Advanced Beginner Gear Grab - Helpful for others too?

[Altamira]

I would buy a CO analyzer before buying a lot of items on your and other's lists, especially the O2 analyzer. Every dive shop/boat I have used had an O2 analyzer to check the mix, but good luck finding a CO analyzer, especially on a dive boat. Bad air can kill you a lot faster than most of the diving gear you want to purchase.
Edit: As you said, "Trust, but verify."

 

[The Cosmicist]

The order I would recommend is (I am weighing both the cost and the benefit/safety you get from each item):

• Mask
• Wetsuit
• Fins
• Regulators + SMB
• Dive computer — buy one for the diving you plan to do for the next couple of years. No need for trimix computer as you will get better models when you get there
• BCD — get BP/W so that you can customize as your diving evolves
• DSMB
• Cutting device
• Second mask
• Pockets
• O2 analyzer — never needed one as when you buy nitrox or trimix they always have an analyzer
• Cylinder — I don’t think you ever need one unless you go for technical diving or you plan to dive so much that you will have your own compressor

For the purposes of future newbies, I'll go through this with some comments.

• Mask Have
  
• Wetsuit Yep, ordering today
  
• Fins Have
  
• Regulators + SMB Why an SMB here? For diving in places like Florida where you need a flag?
  
• Dive computer — buy one for the diving you plan to do for the next couple of years. No need for trimix computer as you will get better models when you get there Similar to what others said, thank you
  
• BCD — get BP/W so that you can customize as your diving evolves Definitely
  
• DSMB Have
  
• Cutting device Have
  
• Second mask Have
  
• Pockets Nice one! I think I might go with tech shorts soon.
  
• O2 analyzer — never needed one as when you buy nitrox or trimix they always have an analyzer I know most shops have one there, but have you had a situation where you'd meet "on the boat" or at the site and they have the cylinder waiting for you? I've run into that already.
  
• Cylinder — I don’t think you ever need one unless you go for technical diving or you plan to dive so much that you will have your own compressor True, except for the local diving point made above. Cost after awhile...

 

[The Cosmicist]

I would buy a CO analyzer before buying a lot of items on your and other's lists, especially the O2 analyzer. Every dive shop/boat I have used had an O2 analyzer to check the mix, but good luck finding a CO analyzer, especially on a dive boat. Bad air can kill you a lot faster than most of the diving gear you want to purchase.
Edit: As you said, "Trust, but verify."

That interesting, thanks for that. Is this necessary when diving mostly in the US? I don't know if shops are required to have regular governmental inspections of their compressors. Do you know of a good analyzer that does both O2 and CO? If dive shops/boats always have O2 analyzers, I can see why you'd recommend a CO analyzer only.

 

[Bigbella]

My primary interest when I first began, were the regulators, well above everything else; that, and a decent SPG, for when the electronics crap-out; and they certainly will at some point.

Choose some well-established brand, whose customer support will likely extend beyond that one or two year warranty; and whose parts availability are, in no way, bound-up with Huish, whose seeming dominance within the industry, resembles the growth of some. heh, heh, global Lovecraftian cult . . .

 

[lowwall]

A few notes:

A new backplate and harness costs under $150 from my favorite online dive shop:

More Options! & Now Black Hardware! Hogarthian Harness (Dir) for Backplates or Hog Basic Hogarthian Harness w/ Backplate , Piranha Dive Shop |

Call them and they will be happy to walk you through the options. You'll also need a wing and a pair of cam bands. Get a wing with slots for the cam bands to pass through. 20 to 30# of lift are fine with a 5mm suit.

Get a steel backplate. You will not be overweighted with a steel plate and a 5mm suit, even if you dive with an HP120 (steel) tank. Aluminum plates are meant for those who are desperate to save 4 or 5 pounds when packing their gear for flights. They are superior in the water only for niche uses like steel doubles in warm water.

With a steel backplate, you will not need much additional weight. If you don't want to bother with a separate weight belt, a pair of trim pockets on your harness waist belt works well. Set them back next to the plate and they will be out of the way. I use the following pockets: XS Scuba Single Weight Pocket . You can get more expensive versions with built in dumps, but I don't have any problem removing the weights from the pouch from the top.

From the tone of your post, I think you'll enjoy the videos from Achim Schloeffel of ISE. I'll link to a couple of relevant ones since you plan on diving a BP/W and longhose reg configuration.



Finally, take a look at the following. Actually maybe start with this one so you can see what trim and buoyancy control really means. These are all relevant for the OW diver except the couple of canister light skills.

 

[The Cosmicist]

My primary interest when I first began, were the regulators, well above everything else; that, and a decent SPG, for when the electronics crap-out; and they certainly will at some point.

Choose some well-established brand, whose customer support will likely extend beyond that one or two year warranty; and whose parts availability are, in no way, bound-up with Huish, whose seeming dominance within the industry, resembles the growth of some. heh, heh, global Lovecraftian cult . . .

Yeah, Huish does have its... tentacles... deep into the industry. haha

Do you have any brands you'd recommend? I was looking at DGX, Dive Rite, and Deep 6. Those seem to be good value and quality.

