Bought my 1st reg, how'd I do?

[Marie13]

In my limited experience I've only used jacket style BC's, I'm even further in the dark with a wing and plate setup. I did see one yesterday that I'm guessing is a hybrid. It looked like a jacket but with what looked like wings on the backside that pushed out a foot or so. I didn't look too long at it, not sure what make/model it was.

One of the guys in my sons cubscout den wants to take me out and has loaner gear, I believe he does nothing but wings and has been doing it for ages. We keep talking about going out but it just hasn't happened yet. I've been kind of waiting until I had my own setup, but I might have to swallow some pride and explore the options a bit.

I've never heard of halcyon, but again, total rookie here. I have 0 plans of doing any cave diving or anything more technical than chasing pictures, lobster and lionfish. I'd like to do some inside of wrecks eventually but the thought of squeezing through a hole for a cave dive is way off my radar.

It doesn't matter what kind of diving you want to do. Halcyon even says on their website that their biggest customer base is recreational divers who want a more streamlined setup. I have a Halcyon BP/W I won at an event less than a month after I got certified. I already had a BP/W, but the Halcyon is even nicer.

You could not pay me to go back to a jacket style BC. Twice in the pool in once was enough to put me off them permanently.

 

[Nathan Doty]

I'm not ruling them out, just unfamiliar. TBH they look uncomfortable but most everything I read says otherwise. I think it's no different than flying, I was comfortable in a cessna 172 because that's what all my training was in. Even thought I had better at my disposal I still wanted to be in the 172 :laugh:

I plan on heading back to the same shop this weekend and see what else I can find labeled "misc".

 

[buddhasummer]

I find my BP/Ws infinitely more comfortable than any BC I've ever owned. Looking at them it's easy to assume the opposite.

 

[RyanT]

I find my BP/Ws infinitely more comfortable than any BC I've ever owned. Looking at them it's easy to assume the opposite.

Agree 100%

 

[fmerkel]

People dump their jacket BC to go BPW. You rarely, if ever, hear the reverse.
The ONLY time I wear a standard BC is tropical. It weighs less than my BPW (luggage limits), It has pockets (useful tropical-my drysuit has them at home), it's good enough to haul around an AL tank and 10#. It does have a plastic stiffener so ain't too bad anyway. And....I don't want to buy yet another light plate. My wife did. I'll see how she likes it next time we go warm.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I
So went back and decided to peruse their pile of regulators, which looked like an old sherwood graveyard, dusty discolored and numerous . I don't know much but I know I've seen old sherwood everywhere so Im guessing they're inexpensive so ive ignored them entirely.

So, where exactly IS this Sherwood graveyard? I have three Magnums and a couple of extra second stages and wouldn't mind a couple more first stages if they are decent. by "discolored" do you mean verdigris (green corrosion)? If so, it's best to pass on those.

I don't have any ScubaPros but it sounds like you got a good one.

 

[Nathan Doty]

It and I are in the space coast area of Florida, a bit if a drive for you I think

 

[Nathan Doty]

Back to update things. I took the reg in to my lds and had everything serviced. The tech said it didn't look like it had ever been used, so the usual service/yearly on it and it was good to go. I looked for a computer to match with the transmitter but between age and mixed reviews I decided to ditch it. I put it on ebay and after selling it as untested and unknown condition, I'm into my reg rig for $50. Life is good, but I was missing a set of gauges and a computer. So a little shopping and doing my usual thing and I ended up with a mares puck pro combo for next to nothing. It had a new battery, so screwed in the hose and everything tested out fine. I've had everything out a few times, regulator breathes great, computer works, and life is good! So on to needing a bcd...

I rented my first back inflate, aqualung rogue, and did 4 dives with it both boat and beach. I really liked it, planned on buying it, but have been saving the pennies. By the time I have the bcd, the air2 etc, it wasn't a must buy. More of a keep renting... I was pretty set on it, but still kept going between it and a bp/w, only really eliminated a jacket style as being any contention. I posted another thread whining about being indecisive, hopefully you enjoyed it. Or maybe I don't care. I just don't know... :laugh:

Anyway, started shopping again recently and decided to not go with the rogue, purely on cost. I still want one, but it will wait. I started negotiating on an oceanic bioflex. It looks similar to the rogue, price was good after negotiation but at the very end I got a "someone just offered me more money, paying for it in 4 days" email. Followed by today "the other guy won't send me the money so let's negotiate some more" email. I haven't replied yet but I think my response will be along the lines of "HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sincerely yours, me" :laugh:

And I moved on to the zeable covert. Again, similar in style, good reviews, good price (275'ish on leisurepro) except I'd end up swapping the inflator so that would add up. I've only used the air 2 as the backup and I know the shop I'll be doing my advanced at requires it. So I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on it when I stumble on another one, which I did pull the trigger on.

So I've officially bought THE BEST BCD ever made and refuse to listen to any opinions to the contrary. In fact I insist everyone dive the same gear I dive and if you choose otherwise I hope that Santa sneaks up on you in the middle of the night and gives you all indian burns and titty twisters while you sleep! (I'm both indian and have nipples so it's ok for me to say that). Now that I've gotten that out of the way! :laugh:

I ordered a dive rite transpac xt with a voyager exp wing. It also has 2 accessory weight pockets and a cargo pocket. It also has a new looking air 2 already installed. In pictures, looks new and IIRC was used 3 or 4 times. I did an offer to start some negotiation and we settled on $175. Hopefully it will look as good in person as in photos and I'll be getting it serviced, which again hopefully will go as well as my last gambles. I'll have to figure out the new setup of course but most of the reviews binge read over the last few days have seemed pretty decent. And I figure if I want to move on to other setups I can at least use the wing and air 2, which would cost me more than the setup did.

I like good gear in all my hobbies (something about rock climbing with safety gear assembled for pennies in china just turns me off), but I really get a kick out of working a deal.

So grand total in my rig:
0. Mask (already had from snorkeling)
0. Snorkle
0. Wetsuit (usually dive with a rashguard and already have a 3mm shorty)
$50 Jet fins
$50 scubapro regulators
$130 mares gauge and computer
$175 Dive rite BCD
$100 MISC (weights and slate etc)
---------------------------------------------
$505 and done.

Not too bad IMO for buying not cheapy chinese gear.

 

[Nathan Doty]

Crud, forgot entirely how I actually paid for this. I've been doing saltwater mini reefs for years and years, got out of the hobby before I moved to florida, where I decided to start up again. But again, I like being cheap! So over the last year or so I started picking up fishtanks for free off of craigslist. I'd clean them up, rebuild a stand, fix the pumps etc, and then decided they weren't the right size or setup for what I intend to do. And I'd end up then selling them and throwing the money in my night stand. After a while I decide I'm intending to buy the new rogue entirely with 'free' money and entirely from fish tanks. Because why not and I love a challenge, especially since I'm in no real hurry. So factoring that in, my entire rig has cost me about 3 hours labor and $45!

 

[noj3333]

I like the story. A lot of people think they have to spend a ton of money to get their gear. On the other hand I LOVE buying used gear. This is a hobby where a lot of people think they'll dive, and they spend a small fortune buying gear... they use if for 10 or 15 dives, let it sit for a year or so and sell it for 50%-70% less then they paid for it...

I think outside of a few pairs of fins, wet suits, and some odds and ends, everything I own is used...