Deciding on new equipment / how much lift?

[Down4Adive]

While you can pretty much get away with any BC as long as you have enough lift it is really not optimal to use one BC for a wide range of diving. Some BCs pull it off better than others but if you dive a really wide range of conditions, face it, you need at least 2 BCs if you want to be anywhere close to optimally kitted out......

I agree that having the right gear for any type of diving you want to do is the ultimate goal, but where do you start? you want a good starting point to build on. something that will allow for diving and gaining experience in different conditions, and will not end up parked in the corner of the closet in a year because you have outgrown it. I am sure with your experience you know way better than I do what an equipment intensive sport diving can be, and how expensive it can be, even to just get started (and that it's worth every penny). You want to spend your money wisely, but with all the choices out there and the wide price range it can be difficult to decide where to start. I am lucky to have found both SB and a very honast/helpfull lds to help me but I think the only way to tell if I made the right decision is to get out there in the water.

 

[TSandM]

I empathize about the $2000 computer! I'm currently diving the Liquivision X1, which is so much more computer than I need that it's ridiculous, but the thing is SO cool . . . One of the universal things about scuba gear is that no matter what you have, somebody is going to come up with something you want instead . . .

BTW, you mentioned a Deep Sea BP/W -- If you're talking about the DSS rig, you can't go wrong with it.

 

[redrover]

You’ve mentioned a cold vs warm water regulator. It is not a one or the other thing. And also mentioned as a new diver – not needing a top of the line reg.

First off and just my personal feelings; my regulator is my #1, top dawg, best buddy and I see no reason to not make a excellent buddy choice just cuz I’m a noob. If diving cold water a cold water reg is recommended. And second, what works for cold works for warm.
You don’t need for instance the full titanium setup. And the only reason to not get one would be it’s high price (generally speaking.)

Another thought direction along with first gear choices in general is it has a long life span and not too unreasonable to choose once and make it last.

Saying you don’t know what kind of diving you ‘want’ you can make choices now that you can grow with. Adding on items vs. replace and rebuy. My thought is the BP/W direction is probably uncommon in your local shops yet will work now and should you move beyond BOW.

IMO top of the line gear in diving is obscure. Just paying top dollar may be just that. High quality is not necessarily the most expensive. Watch out for the widget impulse. I’m a widget lover myself and frankly most I’m aware of have as much or more problem causing as solving.

Unless money is no object of course. If it is a concern I recommend setting yourself down and reading here, extensively, about the gear used in the various types of diving.

 

[redrover]

Oh. And yes get a back inflate. Here is a cool little widget for ya. The "Ultimate" wing lift calculator - ScubaBoard

 

[rivrdiving]

I am new to diving as well and just from the different types of diving I have done, I have different setups for the place I go.For instance in the river I need lotsa pockets for the extra 20 pounds of weight I carry to keep my narrow butt on the bottom and of course my trusty pick for holding position in a current..
I currently have a jacket style bc and it seems to work fine,Now tho I am seriously looking at the wing thing and possibly going doubles.
I know there is alot of experience on this board and many have reasons why they prefer different types of equipment. See if you can hook up with someone that has the equipment your interested in or rent it and see how ya like it then do some looking around because from what I have seen the prices for the same gear can have a quite a it of difference from one retailer to another..
There are some good deals out there, I ought an octo(aqua lung) with computer and BC for about 350 bucks and it was all brand new one secondary was used but for the most part the gear only had like 6 dives on it and the guy decided he wasnt into scuba..
Keep looking and dont ruch they make gear everyday..
Hope this help from one noob to another
Ron

 

[whodunit68]

Down4aDive: correct, I am looking for a good starting point. That's exactly what I'm looking for. about the Liquivision X1, all I can say is: "wow." that thing looks like it can heat my house, feed my kids (which I don't but if I did...), and pay the bills. Ooops, that last part is in reverse ...I had a look at the ScubaPro-UWatec Galileo Sol...even that thing caused shivers. anyhow, I don't want to get caught up in computers...I'm already happy with my little Cressi-Sub Edy2 for now and it will make a great backup to any computer I'm sure.
The calculator thread was kind of fun and interesting to read - thanks!

