Beginner questions

[Radoo]

Hi everyone,

I have just got my PADI OW during a holiday in Dominican Republic and now I am back home in Liverpool, UK. As I love scuba I want to keep my skills sharp and continue my training so I am planning to join a local club. Unfortunately they don’t seem to have any equipment to rent so my only option is to buy my gear. There are tons of gear out there and I am quite confused about what i should chose.

As I am just at the beginning I don’t want to invest a fortune in my gear - I don’t have a budget in mind but ideally would like to stick with a £1000 limit.

I will use it for 2-3 diving holidays a year + regular pool training + some diving in UK when the weather permits.

As you can imagine, I have a million questions about gear and I would really appreciate you could kindly help me answer some of them:

• buy from high street shops or online? You can get good deals online but I remember the emphasis put on comfort; try something in the shop and then order online?
• ScubaPro seems to be quite popular but it’s also quite expensive comparing to other brands. However you can find other brands like Mares and Aqualung who have really good deals on packages. Are there any brands that are known not to be reliable?
• What about servicing cost? Is there any difference between the brands?
• Bcd with integrated weights or belt?
• What about tanks? Aluminium vs steel? 232 vs 300 bar? 12L? DIN valve?
• A 7mm wetsuit would be appropriate to use in the UK open water but will this be too thick for pools/warmer, tropical sea?
• I sometimes struggle to clean my mask - I think this is due to chronic nose congestion secondary to smoking; will a mask with a purge valve be more useful in this case?

Thank you in advance for your support! I am open to any suggestions so please feel free to add any other advice for a newbie.

 

[jgttrey]

Welcome.

Lot here - enough for 10 threads. A few thoughts:

Being new, you will benefit greatly from being around other divers either through a club or a good shop. There is lots of great gear out there and regs/bcds from reputable manufacturers will all be quality products, but may or may not be ideal for your particular need and getting advice from a good shop or divers at your club will be a big help.

There's just no substitute for good advice in the beginning and establishing a good relationship with reputable local dive shop is a good thing, even if it costs a little more. It's service worth paying for if they are good. If they take the time to help you, buy from them.

Millions of threads about Scubapro. Very good stuff. Not always great customer service. You have many good choices -- Apeks, for one, as well as the brands you mentioned and several others.

Service costs on regs should be similar. Some brands (Atomic, Zeagle) have 2 year service intervals rather than the typical 1 year, however.

If you're going with a BCD rather than a backplate/wing (five thousand threads on that decision if you're interested), then integrated weights are pretty much a no brainer.

Unless things were differently on your side of the pond, I wouldn't consider buying cylinders. Those you rent.

I won't advise you about what sort of wetsuit (or drysuit) for your cold water, but will say that 7MM sucks for warm water - bulky, stiff, buoyant. Get whatever is appropriate for your home diving and then get a cheap skin or 3MM for those warm water trips.

Not sure I understand the mask question - are you having trouble exhaling through your nose? This sounds like a technique issue rather than a mask issue.

 

[Jason Hogerzeil]

Being new to the sport the scuba packages you mention are a budget friendly way to go. Noramlly works out cheaper than to buy everything seperately. I use mares - i have even hired and used mares rover (their cheapest down to 35-40M) no issue.
wetsuits come in different varieties now with different combos like 8-6-5 combos etc where the the difference in thicknesss is to keep the vital parts of the body warm and the thiner is designed to be able to make getting in to the suit easier. maybe a suit like this would suit you needs better?
But best to talk to your lds as you will be more than likely visiting them frequently - you may choose a brand they service and stock parts for.
Integrated weights bcd work great especially if they come in the package
Clean or clear your mask? If it is fogging up i use toothpaste and really rub it in with my finger the first time i use a mask or get new lenses (maybe twice) also see guys use baby shampoo and water mix they carry in their kit in a squeeze bottle to clean the masks before a dive. Everytime you get oil (sunscreen etc) on the lenses you are going to have to give them a descent clean....

