A new challenge for an old guy....

[maven101]

Hi Everyone,

The only diving I have done was skin diving for two years in Pahala , Oahu, Hawaii 1958-9. Now retired from the Oakland P.D. I am getting PADI certified in Sept. for some diving in San Carlos, Mexico in October. I will be seeking advise re equipment and dive locations in the SouthWest. I live in Arizona near Sedona.

I understand that a BCD is not really necessary for warm water diving not exceeding 40 ft. Is this true..?

I'm looking forward to following the threads in this forum...What I have read thus far has been positive, provacative, and very informative...

Larry

 

[Li'l38]

Hi Everyone,

The only diving I have done was skin diving for two years in Pahala , Oahu, Hawaii 1958-9. Now retired from the Oakland P.D. I am getting PADI certified in Sept. for some diving in San Carlos, Mexico in October. I will be seeking advise re equipment and dive locations in the SouthWest. I live in Arizona near Sedona.

I understand that a BCD is not really necessary for warm water diving not exceeding 40 ft. Is this true..?

I'm looking forward to following the threads in this forum...What I have read thus far has been positive, provacative, and very informative...

Larry

Welcome to SB! Good luck with your class. I'm too new to say you do/don't need BCD. Why not go ahead and learn to use one?.....once you start diving, you won't want to limit yourself to 40ft. You're in the best place to find answers to all those questions......... I'll be checking back to see the response

 

[Rick Inman]

I understand that a BCD is not really necessary for warm water diving not exceeding 40 ft. Is this true..?

No it is not true. You should use a BCD even in shallow water. You'll also use it on the surface.

Your instructor will confirm this during the class.

Enjoy!! And welcome to ScubaBoard!!

 

[DandyDon]

I cannot help but wonder who told you that you didn't need a BC, and why? Maybe they meant wetsuit? What do you expect to do with the tank, carry it in your arms? :11:

You'll enjoy the training. Have fun, and check our New Divers forum...

don

And don't be shy about posting. Click Forums above, tour the long list of choices, and jump in anywhere you're qualified. PM me with any questions, and I'll try to find a pretty good answer.

 

[rpodos]

Um, yeah, you;'ll need a BC.

But don;t rush into buying your own equipment. Both for the PADI course and then for recreational diving after, you can rent what you need. Start out buying cheaper stuff (i.e., mask, fins, snorkel), and then as you get a feel for what you do/don;t like about various manufacturers' equipment you should start to think about personal purchases.

Welcome aboard, and GET WET!!

 

[Toolbox-13]

Welcome to SB....I agree with the others you need a BCD, but you can rent one til you are ready to purchace one...

 

[wetrat]

Hey Larry,

Welcome to the boards! Old guys rule - in fact, we look more and more like real pirates every day! :death2: :icosm07: :death2:

wetrat

 

[murphdivers286]

Welcome to the board. I definitely agree with the above. There are three main components to your scuba diving gear. I call them your life support system... Your regulator/Console/Computer, your Bouyancy Control Device, and your tank. Good luck in class... When you are finished, come dive with us.

 

[Charlie99]

I cannot help but wonder who told you that you didn't need a BC, and why? Maybe they meant wetsuit? What do you expect to do with the tank, carry it in your arms? :11:

Just use a backpack. Scroll down towards the bottom of http://www.vintagescubasupply.com/access.html and you'll see many.

First came backpacks. Then came horsecollars. Then backplate and wings. Then came poodle jackets. Now backplate and wings are coming back into style. Get ahead of the curve before backpacks come back in style and get one and an old 72cf tank.

It's a lot easier and safer to dive with some sort of buoyancy compensation such as a BCD or BP/Wings, but a lot of dives were done without them, the same way a lot of dives were done without SPGs or depth gauges.

Maven101 -- while it can be done, diving without a BCD is no longer accepted as mainstream and any reputable instructor will require you to rent, borrow, or buy one.