Diving Equipment???????

[OregonRich]

I'm in the same boat. Here's what I'm looking at buying:

BCD: Seaquest Black Diamond w/ Airsource - I like the fit, one less hose sounds great, and it seems to get good reviews.

Reg: I'm Torn between

Scubapro MK25/x650 - Great reviews on Scubadiving.com
&
Aqualung Legend XL - I like the size & my local dive shop is pushing it.

Dive Computer: Oceanic VT Pro w/ transmitter - Again, Great reviews on Scubadiving.com, a buddy has one & loves it, & I like the idea of one less hose.

My local dive shop likes the Uwatec Smart Com Comsole.

I'm leaning toward the Oceanic, but my concerns are with possible problems with wireless transmission. My local dive shop questions the reliability of these typse of units & a different buddy swears it's nuts to dive w/o a guage hooked to the tank.

I'd appreciate your thoughts. I'm a new diver, my dives will be mostly in colder water (Oregon coast, lakes, & rivers.)

Thanks!

 

[OE2X]

I'm in the same boat. Here's what I'm looking at buying:

BCD: Seaquest Black Diamond w/ Airsource - I like the fit, one less hose sounds great, and it seems to get good reviews.

Reg: I'm Torn between

Scubapro MK25/x650 - Great reviews on Scubadiving.com
&
Aqualung Legend XL - I like the size & my local dive shop is pushing it.

Dive Computer: Oceanic VT Pro w/ transmitter - Again, Great reviews on Scubadiving.com, a buddy has one & loves it, & I like the idea of one less hose.

My local dive shop likes the Uwatec Smart Com Comsole.

I'm leaning toward the Oceanic, but my concerns are with possible problems with wireless transmission. My local dive shop questions the reliability of these typse of units & a different buddy swears it's nuts to dive w/o a guage hooked to the tank.

I'd appreciate your thoughts. I'm a new diver, my dives will be mostly in colder water (Oregon coast, lakes, & rivers.)

Thanks!

Regs - either will be great. You might consider the MK25/S600 though as it is a little less expensive than the 650.

BCD - I would avoid the Airsource. Unless you and all your buddies practice, practice, practice out of air drills and holding mid water stops, then saving one extra hose may have adverse consequences.

A wrist computer is better than a console in that you wear the it on your right wrist and use your left hand to control your buoyancy. This way if you are making an open water ascent you can see your depth at all times. Personally I prefer having my pressure guage clipped off on my left hip and my computer on my right wrist. Uwatec makes and excellent computer - I own two of them.

 

[Don Burke]

I am looking for alot of input......I am looking for suggestion on equipment for those of us that are new. Are there certian brands and if so what are better then others? Being new I am a little overwhelmed by all the equipment.

Thanks in advance!!!!

Me

My suggestion would be to get your exposure suit first. Then would come the regulator and a depth gauge, then BCD. The computer comes later.

I am very happy with my Bare wetsuit (and drysuit for that matter), although there are many others. I had a US Divers wetsuit that I wore until I wore it out and that took a long time.

I have US Divers and Apeks regulators and I am very happy with both. The few times I have used ScubaPro regulators have gone well and I suspect they would meet my needs. This is not an item to scrimp on.

My first BCD was a US Divers. I have since switched to a backplate and wing made by Halcyon. I know some people diving Zeagle Rangers and they seem to do well.

Be sure to try a back inflate before you buy a BC. Not having the bladder crunch you makes a big difference.

Once you get in the water with your gear, start asking about computers. You are unlikely to need one at first since your gas consumption will be the limiting factor on most or all of your dives anyway. When you start coming back with gas, it is time to get the computer and if your mind is made up by then, you will be ahead of that part of the game.

 

[Fishlips_1]

I'm in the same boat. Here's what I'm looking at buying:

BCD: Seaquest Black Diamond w/ Airsource - I like the fit, one less hose sounds great, and it seems to get good reviews.

Reg: I'm Torn between

Scubapro MK25/x650 - Great reviews on Scubadiving.com
&
Aqualung Legend XL - I like the size & my local dive shop is pushing it.

