Am I overdoing it starting out?

[Malpaso]

While taking my classes, the only piece of equipment I noticeably liked or didn't like was the regulator. We were issued a few random makes and models over the weeks, and every time I got an Aqualung I was very happy with it. Others were either ok, or I hated them.

My plan is to do about equal amounts of diving locally and on vacation. The regulator seems to me to be the most "personal" piece of equipment, so I thought it would be the most logical first purchase. I went to the shop that did my class and discussed my options with two of the employees, one of my instructors and one of the owners. While they both initially said the wetsuit should be my first purchase, when I told them about traveling to dive, they agreed the regulator made sense. The owner also mentioned that since I'm of "average" build, a wetsuit and BC would be easy to rent almost anywhere.

After listening to the comparative specs on a number of the products they carry, I was surprised to see that what I was interested in was about twice as expensive as I had anticipated. I have read that it makes sense to buy for the future, so as not to buy twice, become disappointed and lose money in the process. While I intend for this to be a long term activity, I still don't want to overspend.

Anyway, here's what I've picked out, and the costs (with class discount). I included the computer because, as I understand it, if you travel, you are often required to have a computer or rent one, and I'd rather not have to learn to use one on the fly.

Titan LX ACD $400
ABS Octopus single $100
Viper console 2 gauge $499
Suunto SK7 top $90

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Tigerman]

I dont have any experience with the the specific items youve chosen, but I do agree that regulators is a good first choice and you should buy something you like and has the features you need and MAY NEED IN THE FUTURE.
Yes, it might cost a bit more, but its cheaper than end up with something you dont like and end up buying the equipment twice.

Ill recommend getting a BCD next btw, as different BCDs behave differently with regards to fit and trim..
Suit, tanks and weights really is only neccesary if you plan on diving more than every now and then locally or you cant rent equipment locally.

 

[Akimbo]

I am not a fan of the ACD. You may find this thread useful:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/328790-al-legend-acd-not-waterproof.html

My 2 cents is #37 quoted below where most of the thread address issues of ACD effectiveness.

…My biggest reservation to AquaLung's Auto-Closure Device (ACD) is you can't see the inlet filter. Inspecting that filter is important because you never know what particulate matter may have been in the tank. Compressor filters fail, tanks corrode internally, and fill station manifolds and cylinders are rarely assembled in a clean room. Granted, the probability is low that an unnoticed catastrophic clog will occur. However, a slow performance degradation may be worse — especially if you are on vacation and make a lot of shallow dives before making one much deeper.

I have seen one instance where a first stage filter was fully plugged during the first dive due to some very sloppy maintenance. How well do you trust the whole air source system and the people operating it?

 

[ams511]

The ABS octo is crap and expensive. I think AL was giving them away free a while back with a purchase. I have seen a few new ones for sale in the classifieds section. Look there and save some money.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

If you need to go with an Aqualung-brand octo, go for the Legend octo which is identical (with the exception of cosmetics) to the Titan LX and Legend second stages.
The ABS octo really isn't that good. IMO, its breathing performance is subpar. It's definitely not worth $100.
Another option is to just buy a Titan LX second stage a la carte and attach it to the first stage with a yellow hose.

The Titan LX is an excellent value reg, although I have to agree with Akimbo's assessment of the ACD feature.

The Vyper is a good computer, but I'm not sure I'd want to spend $500 on it. I realize that the console includes a SPG, but you could purchase a Suunto-branded SPG "used" for $40-$70.

The SK7 is an excellent compass.

 

[mselenaous]

Ok I've scanned this thread and absolutely 100%, your best choice as a first investment is your regulator.. It IS your life line.
Any well cared for regulator will last you 10-15+ years. That being said, make sure you consider selecting a brand that will be around to support it being serviced (warranty + availability of parts, approved service techs, etc.). When it comes to investments in your life support, the reg is your primary concern. When considering a BCD, think about what your future diving goals will be. Most standard BCDs will last you 6-10 years. Question yourself about whether or not your dive style, dive education, dive goals, will be the same down the road.Your reg will adapt (for the most part) as you grow as a diver, you BCD choices may or may not. Not everyone will choose to dive exclusively tropical, nor will they choose recreational cold water, nor will they head in a tech/rec direction, or even down the dive pro road. Only you know what will work for you and your budget, and frankly that picture changes for each of us as we get more addicted/involved in this sport. The key is will it keep diving and having fun.
PS Aqualung is great company (and as distributors for various brands such as APEX & SUUNTO) and choosing whichever of their products works for you is a great choice if there is plenty of local dealer support in your area. Do note that if you choose to become "Hell's Divers on Wheels" any Aqualung reg can become a stage reg at any point in your diving career. Any quality regulator can follow your and your diving lifestyle choices for a life-time.

 

[decidedlyodd]

+1 on skipping the ABS octo. It's the only gear I regret buying. I should have sprung for the Legend octo at the time. To the shop's credit, they were good guys trying to save me money by not pushing more expensive equipment when I was on the fence. When I went to buy a replacement for it about 6 months later, I'd planned to order the Titan LX octo (which wasn't available when I bought the reg but was at the time I wanted to replace the ABS). I ended up going with an Apeks AT40 since it looked pretty comparable and the shop had a good deal on a floor model. I've been happy with that purchase.

As for the Titan LX, I got the supreme version for cold water and have been really happy with it. It doesn't breathe quite as smoothly as more expensive regs, but it's performed very well for my needs and is definitely an improvement over the low-end rental regs I used when I was in my OW class. It's a great value and also light for travel.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

As for the Titan LX, I got the supreme version for cold water and have been really happy with it. It doesn't breathe quite as smoothly as more expensive regs, but it's performed very well for my needs and is definitely an improvement over the low-end rental regs I used when I was in my OW class.

@decidedlyodd: Specifically what don't you like about the breathing performance of your Titan LX? The guts of the Titan LX 2nd stage are identical to the guts of the Aqualung Legend. I'd recommend making sure that your reg is properly adjusted/tuned. It's possible that the cracking pressure just needs a little tweaking.

 

[Capt.Gene]

A shop's rentals generate the same money if they are an unbalance generic piston that just breaths OK but holds up well, or a much better performing name brand balanced diaphram design that costs 4X as much money and may require more service work.

 

[Malpaso]

Thanks to all for your insights and feedback. As I see it now, I have the following tasks to deal with:
1. It looks like if I want the Aqualung, which I do, I have to deal with the ACD as all their current offerings have the ACD feature, unless I drop down to the Titan or Calypso. Actually, since much of my local diving would be cold water, I may jump up to the Titan LX Supreme since it has cold water resistance.

1a. If i have the ACD, I will need to be acutely aware of proper care and maintenance of it, both in the field and back at home. I'm a bit concerned as many have mentioned about "more moving parts", "more failure points" and "a solution to a non-existent problem". I guess I will need to be sure to take care of my gear as well as myself when diving.

2. Find an alternative to the ABS Octo. Maybe I don't need to be stuck on Aqualung for the Octo. I'll go back to the LDS and see what alternatives they might have.

3. I see that the price of the Vyper might be high (by as much as $200 compared to the Suunto web site?!?). I'm going to have to address that at the LDS. I'm as sold on Suunto (from using their products in other activities) as I am with Aqualung for the regulator. I may have to do more research in the computer section.

Thanks again.