 

[meesier42]

basic rule of thumb that I have always lived by, first renting isn't a bad thing, in fact is many ways is a very good thing, as you get the chance to try different gear and see what you like and more importantly what you don't like. That way, when you do buy, you should be able to avoid the remorse of buying something that you really hate. Then
1) buy your regulator first and get the best regulator that you think you will ever want, I don't care what others say, Zeagle Regs normally outbreathe everything in their price category, sometimes better than ones many times more expensive, many Zeagle Regs have perfect simulator scores. But also Aeris and Oceanic have started building some fantastic regulators at reasonable prices. The key point is, DON'T BUY JUST BECAUSE YOUR LOCAL SHOPS HAVE IT IN STOCK. Look into what's really available, make sure that your local shops can service it and but what is in your best interest, not the shops.
2) Buy your computer LAST. A computer is worthless if you don't understand the tables that they operate on, learn the tables the hard way, after you have 100+ dives then you might be ready to look at buying a computer.

although, much of their reviews are based on how much advertising dollars that the company spends with them, some of the things they say are useful, so read Rodales Scuba Diving (ScubaLab) Reviews of gear. If nothing else, reading what other people liked or disliked about the gear can be helpful.

 

[whodunit68]

you reminded me, meesier, that there is one important consideration that I've left out. renting isn't always an option for me. while I'm not huge, I'm not tiny either and I've already run into problems with getting rental gear that fits (nevermind fits right, it's tough to find a fit at all). I'm in the 2x size range and that has caused me issues. not having any idea of what is right and wrong, my LDS put me in a 4x suit for my AOW. The DMC had to push me through the surface because all of the air in the pockets from the wetsuit wouldn't allow me to break the surface on my own. Then, once I was underneath, I sank like a rock because those same pockets filled with water. That was a fun weekend. Middle ear barotrauma results (surprise) and I've been wary of renting since. I did find luck at another but not so much since. I planned a short trip to FL and they weren't sure if they'd have something to fit. I'm going to Brazil and they aren't sure. It's a bit strange because I've seen people several times my size diving and I'm told they're not all custom.
I had an XL Sherwood BC on the other day that fit just fine. Strange...but now the issue is slightly more complex because I simply don't know if I can always rent. Thanks.

 

[kathydee]

Hi,

I just went through a similar search for new gear. Good luck! SB members were very helpful. I searched and found lots of threads talking about peoples favorite specific gear - went through and picked the gear that ranked highest then compared it to reviews. Finally tried it on.

You could get your own wet suit but continue renting the rest. I finally used a scubapro reg that was noticablly better @ about dive 40 - and that really influenced my decision

A couple other things I considered:

* weight - will you be flying lots and carting your gear around?

* If your diving progresses, does your gear allow for growth? (I dive warm water but live near cold water so got a reg that will perform in cold water too just in case)

* access to service - will you be diving out of the country or in the country - recognizable brands are easier to service out of the country?

I made a post specifically explaining my curent diving, and the diving I envisioned myself doing in the future. Many SB members responded & my research started from there suggestions - especially when suggestions repeated themselves. To me a very highly rated sealed reg was the most important thing. Good luck.

 

[fnfalman]

I'm pretty new to this diving game as well and I liked it so much that I figured I might as well made some investments.

When it comes to regulator, I spent a few extra bucks and went with the Atomic Aquatics. I figured (probably wrongly so) that it is my primary life support equipment, I'd rather err on the side of caution and get a regulator from a super reputable company.

As far as BC goes, it doesn't matter if you go with Deep Sea, OMS, Halcyon or Dive Rite (I have the Dive Rite TransPac), or any of the technical rig/backplate & wing type. They're all good. I simply can't stand the recreational BC after diving with the tech rig. It fits better, distributes the weight better and a lot more comfortable when I have to wear all that crap and hike down a trail to get to a good rocky entry point by the coast. You can use tech rig for rec diving but it doesn't work vice versa.

As far as computers go, I have a Sherwood Wisdom 2. A decent middle-of-the-road computer. Why not a technical computer? Because I'm nowhere good enough to use a 5-gas or 7-gas mix computer. Why not a remote hoseless computer? With all the things I've read about not receiving the data from the transmitter, I'm a wee bit leery about remote computers. Frankly I'm liking the idea of planning out a dive more with a dive table(s), bottom timer/divewatch and SPG. I might just go back to the basics like that and keep the computer as a secondary piece.

It's weird, but the older I get the more I like things without electronics doodads. Put the brain to work more, I suppose.

PS As far as figuring out which wing I went for, I spoke with the LDS rep at length and he consulted with Dive Rite and got me the Venture Wing for cold water California diving with a very buoyant 7-mil wetsuit.