Dive Computer: Oceanic VT Pro w/ transmitter - Again, Great reviews on Scubadiving.com, a buddy has one & loves it, & I like the idea of one less hose.

My local dive shop likes the Uwatec Smart Com Comsole.

I'm leaning toward the Oceanic, but my concerns are with possible problems with wireless transmission. My local dive shop questions the reliability of these typse of units & a different buddy swears it's nuts to dive w/o a guage hooked to the tank.

I'd appreciate your thoughts. I'm a new diver, my dives will be mostly in colder water (Oregon coast, lakes, & rivers.)

Thanks!

I was looking at the Legend, and my instructor talked me into the Titan LX instead. It's cheaper and works just as well. Unless you have money to spare.I also bought a Black Diamond and love it. But I went with a conv. 2nd air source, The inflator/air source seemed too short to comfortably return to the exit point if it were a long way. Although, it may be coming for a 3rd source. I went with the Suunto Cobra with Pro pak.(quick disconnect and computer interface) (WAY COOL)
As far as the hoses go,as per my instructors words, just keep short enough that they don't hang, and long enough you can easily access them.

All your choices are fine, it's all in personal pref and fit.
All have great warranties if you buy them from a reputable lds.
Many LDS will service them for free with the parts supplied by manuf.
Dive safe
Lips

 

[scubapro50]

Depending on where you are going to dive will determine what equipment you will purchase first. You must have your own mask and fins to start with ..... then I would purchase a good regulator next. At this point you need to deceide if you want guages or a computer. If you're not becoming a "tech" diver soon then get a good set of guages and purchase a wrist computer later. If you do want a computer to start with that will increase your cost greatly. My advice a good regulator and set of guages first off ...... Next find a BC that you like. Once again you must decide of the type and style of BC and this is where renting comes in handy so you can try different ones. if you don't have time to rent then ask the shop owner to let you try a few different ones on in the pool to see how the feel. After your BC then get a wetsuit or drysuit. Like the BC it must fit well so try a few different styles on before purchasing. Last buy tanks if needed. I fly alot so tanking tanks are not an option. Every now and then someone will call and ask "what are you doing on Sunday" and having a set of tanks handy is really great for those last minute dive trips.

 

[almitywife]

WOW!!!! that is alot of info. My best bet is when I go home in a few weeks I will have to check out the shops and take a pen and paper and get back to you all for advice!

alot of this stuff is like reading latin....When I read about someones computer I am thinking of a laptop, I know that can't be what it is....Is it?

I really appreciate all the advise that everyone has been throwing my way!!!!!!!

Thanks and I will keep you all posted!!!

Me

heheh - as you can see, opinions vary as much as the number of brands out there. buy the reg first, no buy a wetsuit first and onwards.

am i right in understanding that you are going to do your open water in Fiji? Is there any chance that when you get home that you do a Discover Scuba at least, this is a basic try-dive PADI thing but you will not be certified to dive when finished, but the dive will count towards your open water if you want. Reason why i am suggesting it is that this way, you actually will get into a wetsuit & gear and get wet and you will see how things feel, see how a computer behaves underwater, what you would want to be more comfortable ect.

brands aside - serioulsy look at weight intergrated bcd, your hips will thank you for it.

using your dive tables and planing a dive, you can dive without a dive computer - but i DO NOT suggest you do this. but you dont have to have the most expensive either. your dive computer is to tell you how much air, your depth, your nitrogen levels, acceleration rate etc. Note, all dive computers are programmed with the basic recreational diving table but some dive computers are more conservative than others so a dive computer that i use would never suit a tech diver. oh, another thing to ask about gear, does it include life time free parts one servicing (you get your reg serviced every 12 months).

information overload, i know because ive been there. the thing to think about is you have to trust your equipment when diving, so you want your own gear when travelling (trust me, ive seen some resort gear that was criminal) - if you have your bcd, fins, maks & reg you can dive almost anywhere and all stores will do a package to get a bigger sale.

