Aqua-Andy
Contributor
Can I play too? With scuba gear price and quality don't always go hand in hand. If you like subsidizing full page adds in magazines then by all means go with a big name company.
Regs, HOG, good quality, actually the same product as some higher priced regs. The company dosen't play "games" with there repair parts so I can service my own regs.
BC, A BP/W set up. The plate and hardware will last virtually forever. You may have to replace the webbing every ten years or so for under twenty dollars. The wing should outlast any traditional BC out there. Can be used from open water through deep wreck or cave diving.
Computer, Hollis DG02, stupid simple to use and has gauge mode, no bells or whistles just simple reliability. Can take you through all levels of diving.
SPG, HOG, again same product out of the same factory in Italy as probably 90% of brass and glass gauges just not paying for some high priced exec's yearly bonus.
Mask, Scuba max MK153. Same Mask as the Scuba Pro frameless at a fraction of the price.
Fins, what ever blade type of design with a foot pocket that fit's your foot. I have a very high instep so my perfect fin would be a SP Seawing Nova foot pocket combined with a SP jet fin blade. I tried a pair of Sea wings when they first came out and I could hear angles sing while donning and doffing the fin. I just did not like any other part of it.
Snorkel, any standard J-tube snorkel you can find.
I haven't found a best drysuit yet but something in the $1500 dollar range and self donning should do anything the more expensive suits do.
Compass, Sunnto SK7 with DSS boot.
Dive knife, A cut off steak knife purchased at Wall Mart for $5 for a pack of five in a simple webbing sheath.
Line cutter, Trilobite hands down is the best out there.
Dive lights, The 1000K lumen lights from DRIS. These things are brighter than many can lights sold just a few years ago at a fraction of the cost.
As you can see I beg to differ with most of Beavers views. The Beave loves the MK25 but I would bet the MK2+ "or what ever they call it now" would be more than sufficient for most of the divers out there. Simple time tested design that you can source rebuild parts for in the open market and still flows more gas than the valve it's connected to. Ice diving? Pack the ambient chamber with silicone and probably still have a more robust reg than the MK25.
These are just the opinions of a working class stiff that is struggling to support a family so please take my advice with a grain of salt. The way I see it is if a product does nothing to improve your diving or make diving safer it is just money tossed into the trash. If you have money to burn then by all means go for the bling, but it is not needed.
Regs, HOG, good quality, actually the same product as some higher priced regs. The company dosen't play "games" with there repair parts so I can service my own regs.
BC, A BP/W set up. The plate and hardware will last virtually forever. You may have to replace the webbing every ten years or so for under twenty dollars. The wing should outlast any traditional BC out there. Can be used from open water through deep wreck or cave diving.
Computer, Hollis DG02, stupid simple to use and has gauge mode, no bells or whistles just simple reliability. Can take you through all levels of diving.
SPG, HOG, again same product out of the same factory in Italy as probably 90% of brass and glass gauges just not paying for some high priced exec's yearly bonus.
Mask, Scuba max MK153. Same Mask as the Scuba Pro frameless at a fraction of the price.
Fins, what ever blade type of design with a foot pocket that fit's your foot. I have a very high instep so my perfect fin would be a SP Seawing Nova foot pocket combined with a SP jet fin blade. I tried a pair of Sea wings when they first came out and I could hear angles sing while donning and doffing the fin. I just did not like any other part of it.
Snorkel, any standard J-tube snorkel you can find.
I haven't found a best drysuit yet but something in the $1500 dollar range and self donning should do anything the more expensive suits do.
Compass, Sunnto SK7 with DSS boot.
Dive knife, A cut off steak knife purchased at Wall Mart for $5 for a pack of five in a simple webbing sheath.
Line cutter, Trilobite hands down is the best out there.
Dive lights, The 1000K lumen lights from DRIS. These things are brighter than many can lights sold just a few years ago at a fraction of the cost.
As you can see I beg to differ with most of Beavers views. The Beave loves the MK25 but I would bet the MK2+ "or what ever they call it now" would be more than sufficient for most of the divers out there. Simple time tested design that you can source rebuild parts for in the open market and still flows more gas than the valve it's connected to. Ice diving? Pack the ambient chamber with silicone and probably still have a more robust reg than the MK25.
These are just the opinions of a working class stiff that is struggling to support a family so please take my advice with a grain of salt. The way I see it is if a product does nothing to improve your diving or make diving safer it is just money tossed into the trash. If you have money to burn then by all means go for the bling, but it is not needed.
