Asking for recommendation on dive gear

[cleanhole]

Based on my own experience the most important gears are eye mask, snorkel and fins. But the it is important too that you have a set of swim wear. In my case, I choose to have a set of rash guard and board shorts. It's a good thing to have an exposure protection when diving

Reference: 3 Tips When Buying Scuba Dive Equipment for the First Time

 

[Scuba Legends]

Ok, look.

Planning a dive with a computer is to make shure you are away from the deco limits. If you plan a dive to 60 for 50 minutes and your computer tells you that is ok and you can do that, but then you stay at 45 for 60 minutes is still ok. Because you modified your plan to a shallower (safer) profile.

But if you take your computer and you plan a dive to 60 for 50 min and your computer is telling you that after that you are going to be 3 min close to deco. Then what you should do is either go shallower, wait for a longer SI or plan only 20 min and then plan to go shallower after that.

If if if... the point is to plan the dive, talk to your budy, agree and follow the plan.

My point of telling that a recently new open whater diver doesn't need to complicate his life by learning about algorithms is because i believe in education. And as said before. There is thousands of topics were a new OWDiver could learn a lot and would be much more usefull that learning about algorithms. I never said no, never learn of that, i said i think is not the moment. Or this is what i meant.

What i teach is what PADI, SSI or IANTD tell me to teach. And after them is RSTC.

And i agree on their standards allmost 100%.

Maybe after long years of diving one forget about basics like planing dives. Maybe some people learnt with the RDP and never got to read the new open water manuals and what they teach about computer diving.

Actually in that case there is a book i strongly recommend from the old Padi OWC called " how to use and choose diving computers" wich is now integrated in the new OWC book.

That is my point of view. My point of view is that there are many other courses that a recently certified OWC can do. Some of them about algorithms, some of them about other staff.

But as most of the diving federations (recreational), i agree with them that for recreational diving, nowadays and with the new generations of computers to learm about algorithms it is not a MUST. One could dive (recreational) his entire life, thousands of dives,and never need to know what is an algorithm. I explain my students what is an algorithm to let them understand. But i don't confuse them with algorithm theory.

From my point of view, is not good to confuse a OWD student with the whole deco procedures theory or with algorithms. But i respect if other people do (this would be more GUE or ANDI style)

I hope this people respect if i believe that first one should get experienced and then continue with his diving education because at the end, the OWC is just the first of countless courses.

I send you all regards and i wish you Safe Happy Bubbles

 

[Mustard Dave]

With computers, my advice is to select something that will suit you for our future diving. At present, I own a Heinrichs Weikamp OSTC2n and a Suunto Vyper Air. The OSTC2n is an OLED screen all-singing all-dancing techie thing and the Vyper Air is a typical wrist mounted affair.

I bought the Suunto first, after hearing plenty of good recommendations. At the time, I was certain I would never go down the techie route. I ended up doing more ving in the deeper recreational range, and found I was getting close to deco. Then the twinset came and I started doing deco diving.

I found I had made the right choice with the Vyper Air, as the lower models did not allow nitrox above 40%, or gas switching, which comes in handy for accelerated deco (switching to a rich nitrox mix when decompressing). As I got even more adventurous, the OSTC 2n came. One the features of the Vyper Air is 'gauge mode', which means it does not give deco information - just run time, average depth, max depth. and current depth (so it acts as a 'bottom timer'. On adventurous dives, I'll have a plan written on a slate, which I can track using the Suunto. I'll mainly be following the deco plan on the OST 2n, but if that fails, I have the plan as a backup. When I bought the Suunto, I didn't have this in mind, but by luck, I made the right choice.

For a novice, that last paragraph may not make sense, but my advice is as follows; if you are 100% sure you will never go beyond recreational limits, most computers are going to be okay. Make sure you get one that is compatible with nitrox (I think you'll have a struggle to find one that isn't). I chose Suunto because they are popular here I dive; this is useful as it means you are more likely to be using the same algorithm as your buddy. If there is a possibility you'll go down the techie route one day, look for one which works with nitrox up to100%, allows gas switching and has gauge mode; you will never grow out of it then.

For fins, this is very much a case of personal choice. If you can, try and have a go of a few pairs - what works well for some, may not for others. Personally I like basic, stiff fins and have a pair of Scubapro Jets I dislike splits and anything gimmicky. Some like splits and say finning feels effortless, but they can be a it tricky when you need to get some power in your kick.