I'll be honest I'd buy the air delivery system first. Who knows when your rental reg was last serviced for real or what has happened to it. The computer would certainly be next.
first thing to buy
- Thread starter horsemen
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scubapro50
Contributor
I would buy a good regulator with an attached computer that monitors air and gives all those great readouts to help plan your dives first. You can always rent a BC and that would let you try out different styles and types before making a purchase.
I would be more inclined to get the computer last, and keep diving with the tables until you have your own regulator, BC, and exposure suit. The computer is the only one that has a much cheaper and perfectly suitable alternative available (the tables). Plus, diving with the tables may reinforce your training and understanding of what they're all about.
If you can't get the other three all at once, I would make the BC third, because renting will give you an opportunity to experiment with different makes and styles (back-inflate, jacket, hybrid, backplate/wing, whatever). As for the other two, I have no strong feeling about putting the regulator before the exposure suit, or vice versa. Some people don't trust rental regulators, and some people are wigged out by wearing a rental wetsuit, but you can survive both. When I got certified, the first thing I got after mask, fins, snorkel, boots, and knife (which I bought more or less all at once) was my regulator.
I agree with whoever it was upstream who said you will probably have some continuing buoyancy issues as long as you rent exposure suits, because every one is different (even two suits of the same style, size, and thickness by the same manufacturer may be very different, especially if one of them has been used heavily). But when you're renting, you have to accept some tradeoffs.
If you can't get the other three all at once, I would make the BC third, because renting will give you an opportunity to experiment with different makes and styles (back-inflate, jacket, hybrid, backplate/wing, whatever). As for the other two, I have no strong feeling about putting the regulator before the exposure suit, or vice versa. Some people don't trust rental regulators, and some people are wigged out by wearing a rental wetsuit, but you can survive both. When I got certified, the first thing I got after mask, fins, snorkel, boots, and knife (which I bought more or less all at once) was my regulator.
I agree with whoever it was upstream who said you will probably have some continuing buoyancy issues as long as you rent exposure suits, because every one is different (even two suits of the same style, size, and thickness by the same manufacturer may be very different, especially if one of them has been used heavily). But when you're renting, you have to accept some tradeoffs.
horsemen:
It would seem to depend IMHO. By soft stuff Im assuming you mean MSFBG though you may include wetsuit.
If you can rent a suit that fits you correctly and you aren't adverse to other having pee'd in your suit then it could wait. But I'd hate to go that route.
If you can rent a BC that fit's correctly then it could wait but that seems like one of the first things you might want to lock down so you can get on your way to mastering your buoyancy.
Rental air delivery can be a bit of a toss of the dice depending on your confidence in the source. I think it may be one of the pricier rental components too. If you go with good stuff there should be little need to try and fuss so it may be a simple one to knock off first.
Assuming you have a dive watch and some sort and an analog depth gauge I would think that the computer could wait until you have the esentials. I intend to retain an analog depth gauge when I do get the computer so I don't consider it a reundant waste. Counting on electronics to know my depth is unacceptable IMO. Now if you plan to talke a big trip and dive live like you're going to die after your first 10 dives then I agree that you may want to get that instrument early to get the most of the trip. If you plan to work your way up from easy shore dives getting nowhere the NDL then the computer is more of a gadget. Temperature in nice to know, average depth will let you track consumption and the fast ascent warning may remind you from time to time but IMHO it's low on the list.
We're planning to get all of our esentials as soon as we can settle on what we like. In fact since my wife is a fussy fit on the BC we may spring for hers in time for checkout. To me it's a lot about where your confort and discomfort lies. We're just starting down the same road and this is how we're seeing things YMMV
Pete
ibnygator
Contributor
Stirling:
Agree. Couldn't have said it better.
OP
horsemen
Contributor
exposure suit was in my soft gear i was just wondering about what was best to get first trying to plan out the order i should get what i just seen a few post saying the computer you had to really study it and get to know it and thought that might be a first seeing how their all different but everything you said sounds reasonable thanks for the feed back
H2Andy
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cnctina:
been there; done that
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I only warm water dive so I don't even own a suit so to my way of thinking, I'd go with:horsemen:
1. Reg/gauges
2. BCD
3. Computer
I like the idea of having my own reliable, recently serviced reg. It's probably the most important thing, especially at depth, that you don't want to have to worry about. It's probably not even a worry about failure as much as it is an annoyance to have a poor operating or freeflowing regulator to contend with, it takes your focus away from the normal task loading for the dive. Also a good reg can be tuned for better perfomance.
Rent several different BC's till you find a style/mfr. that you like. They're all going to be basically similar in the rental space, most diveops have basic models with easy to find/use controls and provide weightbelts as part of their package. I've been on two different trips where the diveop also offered weight-integrated bc's for slightly more, I almost rented one once even though I had my own, just to see what a different mfr's was like.
Some diveops now require - or at least strongly suggest - that you have a computer. But they'll have them available, either as rentals or free of charge for you to use. I was on a boat in Maui where they gave you one free and showed you how to use it, even made sure it was started and recorded your reading on their divers logsheet after the dive. Most rental computers tend to be simpler, easy to understand models. Only the pricier models get into more advanced dive planning/mixed gases and deco which is harder to figure out. I now pack my computer manual since there's always something I seem to forget after not using it for a while. Mine's a Uwatec so it auto-starts when diving, it's pretty idiot-proof.
my .02
Steve
Neat thread, since the reg vs BC comments in this one trend opposite direction of a "Reg vs. BC" thread of a couple days ago. Personally, I agree that I REALLY like having my own reg. I was fortunate enough to swing all the gear at one time, but knowing exactly how I'll be breathing is kinda nice 
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