i hope ive been of some help, i didnt want to get too technical about models, specification etc because you havent seen any of this stuff yet - so if you want to email me directly your more than welcome to.

best of luck

 

[taylode]

Being a newbie, I can share what my process has been/is. First, after the basics I bought an Oceanic Datamax Pro Plus 2 computer. I did this because of its large display screen and large fonts. After 40, reading small text has become more difficult. Next I went with a Zeagle Ranger Limited BCD and an Oceanic Regulator and Octopus. I choose Zeagle because it’s a back inflate thereby eliminating any frontal squeeze, and because it rides lower than other BCDs thereby making it more comfortable to me. It sits similar to a backpack. The regulator I choose was just slightly better than rental ones. I did this because I was working with a budget and they were too subjective and I didn’t have enough experience to know what I would like/dislike (and still don’t). Perhaps after a couple of year’s worth of diving I’ll replace my regulator only by then armed with an understanding of what I like and dislike. The last thing on my list will be exposure protection. This is last because I’m actively loosing weight and don’t want to keep replacing it. Anyway, that’s what I’ve done and why. Hope it helps.

 

[theblonde]

heheh - as you can see, opinions vary as much as the number of brands out there. buy the reg first, no buy a wetsuit first and onwards.

am i right in understanding that you are going to do your open water in Fiji? Is there any chance that when you get home that you do a Discover Scuba at least, this is a basic try-dive PADI thing but you will not be certified to dive when finished, but the dive will count towards your open water if you want. Reason why i am suggesting it is that this way, you actually will get into a wetsuit & gear and get wet and you will see how things feel, see how a computer behaves underwater, what you would want to be more comfortable ect.

brands aside - serioulsy look at weight intergrated bcd, your hips will thank you for it.

using your dive tables and planing a dive, you can dive without a dive computer - but i DO NOT suggest you do this. but you dont have to have the most expensive either. your dive computer is to tell you how much air, your depth, your nitrogen levels, acceleration rate etc. Note, all dive computers are programmed with the basic recreational diving table but some dive computers are more conservative than others so a dive computer that i use would never suit a tech diver. oh, another thing to ask about gear, does it include life time free parts one servicing (you get your reg serviced every 12 months).

information overload, i know because ive been there. the thing to think about is you have to trust your equipment when diving, so you want your own gear when travelling (trust me, ive seen some resort gear that was criminal) - if you have your bcd, fins, maks & reg you can dive almost anywhere and all stores will do a package to get a bigger sale.

i hope ive been of some help, i didnt want to get too technical about models, specification etc because you havent seen any of this stuff yet - so if you want to email me directly your more than welcome to.

best of luck

You are right I am doing my first of everything in Fiji. I will be there for 16 days so that should be enough time to enjoy everything.

I am going to try to take a day while I am home to look at the Basics of diving and see if I can try out some equipment so at least I have an idea of what I am looking for. Can you explain to me what a bcd is and why my hips will be thankful? Alot of people said to work with a budget and that should help me decide what to get. I guess I am fortunate enough that I am not really limited to a budget.

Here is another question for you. Of course we all now that a woman holds weight and body porportion is alot different then from a man. Does your husband use different equipment or perfer a different style for a comfort issue? I hope this question makes sense.

I have been checking out several different websites (nothing much to do around here today except listen to the mortars and 155 rounds going off around my FOB today ) for equipment and the difference. Here is another one; What is the difference between a split fin and a regular fin? I cannot seem to find a clear answer to this. Sorry for all the questions but you have been a great help along with everyone else on this site

You all have been so helpful!!!!!!!!!!

Me

 

[Kriterian]

What is the difference between a split fin and a regular fin? I cannot seem to find a clear answer to this. Sorry for all the questions but you have been a great help along with everyone else on this site

You all have been so helpful!!!!!!!!!!

Me

The blade of the fin is the big part that moves you through the water. A regular fin has a solid blade like this one seen here.

A split fin has a slice in the blade of fin, forming a "Y" almost. Here is a picture.