 

[Bowers]

package deals are nice for starting out. you may be able to buy some extra gear off the guys in the dive club too. id recommend you go with some form of rear inflate bc. im on the bp/w bandwagon but there are also many other good rear inflate bc's out there. integrated weights are nice but not a deal breaker. 7mm is doable in a pool but 3mm is better for the warm shallow stuff. its pricey but semidry suits are a great nondrysuit option for chilly water. steel tanks trim out better and are nice when wearing 7mm suits because they reduce the lead you need. valve strongly depends on whats around you so its easy to get fills. if you aspire to get into tech diving someday like cave or deep, then din is the way to go.
the purge in a mask is a failpoint that fixes an imaginary problem. with proper technique you should be able to clear a simple mask just as easily as one with a purge.

 

[RyanT]

For regulators, the servicing costs won't be that different across brands. Buy a brand that is supported locally so that you can get it serviced easily. Apeks is popular on your side of the pond, but really any brand that is locally available to you will work. DIN first stages are great (necessary) if you plan to use high pressure steel tanks. If most of your dives are traveling to warm water destinations, you'll likely find yoke valves on the local tanks. I use DIN regs exclusively for my personal tanks, but also keep a yoke adapter that works well for using my DIN regs on local yoke tanks when I travel to the Caribbean. The yoke adapters are pretty cheap and give you the option of using either style tank valve without swiping out the actual connector on your first stage.

If you aren't going to be doing a lot of diving locally, just rent tanks (or get them as part of your dive package) when you travel. If you start diving a lot locally, then you can consider your own tanks.

A 7 mm will almost certainly be too warm for tropical waters. A 3 mm full suit will do nicely for that. Again, if you dive locally in the UK, you'll need at least a 7 mm suit. As is the case with most of us in SCUBA, we acquire different gear to accommodate the different conditions we dive in.

Forget a mask purge. Those were super awesome (not really) circa 1985. Just find a good fitting mask and learn to be comfortable clearing it when necessary.

 

[scubadada]

Hi beginner, spellcheck is your friend and increases your credibility massively.

 

[Radoo]

First of all, thank you everyone for taking your time and clarify some of the things for me.
Secondly, apologies for my spelling/grammar mistakes; English is not my first language and although this is shouldn't be an excuse I sometimes make mistakes. We all do...

@jgttrey: Thanks, really helpful. I meant clearing my mask - sometimes the air just "doesn't want" to go through my nose but I have figured it out that focusing and holding the breath for a second or two usually helps; was thinking that a purge mask might make things easier but as everyone else suggests I will abandon the idea and focus more on my technique .
@Jason Hogerzeil: Thank you too. Combos are a good idea, I will look into this.

@Bowers: Thank you also for your advice; don't know what to say about rear inflate BCDs. Think I have to read a bit more about them and maybe try one but I was quite set on a vest-style BCD as I've used one during my training.

@RyanT: Thank you too Ryan. I'll stick with DIN then. Unfortunately, from what I can see online the local clubs don't have any gear to rents and every divers have to come with his own equipment, including tanks. I'll ask my lds, maybe they can guide me as to where I can rent a tank.

@scubadada: Cheers! I agree and doing my best to avoid any spelling/grammar mistakes.

 

[Centrals]

There is No excuse not to use Apeks regs in UK. They are made in Blackburn.
Join a local BSAC club.
Stay away from packages.
In frigid cold UK water, 15L steel tank is the only option but why bother!
Sooner if not later you will want to replace the 7mm with a dry suit in UK water.
Try to make a trip to Scapa Flow next yr(21st June) for the occasion(100 yrs of the grand scuttling).

 

[Edward3c]

Hi everyone,

Hi, and welcome to the fascinating underwater world. I originally learned in Belize then started diving in the U.K.

