Gear Advice - BC, regs & computer

[ddmattos]

Most people start out thinking they want a Jacket BC - i.e. the Seahawk because they probably learned on one. Jacket BC's do one thing really well - they float you high and vertical on the surface. The way the air bubble moves around actually isn't as conducive to diving though. If that's all there was to diving, I'd say go for it. Oh, and they work well in rental fleets since they fit most people out of the box. The GO is actually the Scubapro travel Jacket BC - not the Seahawk.

Most people start out and find that it fits most people but not them. Backplate and Wing is a custom fit.

Back Inflate, like the Zuma has the advantage of allowing you to more easily trim out horizontally in the water column which is where most people actually dive. Scubapro's version of that is the Lighthawk. Or for something a little more full featured - the Knighthawk which has pockets.

If you feel the need for a Zuma like pocket on the Lighthawk, they can be bought after market for $20-50 and clipped any number of places for ease of acccess. They're actually a better idea because once you stand and have the weight of the tank stressing the BC, the pockets on the Seahawk are pretty non-functional till you're in the water with the weight taken off again. Many conventional BC's - either back inflate or jacket - also have that problem.

Back Inflate helps with trim just like a Backplate and Wing. That just one of many advantages of the BP/W.

Several retailers are closing out last years Lighthawk for $239 also since it changed slightly recently. I think Leisurepro.com still has some.

Buy a short set of fins like the Aeris Accel (change the straps) and you can carry-on all your gear as long as you don't need a lot of clothes...

Aqualung Core is good gear. I'd personally buy Aqualung over Tusa just for their extensive world-wide dealer network - nice to have available when traveling. Scubapro is another good brand for that. Check their websites, most have dealer locators where you can map them by region. I see a lot of Aqualung, Scubapro, Mares and Cressi gear in my travels throughout the Caribbean.

Your Suunto dealer is giving you a pretty good price on the Zoop. Sometimes they're cheaper at LeisurePro.com but the warranty is thru them, not Suunto so the difference means it goes back to them for service since your Suunto/AL dealer can't fix it under warranty. Which I would assume means replacement since they can't get it fixed either or most likely don't have computer techs on-site. I've really yet to have a computer break though. I consider low-end computers like that almost throw-away items if they break anyway.
Every other year maybe? ACD or no ACD, you still want to tighten the dust cap before rinsing the reg.

I completely agree about the tightening the dust cap.

The thread hijackers above are referring to a Backplate/Wing which is their default solution to every BC inquiry.

The OP was asking for advice before buying gear. Jacket bcd, back inflate bcd and backplate/wing.... Try them all before buying and ideally in the water. Use the search function on Scubaboard for a wealth of information.

I was eating popcorn in anticipation on reading the pros and cons of each system to be discussed. Backplate/Wing is not technical gear only. It's simple, modular and a system that will grow with you as a diver.

It wouldn't be in any ones best interest if it wasn't a serious consideration.

As for dive computers, smaller is not always better. Check out the Oceanic 4.1 without transmitter (to keep cost down). Dual Algos, 4 nitrox gasses up to 100%, and gauge mode. Since were at it. I will bring up the Shearwater Petrel 2 because due to the currency exchange rate it's at a crazy low price for what you get. I have been checking out the Recreation Mode and looks really nice. The color screen is awesome.

Good dive gear is not cheap and there is some great diving on the East Coast not too far from you as well. So get some environmentally sealed first stage regs. This way you have options. Water temps get really nice late July through September.

If it needs any type of wetsuit, I bring my trilaminate drysuit.

I wish you the best of luck. We all started somewhere. But posting here on Scubaboard does give you a leg up.

 

[KevinNM]

As someone pointed out earlier this weekend, nobody sells bad computers or regulators. The liability is too damn high. So pretty much any reg or computer will work fine for you at this point. BCD is a personal choice. I noticed that half the guides on my last trip (Hawaii - with all the guides apparently being padi instructors) were using BP/W from various companies, the rest were using assorted styles and manufacturers including ancient jackets. They were all better in the water than I was.

The zoop seems like enough computer to start with. By the time you are doing gas changes (if ever) you will have a lot more experience and have in-person access to an instructor who can give suggestions about what is currently the cool computer (and whether you even want to be using a computer for that kind of diving).

