Advice on scuba equipment purchase...

[lovetoscuba]

Hi, I am not new to scuba but have finally been certified just last year. I'm thinking of buying my own scuba gear and found a website with a value package that's pretty affordable price wise. Please comment on this setup as I do mostly warm water diving in the tropics when I go on vacation once a year if that, and occasionally local quarry diving in summer.
BCD - Oceanic Oceanpro QLR BCD
REG - Oceanic GT3W-CDX5
OCT - Oceanic slimline octopus
Gauge- Sea Elite slimline 3
$572.95
or same setup with Sea Elite Profile Hybrid BCD for $587.95.
The website is Divers-supply. Thanks.

 

[brocnizer]

I was in your shoes one year ago. New to scuba and wanted my own gear.

I looked at all the value packages and soon realized no package met my needs. Either the BC was great and the reg's sucked or some other combo of love hate

So I went to Scuba Gear Scuba Diving Equipment Discount dive gear Snorkeling Equipment and Wetsuits Cheap online and made my own package of things I wanted. They cut me a nice deal. Email them with stuff YOU WANT and ask them for a package price. I paid around $1400 for gear for two. I ordered two of everything from them. See my review of the equipment here. Also, I spent about 2 months of daily research before I made my purchase, so don't rush it. Remember, this stuff will last you a long time and is your life support underwater.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...view-oceanic-zeagle-mares-henderson-tusa.html

 

[fnfalman]

I was in your shoes one year ago. New to scuba and wanted my own gear.

I looked at all the value packages and soon realized no package met my needs. Either the BC was great and the reg's sucked or some other combo of love hate

So I went to Scuba Gear Scuba Diving Equipment Discount dive gear Snorkeling Equipment and Wetsuits Cheap online and made my own package of things I wanted.

Yep. If you dive a lot or planning on diving a lot, it's best to buy what YOU want instead of what's cheapest. If you can't afford what YOU want, then save up for it and get it when you're ready. Buy one piece at a time.

 

[Steve02]

Being newly certified, I am in a similiar boat. What I plan to do is to buy one piece of equipment every time I rent. That way, the more I dive the more equipment I end up with. If I only end up diving a couple times and realize it isn't for me, then I don't have a lot of stuff to sell off. Just my $0.02.

 

[ShakaZulu]

BCD is a waste of time....go straight to the BP/W and save yourself that money right off the bat. Email me and I will sent you a list that will get you into a good HOG setup that will allow you to grow in your scuba career.

 

[irishsquid]

BCD is a waste of time....go straight to the BP/W and save yourself that money right off the bat. Email me and I will sent you a list that will get you into a good HOG setup that will allow you to grow in your scuba career.

I won't say outloud that a BCD is a waste of time.. damn, I just did! Some people actually like BCDs over the BP/W setup (I'm not one of them). I bought a BCD and it wasn't bad; it was comfortable, easy to use, sufficient. I finally purchased a DSS BP/W and haven't looked back. Now my almost new BCD hangs in the closet, forgotten, looking for someone to purchase it. I wish I had went with the BP/W originally and saved the money.

 

[Damselfish]

BCD is a waste of time....go straight to the BP/W and save yourself that money right off the bat. Email me and I will sent you a list that will get you into a good HOG setup that will allow you to grow in your scuba career.

this is the kind of post that gives BP/W zealots a bad name. Thought we'd a little gotten away from that around here. Silly me.


To the OP - Oceanic is a good brand (as are most major brands) so it should be fine, assuming no one comes on here and says those particular models suck for some reason. But the thing about packages is, while they're convenient and maybe a good value, you'll often soon find you don't like some part of it and wish you had bought something else. So do some research if you haven't, figure out more about what you really want. That doesn't always mean spending a lot more money, just doing a little more work than buying some package that looks like a good deal. (Though buying from a place that will give you a package price on a set of stuff you pick can be a good way to go for some.)

OTOH, if you already know that's the gear for you, you know you can get the reg serviced, like how it breathes, know you like that style of BC, that model will fit properly with everything falling in the right places and generally feeling right for you, then go for it. Or, if you're pretty sure you just won't care if it's not perfect. But if you don't know that, you're maybe not ready to buy it yet. Now it doesn't make sense to think about it too long when you can be diving with an inexpensive package and saving on rental fees, you can break even pretty quickly on something like that. But with a little more work instead of just going for a cheap package you might wind up happier.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Welcome to Scuba Board, LTS...

We have a lot of member that love BP/W's, but both the harness and several other issues are hugely different from a Jacket style BC. And the reality is, that the majority of divers use and like BC's (sorry Shaka).

However, there are back inflate BC's...which are sort of between Jacket and Back Plate and Wing systems. Jacket BC, inflate around you.. which some people like and some don't.. and they always float you upright.

Back inflate (and BP/W systems) are sensitive to weighting and tank, and my float you back, upright or face plant you.. but they never squeeze you.

The regulator is nice unit for the price.

I'm a BP/W guy, so I would go with a back inflate system...but what ever makes you happy, you should go with.

Happy diving

 

[dpaustex]

Get what fits. Forget cost. If it doesn't fit right, act right, feel right, you've wasted your money.

I went online for some gear, round 1. Big mistake. Fought the fit, the feel, everything, trying to "make the purchase worht it".

Round 2, went to local dive shop. They were a bit higher, but the fit was right, the feel was right, I got to try the stuff out first, and am a much happier and more comfortable diver.

 

[piffle]

After a couple of times of renting and reading a lot of eqipment reviews, I knew what I wanted including size and fit. I bought everything online, bc, drysuit, hood, gloves, etc., except for my regulator. I bought a scubapro 395 from LDS and after realized I could have bought two models up for the same price online. From now on, its online.