As I am just at the beginning I don’t want to invest a fortune in my gear - I don’t have a budget in mind but ideally would like to stick with a £1000 limit.

A full set of kit is likely to be nearer £2k. You do get decent 2nd hand kit, but generally it’s warn out that’s why it’s for sale

I will use it for 2-3 diving holidays a year + regular pool training + some diving in UK when the weather permits.

It’s worth doing the math of hiring kit on holiday (some include kit as part of the deal) and having your own. For U.K. diving you really need your own kit, unless your only going to to 2 or 3 dives a year.

buy from high street shops or online? You can get good deals online but I remember the emphasis put on comfort; try something in the shop and then order online?

Most dive shops will match the on-line prices. From a personal prospective if I’ve spend time in a shop trying kit I don’t mind paying a little bit more for their time and knowledge.

ScubaPro seems to be quite popular but it’s also quite expensive comparing to other brands. However you can find other brands like Mares and Aqualung who have really good deals on packages. Are there any brands that are known not to be reliable?

Remember you generally get what you pay for. All regs sold in the U.K. have to meet EU standards. The advice you’ll get here is individuals personal preference - mine is Sherwood.

What about servicing cost? Is there any difference between the brands?

Yes, but kit that sits in storage is more likely to need annual servicing because the O-rings will perish through lack of use. I get my regs serviced every 2 to 3 years.

Bcd with integrated weights or belt?

Integrated, great for warm water. In U.K. waters either a belt or harness.

What about tanks? Aluminium vs steel? 232 vs 300 bar? 12L? DIN valve?

12Lt is the standard size. Steel are now the vogued in the U.K., definitely DIN. 300s have greater mass, but if your diving with others on 232 your carrying more gas that you need.

A 7mm wetsuit would be appropriate to use in the UK open water but will this be too thick for pools/warmer, tropical sea?

U.K. dry-suit. You can then dive year-round. They’re not difficult to learn how to use.

I sometimes struggle to clean my mask - I think this is due to chronic nose congestion secondary to smoking; will a mask with a purge valve be more useful in this case?

No, it will soon leak with grit in the valve. It’s a skill that takes time and practice.

There are a number of BSAC clubs around you. Your PADI certification is accepted and it’s you choice if you want to continue training with PADI or switch over to BSAC training.

 

[Radoo]

@Centrals @Edward3c - thank you both, very helpful posts.

I'm still to visit my LDS (strange oppening times + hectic working hours for me) but in the meantime I have looked online and sort of decided on some essential pieces of equipment. I will go to my LDS and see what they suggest/try some kit and see if they can give me a good deal. I still have to look into protection suits and the multitude of accessories.

So, these are the things I am thinking about. Please feel free to comment and suggest anything else.

BCD:

• I know everyone suggested to go for rear inflate BCD but I had my training with a jacket style one and I felt comfortable with it; it’s not an expensive bcd and once I get more comfortable and I try a rear inflate one I can always upgrade
• I have decided to go for the Aqua lung PRO HD: Pro HD BCD

Regulators:

• For regulators I have 3 options shortlisted. Going for a 1st stage with two HP ports as I might decide in the future that I want to use a transmitter too. Don’t know yet what to choose:
• Apeks ATX stage 4 set: ATX Stage 4 Set
• Apeks XTX200 Plus XTX50 Octo Set: XTX200 Plus XTX50 Octo Set
• Aqua Lung Core Supreme Stage 3 set: Core Supreme Stage 3 Set

SPG:

• Triple Contents Depth Gauge and Compass

Mask:

• Scubapro Crystal VU Mask: Crystal Vu Mask

Snorkel:

• Scubapro Spectra dry top snorkel: Spectra Dry Top Snorkel

Fins:

• Scubapro Seawing Nova 2: Seawing Nova 2 Fins

Computer:

• for the begging I will probably choose a very basic model with a view to upgrade in the future to Aqua Lung I4505T: I450T Dive Computer