I've only used aqualung regs, and the recent service I got on my pair was $250. (I let the "free parts for life" thing expire during a 5 year non-diving cycle). No complaints other than the cost of service. My understanding is that TUSA is the house name of the company that actually manufactures scubapro regulators for scubapro.

I've recently ditched an aqualung dimension i3 for a backplate and wing BCD, and the dimension was the replacement for an aqualung balance that was too big for me once I lost some weight. So I'm currently a BP/W believer. The little travel BCDs seem very nice for travel, but I've never used them.

 

[runsongas]

i would take a trip and visit southern maryland divers in lusby. take a look at a bp/w while you are there.

 

[ams511]

Any thoughts appreciated, especially regarding the regs!

It sounds like both shops are trying to sell you what they have in stock which may not be what you need. Shallow water tropical diving does not require more than a basic regulator. So do not go overboard on price or be swayed by arguments that you get what you pay for. In scuba generally you don't, the value is usually in the mid-range units.

For the BCs I would take a look at a BP/W so you know what we are talking about. both dive shops should stock them. Coral Edge should have Scubapro and Hollis while Blue Planet should have Apeks. Don't be too shocked at the price, you can purchase them cheaper. Another alternative is the Scubapro Litehawk for $220 at Leisurepro.

TUSA stands for Tabata USA, which is a Japanese company that manufacturers some Scubapro equipment and has a cross-license agreement with them. The RS-790 is rebadged Scubapro MK-19 with an S-555 second stage. This was Scubapro's mid-line regulator for many years. The first stage is sealed which is an advantage when diving in cold or contaminated water. The S-555 can be upgraded to an adjustable regulator. While it is generally advantageous to have both regulator and octo made by the same company, the Delta 4 is a much better second stage than most octos out there. Looking at a few online vendors the RS-790 retails for $450 for just the reg. If he is throwing in a Delta 4 for $350 then you are getting a deal, if it also includes gauges it is an excellent deal. The regulator is excellent look at the reviews, if there is none on Tusa version look at the Scubapro or the Subgear Cayman.

The AL Core is "new" for 2015 which means that Aqua Lung put a new face plate on the Titan LX. The Titan LX is a good regulator. The price the shop is quoting is list, so he has plenty of room to move. The ACD does not replace the dust cover, its main advantage (and a very minor one) is that when you remove the first stage from the tank you will not accidentally introduce water into the first stage. Absent this feature you can just wipe down the yoke or give it a blast of air from the tank before removal.

I would go with the Tusa, it is a better deal and an excellent regulator. In my opinion the Tusa is a better regulator because it is sealed and upgradable. The Coral Edge people seem to be trying to get your business while the Blue Planet people are just throwing out list prices, seeing if you bite. What kind of vibe are you picking up from these shops?

 

[jimbeeler]

For my BC, I'm considering either the ScubaPro Seahawk or the Aqua Lung Zuma. I like the Zuma because it's a travel BC that's light and can be folded up for easy packing. The Seahawk isn't a travel BC but seems sturdier with larger pockets, more rings, a cummerbund, and a simpler weight pocket system. Both fit me pretty well and are in the same price range.

The Seahawk weights probably twice what the Zuma does and is considerably more bulky. I think I weighed mine when I was considering a Zuma and I think it weighed about 8 lbs with the Zuma weighing around 4. I've also got a TransPack which packs up pretty nicely with a weight somewhere between the two. The Seahawk has lots of stainless steel D rings to clip things to which I like because the pockets are not much. If you require a lot of weight in salt water, the weight pouches intrude on the pocket space and minimize what you can carry in them. Much easier to hang stuff on the D rings.

Despite the space/weight limitations of the Seahawk, I take it with me traveling. It's LOTS more bulky and probably 4 lbs heavier but I just like it and it's what I'm comfortable in after diving for years in it.

In your case where this is your first BC, I'd definitely consider the Zuma, particularly if you're going to be doing a lot of traveling. Or as others have suggested (or will suggest) a backplate wing configuration.

