cressi woman's BC.

 

[DMrqwq]

Thanks for all your advice folks, its proving really helpful in progressing our decisions - not quite there yet but your guidance has helped us in shopping around for the right kit - at the right price!