First new gear purchases thoughts? Xdeep BCD, acqalung legend reg, shearwater dive computer

[Eanxbr]

I have 4 dive shops within an hour of me. I’ve been to all 4, some of them multiple times. What’s the thought process on the 150 dollar computer? Would a good 150 dollar computer at least be able to handle nitrox? Is the thought for the backup computer to set it to air only and that’s your buffer if and when (maybe never if I’m lucky) the perdix dies on me mid dive?

I feel like with regulators acqalung, apeks, scubapro, etc are all solid especially with thought given to ease of servicing. Please do correct me if I’m wrong. I like the ACV on acqalung so that way I never have to fret about destroying my first stage when I clean it. I don’t have and won’t buy tanks, so I can’t pressurize them to prevent this when cleaning.

I don’t care about brand, but as it stands right now I have a scubapro mask, scubapro seawing supernovas and acqalung boots. I swear I’m not brand loyal- the mask just fit, the fins are able to detach (easier packing) and the boots were just the most comfortable ones I tried on with the fins. I thought about a hydros pro bcd, but I’m not crazy enough to spend 1200 dollars for a bunch of plastic with an S on it.

I hate the bcds that get rented/given to you on vacation. My fiancé likes sandals/beaches. They all have the same ones, and without buying your own I’m destined to encounter them again and again. However there is a common consensus here to wait, so I get that.

I think most computers nowadays will support Nitrox, which is highly recommended class that you can take right now if you want.

To add to @lexvil post, the $150 computer can be used in gauge mode as a backup to your primary computer. Sounds silly right now, but later on you will appreciate backups of all sorts. Most likely the $150 computer will have a very conservative algorithm (RGBM or similar) running the calculations, and that is all you need for now. As you grow your skills in diving you may feel comfortable with different types of diving that will require more aggressive calculations (Bühlman or similar). When you reach that point you will have a few choices for a computer upgrade: Suunto EON Steel Black, Shearwater Perdix 2, Ratio, Garmin Descent x50i.

I used to dive jacket style BCDs but migrated over to BP/W with absolutely no regrets. There is a little learning curve, but nothing you can't handle. One of the great features of the BP/W is the modularity of the system. If something breaks, you just need to switch out that particular part, example: replace the harness or a dump valve (both of which are VERY uncommon). Also, should your diving adventures take you into diving double tanks, there is virtually no changes necessary on your BP/W set up... maybe a larger wing, but we'll cross that bridge when get there.

There are a number of great BP/W manufacturers on the market and most likely you can't go wrong with any of them. It will boil down to how you feel with the gear under water. Besides the larger manufacturers, be sure to check out HOG, DEEP 6, XS Scuba, Dive Gear Express as well. Check with your local dive shops if they can rent (or even loan) you a few different types of gear so you can try them out at a local dive spot.

The more divers you meet, you will quickly realize that we can spend all day talking about gear. Many times they will let you try out some of their gear for a dive or two. Take advantage of that to help you identify what works best for you.

 

[boqurant]

You're very very early in your diving journey, so take it slow on kit...

Most people (incl. me) will probably recommend to buy the face & body-fitting stuff first, and renting the rest until you form more opinions / gain more knowledge. FWIW my suggestions would be (in this order): mask, fins (incl. boots & socks), wetsuit (unpleasant to rent a peed-in wetsuit), any other hoods / gloves etc you require.

Then computer: if you have the cash today, Shearwater in general is a good idea because they'll have good resale value. PeregrineTX makes sense if you'll also be buying regs and a transmitter, then sell (or keep as backup) if you eventually progress to tech diving. Regards sunk costs, personally I doubt I'll think about tech diving anytime before 300+ dives, which is another 100+ dives away, the cost of which overwhelms any "lost" or "sunk" costs, so I'm happy with my TernTX and will worry about more advanced computers later. You could of course, do perfectly well with a cheap Suunto Zoop Novo (they support EANx) and save cash today.

Then BP/W: if shopping again I'd go with XDeep Zeos, but in USA XDeep is artificially expensive. DGX / Dive Rite will see you proud. Go for the simplest GUE-esque setup you can: no padding, no clips.

Then regs: Do some serious shopping around and trials first. They're expensive and it's annoying to get it wrong. Scubapro are all excellent (can be expensive), and DGX / Dive Rite are solid at a lower price.

 

[landphil]

If you’re really set on a BPW, I’d start out with the DGX one. It’s really something you’ll need to jump in and buy; since few shops rent them and getting your continuous webbing harness dialed in is a multiple dive process that would possibly reset with every new rental (and you definitely want to start with continuous webbing- it’s the cheapest and the right choice for probably 90% of divers.) Xdeep makes some super nice gear that costs plenty. But it’s also all just a bit different than a generic BPW, especially with their super wide shoulder straps. And at around $400 that DGX BPW will do everything a $1k xdeep will do, although, with a bit less style

 

[boqurant]

I forgot to add, there'll be a host of important accessories that seem (to me) to be of similar importance to buying your BPW. So you'll want to factor those in, probably before you buy regs. Variously:

+ DSMB and finger spool (15M or more): clip off / attach to backplate using bungees and boltsnaps (or stow in tech shorts - another thing to buy)
+ Torches: a primary clipped off to shoulder d-ring, a secondary in pocket or mounted elsewhere
+ Line cutter: mount on waist strap
+ Knife: mount on waist or shoulder strap (I prefer a folding knife)
+ Whistle and signalling mirror (pockets and tie whistle the top of the DSMB to keep it out of the way)

And then if you're going for completeness you'll want to build a first-aid kit, save-a-dive-kit, buy some dry bags

etc etc etc... It adds up quickly!

 

[lexvil]

A lot of good advice but let me say I think regulator and computer (air integrated) come before buoyancy device, these are critical to your enjoyment of diving and safety. “Life support” nonsense (every piece of gear to varying degrees are life support) the regulator is your direct connection to your air supply and having it tuned to your preferences adds to your enjoyment of the dive, the computer takes time to learn and get the feel of, you can get the random peed in wetsuit and just pee in it to make it yours at least for now, the clunkiest rental b/c will adjust easily, as they are designed to, to fit well enough and in use the actions to use it are the same across the field of types and brands.

You already have great fins …

 

[boqurant]

That's fair, though FWIW when I was in low double digits and renting regs, I dont think I ever had any issues. They're definitely highly important and worth getting right of course.

My enjoyment of diving increased massively once I was using a BPW and had proper trim & weighting, consistently from dive to dive