PS: I got the impression, since you were looking for equipment, that you were already certified. Why didn't your instructor let you use equipment or explain what each piece was exactly? I can understand not knowing the in's and out's of fin design, but the Buoyancy Control Device should have been worn and explained in detail in class.

Of course if you're not certified, then this whole point is moot.

 

[almitywife]

Note: The Blonde is in iraq (hence the mortor bit) right now planning her trip to Fiji and her open water while she is there.

1. if you going to try out diving whether in the pool or a Discover Scuba - just be aware that you never dive and then fly. Hopefully someone else here can advise about a pool session as im unsure of the actual time required.

geez, back to open water here so correct me if im wrong someone.

reason being, when you are diving - your body absorbs nitrogen, like small bubbles in your system. thats why you never accend (go up to surface) too fast as you need to give your body time to release the nitrogen. if you go too fast - you may risk injury (the bends) or death. my 12yrd old neice said "so its like shaking a bottle of coke and then opening the lid-bubbles everywhere".

please remember, im giving you the raw basics here but always ask your instructor.

now, you dont dive and then fly for the same reason (altitude/cabin pressure). as a habit, i always give myself 24hrs rest from diving and flying.

2. BCD.
BCD = Bouaynce Control Device. its the jacket like thing you see on divers that has the tank attached at the back. this basicaly attaches the tank (with regulator attached) to you and you use the BCD by putting air in and dumping air out of it to control your bouyance, decent, accent etc.

this is also where you will hear "you dont get a squeeze around your chest". my Zeagle BCD is rear inflated.. which means when i put air into the bcd, the bladder is at the rear, away from my body. some bcd have the bladder around the jacket/chest part of the bcd. i guess thats why "womens" bcd came into existance also.

3. why would your hips thank you for weight intergrated BCD.
in my part of the world (Sydney Australia) i dive in a 5mm wet suit. when diving, the water pressure compresses the suit and my body so while at depth, im basically a couple of sizes smaller than at the surface (if only life was that simple!). so... in my old BCD i had a weight belt, im diving away and as my waist gets smaller, my weight belt use to slip down my hips a bit... as i started accending, the pressure decreased and my size returned to normal - and the weight belt would then be no longer in its origianl place around my waist, and i would feel a pressure pinch on my hips where the weight belt fell down to-very nasty.

with a weight intergrated BCD, the weights sit in pouches that are placed in pockets on the bcd. so the weights are no longer directly against my body. As im diving, i can adjust my bcd straps easily and its just as easy to do on accending from my dive.


4. men v's women.
i have fat floating ankles so i always dive wearing ankle weights as otherwise if i was to stop diving (hubby taking photos) i swear i start doing somersaults and end up with my feet in the air. my very skinny 12yrd neice also wears ankle weights so either its a family thing or a women thing - im not getting into that argument.

5. my hubby.
up front - have to tell you my hubby is a PADI instructor so im not trying to sell you any product. hubby's 1st bcd was a sherwood and he loved it. after about 200 dives he got a zeagle BCD for the next 800 dives and he got another zeagle last year only because the new one was weight intergrated. one day i was using his for some reason and i said "damm it-i want a bcd like this!" (i had a tusa imprex). when hubby teaching he uses oceanic bcd & reg - but, ive noticed lately he has been also using it in his own time also, not only when on courses. by memory, he took his oceanic reg to vanuatu last month. in the meantime, his old sherwood was sold on ebay and his zeagle is in the lockup because he just cant part himself from it.

6. fins.
the post above me explains split and blade fins. hubby uses the apollo spit fins - i use the apollo blade fins.

due to fat floating ankles, i tend do dive using flutter kicks and i love my fins - i bought a huge stock of replacement fin straps to try to prolong the life of my fins. hubby has very straight, even kicking so the split fins are great for him. we both have had these fins for over 5 years each.

so - leave you to digest and im sure someone will be tut tutting over something ive written here but it is just the basics. maybe you can get your hands on someone's old open water book to familarize yourself with the basics as you will have to got thru it during your course?

LSL