Divator MK II Air Diving System

[sourcearun]

DIVATOR full face mask (AGA MASK) with Divator MK II Air Diving System - is this a good buy for a new diver. I will be getting my Open Water Certification in a few days and want to buy a good scuba system (make that best) just once, so that I do not have to keep upgrading.

Is DIVATOR full face mask (AGA MASK) with Divator MK II Air Diving System suitable for a new diver? All advice and suggestion will be gratefully accepted.

Arun

 

[DA Aquamaster]

In a word - No.

Any FFM requires specialized skills that are beyond the scope of an OW course and not compatible with the skills you neeed to learn there -sharing air with a buddy, breathing wthout the mask, etc.

With an FFM in most cases you need to be able to remove the mask and don a backup mask to gas share with a buddy. They also pose different issues in clearning your ears and in clearing the mask.

If you feel you will go the FFM route there are several that work well with any second stage so a reg purchase woudl not be wasted. The Scubapro and Mantis FFM's work well and will use what ever second stage you have. The Kirby Morgan/Oceanic/JMS/Hollis M-48 Supermask is a good choice as it will use any second stage and also has a removeable lower pod that allows you to use another second stage without removing the mask. The masks mentioned also do not have the buoyancy issues that an AGA does without the optional weight kit.

In general the AGA is a great mask for Public Safety Diving, but is far less than ideal for recreational diving, especially in its positive pressure version. And unless you need coms or dive in very cold water, you really have to ask yourself if you need a full face mask as they add a level of complexity to the configuration and procedures that you are wise to avoid unless there is a legitimate reason to have a FFM.

 

[Allen Herron]

I LOVE diving my AGA mask but I agree its really not for new open water divers. You have to be very comfortable with your skills. I do use the OTS buddy phone for recreational diving. I feel its the ultimate safety gear. Get a few(25-50) dives under your belt then give the system a try.

 

[String]

DIVATOR full face mask (AGA MASK) with Divator MK II Air Diving System - is this a good buy for a new diver. I will be getting my Open Water Certification in a few days and want to buy a good scuba system (make that best) just once, so that I do not have to keep upgrading.

Is DIVATOR full face mask (AGA MASK) with Divator MK II Air Diving System suitable for a new diver? All advice and suggestion will be gratefully accepted.

Arun

Most definitely no. Full face masks introduce more problems and complexity and certainly not something you need as a new diver. It also offers exactly no benefits.

Keeping it simple is the aim and a FFM is definitely not doing that.

Issues with CO2 retention, the odd feeling, what to do if you need to exchange a reg due to OOA, transferring to backup masks, the increased gas consumption and so on. They're good for commercial and "at work" diving but thats about it unless you dive in VERY cold water.

 

[vixtor]

This is a very unusual choice for a new diver. I will not repeat all the reasons mentioned above, but I have a question for you, Sourcearun. Is there any specific reason in your case for wanting a full face mask? Why did you choose this regulator system from all the available options?

 

[sourcearun]

This is a very unusual choice for a new diver. I will not repeat all the reasons mentioned above, but I have a question for you, Sourcearun. Is there any specific reason in your case for wanting a full face mask? Why did you choose this regulator system from all the available options?

Well Vixtor, I was hoping to be advised on this by more senior people like you and all others - I havent made my choice as such. Came across the FFM while browsing and thought that it would be more secure/convenient to breath from, rather than the usual regulator and eye/face mask. So far I have done about 4 Discover Scuba Dives in Lakshwadeep islands in Indian Ocean and since none of the equipment was my own, I found the usual regulators and face masks a bit difficult to manage. Now I am getting an OW PADI certification so thought should buy my own gear

Arun

 

[vixtor]

As you were already told, the FFM requires special training and will not be usually easier than a normal setup. Of course, it has its advantages for some purposes, but probably it is not what you need.

When choosing the regulator, the first thing to look for is service availability in your area. Buying the best regulator available, which cannot be serviced by skilled technicians locally (and also in the scuba resorts you plan to visit) will not be the best situation for you.

I don't know about the specifics of India regarding this subject, but very-well known world brands, like Scubapro, Aqualung, Oceanic, Mares, Apeks and a few others should be safe choices. As you will most probably dive in warm waters 99% of the time, the usual reasons for chosing a cold-water regulator will not apply in your case (and for those 1% cases where you go diving in cold waters, you will be able to rent anyway), and this will decrease the price you will have to pay.

So.. the first step for your regulator choice research: what are the closest dive shops, how much do you trust them (from friends information, appearance, previous experiences, online reviews and any other means that you can judge) and what brands do they sell?

What brands have you used for the discover scuba dives and what did you found difficult about them exactly? (of course, part of the scuba experience that you will gain in the future will be regarding the operation your gear, but maybe there are some points that can be addressed by selecting the proper gear).