Jim

 

[Alex_Garland]

If he is throwing in a Delta 4 for $350 then you are getting a deal, if it also includes gauges it is an excellent deal. The regulator is excellent look at the reviews, if there is none on Tusa version look at the Scubapro or the Subgear Cayman.

[...]

I would go with the Tusa, it is a better deal and an excellent regulator. In my opinion the Tusa is a better regulator because it is sealed and upgradable. The Coral Edge people seem to be trying to get your business while the Blue Planet people are just throwing out list prices, seeing if you bite. What kind of vibe are you picking up from these shops?

Thank you for the advice. I just checked with Coral Edge and the pressure gauge console is $140-190 extra.

In terms of vibes, I liked both places. At Coral Edge I spent most of my time talking with one of their dive instructors, who spent a couple of hours going over the ins and outs of the various pieces of equipment. He didn't put pressure on me to buy; told me to do some research first and give it some thought. At Blue Planet it was the same--their staff is patient and willing to spend time explaining things without a pressure sales pitch. Coral Edge is definitely more equipment sales oriented; they are a large warehouse in the sticks of NoVa with a large selection, and they specialize in package deals. Blue Planet has less stuff but what they do have is pretty high quality. For packaging they do 15% discounts.

 

[ams511]

Aqualung, Oceanic, Atomic, and Scubapro are all of similar quality. If Coral Edge is in the sticks and Blue Planet is in DC then Coral Edge certainly has lower overhead. I looked at the Coral Edge website and they do seem to do a lot of package deals which makes it hard to do an apples to apples comparison. The reason they do this is to get around manufacturers pricing restrictions. The markup on big ticket items is usually 100% (cost is half of retail) so there is room to move on prices. If a dealer sells "too low" and violates the manufacturer's pricing policy then they can lose their dealership. Also most manufacturers have a minimum sales requirement which narrows the choice of gear lower-volume dealers can offer. Scuba is really a convoluted industry.

 

[KevinNM]

The general scubaboard (and my) opinion is that consoles are a bad idea. A naked metal SPG is all you need. Clip it to a d-ring on your BC so it doesn't drag on the bottom.

 

[gcarter]

Greetings,

I'm a relatively new diver with PADI OW and 20 logged dives so far. I'm headed to the Keys on March 7 for a week of diving. I live in Washington, D.C., so I plan to do a lot of traveling for future diving, mostly in warm water locations. I've been shopping around for my own gear and could use some advice.

For my BC, I'm considering either the ScubaPro Seahawk or the Aqua Lung Zuma. I like the Zuma because it's a travel BC that's light and can be folded up for easy packing. The Seahawk isn't a travel BC but seems sturdier with larger pockets, more rings, a cummerbund, and a simpler weight pocket system. Both fit me pretty well and are in the same price range.

The store that sells the Seahawk (Coral Edge Adventures) was pushing the TUSA RS-790 reg first stage, S-90 second, with the Oceanic Delta 4 as the octo (which they said could be switched out with the S-90). Price range $310-350 (not sure if that includes a gauge, have to double check that), needs to be serviced once a year, which they do for $28 each stage + parts.

The store with the Zuma (Blue Planet) has an Aqua Lung Core reg set at $460, $150 extra for the octo and $150 for an air pressure guage, that looks really good. Definitely pricier than the TUSA but only needs servicing twice a year. It has an auto-closure device on the yoke that (supposedly) makes the dust cap unnecessary. Haven't been able to find any reviews on it though; any idea how useful that ACD thing is? Servicing is $90 full setup + parts, but they'll do pre-trip testing for free.

For computers, Coral Edge had an Oceanic OCS at $350, Blue Planet the Suunto Zoop at $300.

Both stores offer substantial discounts for packaging.

Any thoughts appreciated, especially regarding the regs!

Just a couple of notes:

For computer, my son has a Zoop and although generally happy with it, wishes he had the backlight for night dives and the availability of a free dive mode like the Oceanic has (I have a Veo 2.0 which has the same two features).

 

[Alex_Garland]

The general scubaboard (and my) opinion is that consoles are a bad idea. A naked metal SPG is all you need. Clip it to a d-ring on your BC so it doesn't drag on the bottom.

Interesting, why is that? Consoles are too bulky?