Advice for a newbie

[Eric Sedletzky]

You argue a valid point. Fortunately, my buddy has buckets of tire weights and a smelting pot. I'll be stopping by his place once they let me let me off of this boat. Hopefully, before class. I think I'll just buy a 5lbs mold and just smelt by weight. Or, just do like Edward3C said, and pour shot pellets. He has assorted egg sinker molds. I could just bag those up in various weights. The local tire shops are happy to have him haul their lead away.

Buy one of these:

Forget about shot weights, they hold water and form a lot of white lead oxide that leaches out and that is very toxic. Worst thing ever invented!
With hard weights they dry out fast and don’t do that.

 

[Grillins]

Buy one of these:
View attachment 850934
Forget about shot weights, they hold water and form a lot of white lead oxide that leaches out and that is very toxic. Worst thing ever invented!
With hard weights they dry out fast and don’t do that.

I didn't think about the oxidation. I'll order one of these and just weigh out each pour for incremental sizes.

 

[Dapper Dan]

Welcome to the forum from another new guy living near LeJune and MCAS Cherry Point. I was in the Army (Already Rescued Marines Yesterday).

Have fun and dive safe, Brother.

 

[KenE]

First, Welcome to the addiction!
My best recommendation is to wait to purchase anything. That was one of my biggest regrets when starting. You just don't know yet what you want, you may think you do, but trust me, in a year or two you will be rethinking it all. I suggest you rent different configurations for a bit and find out what you like and where you want to take your diving experiences. I am the same size minus 30lbs, but a bit older. Anything you buy will likely last you much longer than you expect, so you don't want to spend twice, it is already expensive enough. Fins, boots, mask and snorkel and then wait, rent the rest. Your first experience with BP/W may not be the best depending on who you are diving with, it is different when trained on a jacket. Not worse or better but different. There are benefits to both but the decision depends on how you want to dive in the future and you just don't know yet. I would suggest a computer after the fins, mask and snorkel, then protection suit, then regulators, the BC would be last. You can read alot of opinions on here, but until you dive it you won't know if it will work for you. Hose configurations are easy enough to change as you go. Enjoy the addiction, and dive often!

 

[waxrash]

Hello, everyone. New guy here. I've always had a fascination with scuba diving, but now getting a late start in life with it. I used to do a lot of snorkeling when I was stationed in Hawaii (2002-2007). That is where I discovered my love for Mares fins. So, I ordered the Quattro+ for this adventure. I have completed my online book work. Now, I need to do my pool training and OW dives (freshwater springs in Florida) next month August 2024. I have been researching, and basically, it's hard for a bigger guy to find fitting equipment. I did find a fatsuit for wet people (pushing the limits on that one, but thanks to Henderson for showing love to the horizontally gifted). I'm really liking the HOG series. I have never heard of them, until I started this journey. The dive shop I'm going through has a partnership with them. I'm really liking what I'm seeing in regards to the Zenith D3 series and a couple of the their BCDs. One being the Hybrid Pro, and the other being the total buoyancy control system. The more I read, the heavier I'm leaning on that BP/W. Also read on many of these threads that BP/W are better suited for bigger guys. 5'11 and 290lbs. Not exactly my old Marine Corps playing weight. I'm not worried about the water. I have to do water qualifications to keep my job as a merchant mariner. So, with an introduction mixed with all of the rambling, I see that I could fit the Hybrid Pro. I like that it has two shoulder dumps considering it's a 58lbs lift capacity. The TBCS has 23, 32 and 60lbs lift options. It seems the 32lbs would be a stretch for someone my size in a 5mm wetsuit being weighted down. Like I'd need the SMB for an extra helping hand to get back to the surface. Would the 60lbs bladder be too much? I do want to have my own gear to learn on. HOG seems reliable and within my budget range. I'm just curious as to what you all think. I look forward to learning from you guys as well.

I'm 6'6" and 280#. I feel your pain. Many of your question depend on the type of diving you are going to do. I respectfully think you are over thinking it. Rent it, borrow it, dive it. If the dive shop won't let you try the gear before you buy it, or guarantee satisfaction, go find another dive shop. Comfort and fit usually trump brand. Modern wetsuit material make them easier for us gravity challenged folks, but still hard to find. As for buying your first gear, I'm going to give you my opinion and it's going to get some feathers ruffled.

I am the least brand conscience person you will ever find except in SCUBA gear. After spending a fortune buying gear based on my overactive engineer brain, and then having to replace it because it failed, went out of business, no parts available to repair. I don't own anything not ScubaPro. Yes it's expensive. But now I'm sitting here trying to decide if I should replace 25 YO hoses, but my LDS can get parts for everything and service it. I honestly wish I could buy their stuff without the brand marks because you will be branded as a rich snob, which is hilarious if you know my background.

Don't get me wrong, some great gear out there, tech specs are good, but will it be around in 20 years. My experience was no it won't. ScubaPro will. Take that for what it's worth, one guys opinion.

As for the BC, what are you planning to do? Tropical diving? Get the lightest, least complicated BC you can find. It is basically a bag of air to compensate for your weight at depth. It doesn't really matter. Now if you plan to technical dive with steel tanks/doubles we have a totally different conversation.

I get it, my brain gets overactive and before long I'm reading the nuances between piston vs diaphragms, balances vs unbalanced. As a new diver, it doesn't matter. Just go diving.