Regarding buying your gear now, it depends. The usual advice is to wait to get more experience before selecting anything, to avoid buying it again when you know what you really need. But this is not an absolute advice. Maybe in your case the scuba shops are too far away from the places you want to dive, too expensive to rent, not having well mantained equipment, not open when you need or anything else in this line, all good reasons for not wanting to depend on them and buying your own gear from the start.

 

[chrispete]

I'd rather suspect that once you purchase a standard mask that fits you properly, instead of using a beat up rental mask that probably doesn't fit very well, you'll find that most of your "mask/reg weirdness" is probably due to an ill-fitting mask and will go away. Spend some time selecting a mask that fits perfectly and don't worry about style, color, etc.

 

[sourcearun]

As you were already told, the FFM requires special training and will not be usually easier than a normal setup. Of course, it has its advantages for some purposes, but probably it is not what you need.

When choosing the regulator, the first thing to look for is service availability in your area. Buying the best regulator available, which cannot be serviced by skilled technicians locally (and also in the scuba resorts you plan to visit) will not be the best situation for you.

I don't know about the specifics of India regarding this subject, but very-well known world brands, like Scubapro, Aqualung, Oceanic, Mares, Apeks and a few others should be safe choices. As you will most probably dive in warm waters 99% of the time, the usual reasons for chosing a cold-water regulator will not apply in your case (and for those 1% cases where you go diving in cold waters, you will be able to rent anyway), and this will decrease the price you will have to pay.

So.. the first step for your regulator choice research: what are the closest dive shops, how much do you trust them (from friends information, appearance, previous experiences, online reviews and any other means that you can judge) and what brands do they sell?

What brands have you used for the discover scuba dives and what did you found difficult about them exactly? (of course, part of the scuba experience that you will gain in the future will be regarding the operation your gear, but maybe there are some points that can be addressed by selecting the proper gear).

Regarding buying your gear now, it depends. The usual advice is to wait to get more experience before selecting anything, to avoid buying it again when you know what you really need. But this is not an absolute advice. Maybe in your case the scuba shops are too far away from the places you want to dive, too expensive to rent, not having well mantained equipment, not open when you need or anything else in this line, all good reasons for not wanting to depend on them and buying your own gear from the start.

Inspite of India having 7500 kilometers of coastline (Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal) scuba dive supplies/shops are almost non-existent. Buying equipment itself is difficult, renting equipment alone is impossible. A few dive centers offer packages that include equipment, boat, instructor and stay etc but the cost is so high that I might as well buy the stuff instead of renting it out say 10 times.

The only option available to me is to ask friends of mine who regularly visit US, to get me the total package. And then become self-taught to maintain the equipment and for serious maintenance etc, go to the commercial outfits who contract bigtime for ships, rigs, docks etc. Recreational dive supplies/shops are very, very rare.

Just to let you know, for making the dives in Lakshadweep Island or Andamans Nicobar Islands, its over a 1000 KMs journey . The nearest place that I am getting a PADI certification is around 500 KMs away and they are not a dive supplies/rental shop. They offer a 5 days package that includes everything.

Once I get my OW, I intend to look for a senior buddy/instructor and explore the coastline on my own, closer to my place.

With this background, I just need to be simply pointed and told - get X equipment of Y brand - the whole package - item 1,2,3,4, 5....that I would need. If you can kindly draw up a list I would be grateful. Nothing too cheap on the gear and not the absolute top of the line either

 

[vixtor]

In this case, I can totally understand your situation - because (except for the huge coastline) it is similar to Romania (few diveshops, few diving trips available, even though the coastline is full of shipwrecks, antique objects and attractive points).

Normally it is not easily advisable to not mantain the equipment (so you will still need a relationship with some diving center), but at least buying good quality equipments will provide you with hassle-free usage.

There are many brands of high quality equipment. For regulators, I am a big fan of the Scubapro range - they and Aqualung have the widest support network available. I am using currently a MK17/G250V regulator, with which I am very happy. The MK17 has a dry chamber, so cleaning is easy and it will be protected from the environment (even though you don't need its cold water capabilities there).

Everybody here will advise you to buy his brand (of course, most of us are happy with what we have, otherwise we would replace it). As you have no way to test it, you will have to read as much as possible about it (reviews, forums, and so on) in order to know what you are buying.

For BCs, many will advise you to buy a wing, but maybe it's not the best idea if scubadiving is not popular there; the few shops will be too amazed of such a strange equipment

Try to look at those few shops available and see what brands are available in India, and eventually try to get an advice specific to those brands (so, when needed, you'll be able to have some support, even if you don't buy locally).