 

[Bigbella]

Yeah, Huish does have its... tentacles... deep into the industry. haha

Do you have any brands you'd recommend? I was looking at DGX, Dive Rite, and Deep 6. Those seem to be good value and quality.

I am partial to Poseidon and Scubapro -- companies who have been around for decades; whose customer support well exceeds the length of the average marriage; and whose products are certainly not crap.

You may pay a bit extra, at the outset (The Poseidon Jetstream Mk3, for example, is currently about US 600.00, through a Texas vender); but they are well worth it for their longevity; that is, unless you're an absolute "gear-head," as a great many seemingly are, on SB, who deem to replace everything within six months.

I just serviced a thirty year old Poseidon Odin (Jetstream), which is still in constant use, whose only replacement parts, were some minor consumables -- the seat; a sintered filter; and a few o-rings. It still has its original piston and valve insert, from 1991; and its IP locks-up like nobody's business . . .

 

[The Cosmicist]

A few notes:

A new backplate and harness costs under $150 from my favorite online dive shop:

More Options! & Now Black Hardware! Hogarthian Harness (Dir) for Backplates or Hog Basic Hogarthian Harness w/ Backplate , Piranha Dive Shop |

Call them and they will be happy to walk you through the options. You'll also need a wing and a pair of cam bands. Get a wing with slots for the cam bands to pass through. 20 to 30# of lift are fine with a 5mm suit.

Get a steel backplate. You will not be overweighted with a steel plate and a 5mm suit, even if you dive with an HP120 (steel) tank. Aluminum plates are meant for those who are desperate to save 4 or 5 pounds when packing their gear for flights. They are superior in the water only for niche uses like steel doubles in warm water.

With a steel backplate, you will not need much additional weight. If you don't want to bother with a separate weight belt, a pair of trim pockets on your harness waist belt works well. Set them back next to the plate and they will be out of the way. I use the following pockets: XS Scuba Single Weight Pocket . You can get more expensive versions with built in dumps, but I don't have any problem removing the weights from the pouch from the top.

From the tone of your post, I think you'll enjoy the videos from Achim Schloeffel of ISE. I'll link to a couple of relevant ones since you plan on diving a BP/W and longhose reg configuration.


Finally, take a look at the following. Actually maybe start with this one so you can see what trim and buoyancy control really means. These are all relevant for the OW diver except the couple of canister light skills.

First of all, I could tell as soon as Achim opened his mouth that he is German (name aside). I'm married to a German and spent a few years living there... I like his style haha. Thanks for those videos, and you are spot on about the skills. I can do a great many of those already, but not to his standard of course. I will be practicing those on every dive.

I sat down and did some math and I think you're right about the SS backplate. I'm about to order the package from Pirahna... I can even get colored webbing to flatter my amazing sense of style. I had been on their website before, but overlooked that package. Their website takes some patience to navigate...

I'm still on the fence regarding weight belt vs. trim weights, etc. If I'm close to correct, I won't need much weight, or none at all depending on the dive site. I can see why a weight belt would be advantageous, especially before I get the pony bottle. Any recommendations?

 

[The Cosmicist]

I am partial to Poseidon and Scubapro -- companies who have been around for decades; whose customer support well exceeds the length of the average marriage; and whose products are certainly not crap.

You may pay a bit extra, at the outset (The Poseidon Jetstream Mk3, for example, is currently about US 600.00, through a Texas vender); but they are well worth it for their longevity; that is, unless you're an absolute "gear-head," as a great many seemingly are, on SB, who deem to replace everything within six months.

I just serviced a thirty year old Poseidon Odin (Jetstream), which is still in constant use, whose only replacement parts, were some minor consumables -- the seat; a sintered filter; and a few o-rings. It still has its original piston and valve insert, from 1991; and its IP locks-up like nobody's business . . .

Poseidon's stuff looks awesome. They are actually at the top of my list for when I need more regs (the ones I buy now would go to stages, etc.) But yes they are expensive. Can you send a link for the Texas vendor? I can only find the Jetstream Mk3 for $750 on Divers Supply. Then comes the Octo, hoses, etc.

 

[Jaan]

Good list.

I picked up a Nitrox Analyzer after our course but now rarely use it. The Sensor only lasts about 5 years I believe. Our local shop always lets us pick up and analyze the tanks and any time we've had tanks on the boat, they've passed around an analyzer just like ours. I retested with my own a few times but we rarely pushing any limits and we've settled back to using the shops analyzer. For us this was not money well spent.

I also ended up buying Steel HP 80s which we absolutely love. Need little to no weight, light, small... really appreciate having our own tanks too.

Also like those pocket shorts, for extra pockets. We keep a roll-up snorkel in there among other things (like a DRYFOB for my car keys .. haha, ok .. a small plug for my wife's invention)

You might also consider a flashlight.

Just wait until you get into underwater photography ... and all this will seem cheap.

And ... you should also consider a PLB in case you really are going to be at those coordinates in your tag line