Gear acquisition in stages

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I'm sorry if this topic has already been discussed and beaten to death in this forum. I skimmed through the first two hundred or so threads and didn't see anything that looked like it would answer my question.

I'm just starting down the scuba road, having passed OW at the end of June. My wife and I have a trip planned to Cozumel this fall, but in the mean time we'll be doing a little skill refresher training on our own in the local quarry, which is about 30 feet deep, murky, and as uninteresting as taking a walk around the back yard, but it gets us underwater to practice skills. At the moment, the only scuba gear I own is a Suunto Vyper Air and transmitter and I rent the rest. I have a feeling that scuba is going to suck me in and I'm going to want to get pretty involved in it, and I'm very interested in wreck diving (I live not too far from the Great Lakes, so long weekend trips with the LDS or club are possible). I'm not sure about cave diving, but I hear most wreck divers end up there.

Since I'm interested in eventually getting to a level of diving that I will be best off with a DIR/Hogarthian style setup, I want to buy my gear specifically for that, and not waste my money on a jacket BCD, etc., that I will just end up replacing. But, to lessen the financial pain, I kind of want to get my gear in stages, such as a BP/W now, then continue renting my regs for a while, then buy the regs, then later consider adding pony tanks or whatever else I need. So anyway, here's my question: If you wanted to buy your gear piecemeal like that, what order would you go in? Should I go for the reg now and the BP/W later, or should I get the BP/W first? Is there anything special about the regs other than that I'll want cold water compatibility and a long primary hose? If I get the regs now, is the long hose set up compatible with a rented jacket style BC, or will that be uncomfortable and just make me go insane (additionally, can I easily switch to long hoses from short hoses later - hoses are relatively cheap so I wouldn't mind upgrading them)? Reversed, if I get the BP/W now, will I be able to set up a rented reg system, with a donated octo, on the BP/W the same way you clip the octo on to a jacket style BC? Or is the necklace and long hose pretty much required from the beginning?

Ok, so that's a lot more than a question. Thanks for your input.
 
If I were you, I would go backplate/wing then reg. The 7ft hose won't work with a regular jacket BC, but a standard octo configuration does work with a bp/w.

I always suggest getting as much used stuff as you can. A backplate isn't going to get worn out and regs can be rebuilt (buy from a seller with a good rep on the ebay). Wings are a little more tricky, I wouldn't buy one sight unseen.

For DIR diving, there are no pony tanks. There are stages and deco bottles, though, but they are used to extend dive time, not provide an emergency gas source.
 
I have been using a long-hose reg set with a BC that is not a BP/W, and while it feels a bit clumsy, it works for the time being as an intermediate step in my transition to DIR configuration when I am unable to borrow a BP/W. My prediction is that a donate-the-primary-on-a-long-hose approach will eventually become the standard, regardless of what BC style is used. The approach just makes so much sense to me as a way to improve safety. That was the first thing that attracted my wife and me to the Hogarthian configuration and then to DIR. It has taken both of us a little more time to warm to the idea of replacing our favorite BCs with BP/Ws. Unlike a lot of the BP/W evangelists out there, I really have enjoyed some aspects of a traditional BC. The BP/W is not better in every respect as far as I'm concerned, but it does seem to improve the things that really count on a dive.
 
+1 on what AJ said, BP/W and then reg w/long hose. I was in the same position not too long ago.
 
For DIR diving, there are no pony tanks. There are stages and deco bottles, though, but they are used to extend dive time, not provide an emergency gas source.

Stages or decos is what I meant. Sorry, I'm still new at this, and don't have all the vocabulary down yet, but I've read enough to know that your buddy carries your emergency air, not you.

It looks like I got some conflicting advice, both sides based on personal experiences. I'm sure that rarely happens here. :rolleyes: Seriously, though, thanks for the advice, all of you.

The LDS is doing a huge used gear sale this weekend, so I might just see what I can get for a good price. If I can get a good deal on a BP/W, I'll take it, but if I can get a better deal on a reg set, I'll start there. The regs themselves (1st, 2nd, and octo) are no different between rec and tek, right? Just the the hose length and where you wear the alternate second stage?
 
I'm with PfcAJ: BP/W first, then regs for similar reasons. I can say that for me, the BP/W made a big difference in how I enjoyed my dives as far as comfort in the water. For the regs, make sure you get regs that will keep up with the diving you intend to be doing down the line. Also make sure to get a 1st stage that routes the hoses nice and close when set up with long hose/bungeed back-up.

When you buy regs, make sure you *do not* skimp on your back-up 2nd stage. For tech diving you may want to consider having the same - well breathing - 2nd stages as both primary and back-up regs.

I also agree, that buying used is a great way to make your $$ go further.
 
I'd start with the BP/W if it's that or the regs. I'll put in a plug for Hog regs here too. They're inexpensive, breathe well, and route nicely. Just buy two second stages and don't worry about octos.
 
When you buy regs, make sure you *do not* skimp on your back-up 2nd stage. For tech diving you may want to consider having the same - well breathing - 2nd stages as both primary and back-up regs.

That's a good point, since it doesn't have to be bright yellow to be visible to an out of air diver. Does anybody here regularly swap their primary and alternate (like actually disconnect and change which is which) between dives to make sure they are getting equal use time? Is there any value in that?
 
Stages or decos is what I meant. Sorry, I'm still new at this, and don't have all the vocabulary down yet, but I've read enough to know that your buddy carries your emergency air, not you.

It looks like I got some conflicting advice, both sides based on personal experiences. I'm sure that rarely happens here. :rolleyes: Seriously, though, thanks for the advice, all of you.

The LDS is doing a huge used gear sale this weekend, so I might just see what I can get for a good price. If I can get a good deal on a BP/W, I'll take it, but if I can get a better deal on a reg set, I'll start there. The regs themselves (1st, 2nd, and octo) are no different between rec and tek, right? Just the the hose length and where you wear the alternate second stage?

No worries on the vocab, its a lot!

So for the regs, your 2nd stage needs a faceplate that can be removed w/o tools. On virtually every scubapro (the a700 requires tools) and every apeks, they just unscrew. Some regs don't fit the bill, like the Aqualung LPO and pretty much everything from Poseidon. A lot of the Poseidon regs run at a higher IP, require special hoses, and are of an 'upstream' design. Some other manufacturers have removable faceplates like HOG, Dive Rite, and Zeagle, but I can't recommend those. If you are planning on traveling for scuba, I suggest a brand that will be easy to service abroad.

I do not swap my primary and backup regs around. The backup should be a simple, robust, unbalanced 2nd like the Scubapro R190 and variants, and the primary can be a balanced adjustable.
 
Does anybody here regularly swap their primary and alternate (like actually disconnect and change which is which) between dives to make sure they are getting equal use time? Is there any value in that?

I don't but it wouldn't hurt I guess. I sometimes breathe off of my back-up for a minute or so on a dive. Just a quick check to make sure everything "feels right". I do that for a short enough time that I keep my primary in my right hand - ready to donate. I also let my team know that it will happen so we're all on the same page UW.

But then I also regularly check IP and cracking pressure, vacuum seal etc. on my regs - again to make sure I catch it if anything is changing.
 
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