Gear Questions

[FyrFytr]

As a new diver I have been researching for the eventual prurchase of my SCUBA gear (regs, bc, ect). I know that I should probably be posting this in the equipment section, but I want local divers opinions as to what to get. Money and all things considered, what would my best bets be for equipment? Unfortunantly it looks like most of my diving will be in the chilly waters of the Ohio quarries and maybe the great lakes...with the few and far between visits to the warm waters.

As it stands now I am thinking:
Dacor Viper America second stage and octo
Seaquest Pro Unlimited BC

New diver, open to suggestions and opinions. Thanks in advance

 

[gtxl1200]

That question comes up several times a week on this board and there is always a million different answers. You and only can really decide what is right for you. what I like you may not or what someone else likes I may not. we all can give you an opinion on what we use now or used in the past. but the reasons we like them or dont like them may be just the opposite from someone else.

I can tell you though I have the sea quest weight intregated vest and I like it. what I dont like about it is I have to buy a different one if I decide I want to double up some tanks. I have the aqualung legend lx regulator. I like it has always worked flawlessly for me. I have used it in water as cold as 39 deg and warm as 83, with no problems. I use the air2 as a back up. I like it, never had to use to help anyone or use it because my main reg has never failed. once again the air2's are a big argument on this board only you can decide. I will tell you though and so will most people that dive in this area. Save your money and get a dry suit, dont even bother with a wet suit first, thinking you will get a dry suit later. just get the dry first and you will be a much happier diver from the start. This always leads to the next question what dry suit should you buy? what ever one you want. Mine is a lower end cheaper model, and it does the same thing the real expensive one does it keeps me dry and warm. shell or neoprene?? once again your prefrence. I use the shell has more room for layers and doesnt require as much weight as the neoprene. I dive with some one who chose the neoprene for reasons of here in michigan we have zebra muscles they are sharp and will cut dive gear in an instant she was worried about the shell getting a tear and filling with water. She went with the neoprene I guess she likes it havent heard anything from her. once again your personal prefrence. I hope this helps some but like I said in the begining it is what your personal prefrence is. Find a local dive shop that has a pool or will let you take several different models of what ever you wanting to buy and try them out at a lake. That is the best way or if your still renting ask for two different sets of gear so you can try two different ones out. Good luck and welcome to the diving community. and we look forward to seeing you at the meet and greet.

 

[diverbrian]

As a new diver I have been researching for the eventual prurchase of my SCUBA gear (regs, bc, ect). I know that I should probably be posting this in the equipment section, but I want local divers opinions as to what to get. Money and all things considered, what would my best bets be for equipment? Unfortunantly it looks like most of my diving will be in the chilly waters of the Ohio quarries and maybe the great lakes...with the few and far between visits to the warm waters.

As it stands now I am thinking:
Dacor Viper America second stage and octo
Seaquest Pro Unlimited BC

New diver, open to suggestions and opinions. Thanks in advance

I can't say anything for or against your equipment choices for the same reason that GTXL1200 suggests. But, my equipment options mirror his with the exception that I am basically a tech diver anymore. I use a BP/W with two Aqualung Legend LX regs. My recreational rig is basically what you suggest (Seaquest ProQD+ with Airsource as a back-up reg). My drysuit is Cordura (Zebra Mussel issues), but I have tried the DUI CF200 and loved it.

My suggestion: by the bare minimum and come to the Meet and Greet. We all have different gear. Look around and ask questions. Then buy after the Meet and Greet. We have several divers that bought a lot of gear after the last one .

 

[FyrFytr]

I appreciate all the help. I am looking at comming to the meet and greet if I can get off work and come. SCUBA diving is like firefighting, lots of options and it all comes down to personal preferences.
I guess my object in posting was to see what people were using in the water that I will be diving in mostly, and to see what people liked and what they diskiled. I currently am diving wet, I got a 7mm (brand new for $150, couldn't pass it up) wetsuit for checkout dives and I really don't mind diving wet. With a total of 9 dives under my belt (and that counts the ones for checkout) I think that I will wait till I am better with my boyancy before I go dry. Eventually I would like to dive try, but I am still kinda learnin myself and I don't need to learn double.

 

[netmage]

In cold water I use Apeks regs exclusively.
I also dive doubles, so I switched over to a BP/W exclusively.

My drother does Oceanic and dives a Transpak II.

I have $3500+ worth of exposure protection suits that don't fit anymore (3mm shorty, 3mm, 7mm, Custom DUI CLX/450, 4-5X) that I'd let go REAL cheap.

I also have a XL ScubaPro Classic Plus BCD w/ AIR2 integrated octo used on checkout dives for sale... Will have it at M&G3 if anyones interested in purchasing or trying it out.

We can talk all day about gear, some BS, some fact. I think the important things is for us to find out more about you... No one wants to buy gear and then find out they need to buy another set because their interests changed. A friend of my brother said it best "Buy the gear for the diver you see yourself being, not the one you are right now...."

So - even with so few dives under your belt - do you see yourself being:
Occasional Warm Water Rec (Once a year)
Frequent Warm Water Rec (3-4 times a year)
Occasional Cold Water Rec (3-4 times a year)
Frequent Cold Water Rec (Almost every weekend during the season)
Technical Diver (Why am I not diving NOW!)

 

[FyrFytr]

Unfortunantly right now I am working weekends and I am a single diver (no dive buddy) so I am not diving a lot.
I would like to warm water dive a few times a year, and then just cold water quarry dive when i can, so 1 to 20 times a year. I don't see myself getting into a lot of the tech stuff either. I think the most technical I would do would be to do some wreck diving.

Not to start something bad, but i just read all 26 pages on the gear section about the Tripple-L BC's...anyone have an opinion on them?

 

[SwimJim]

I have a Seaquest Pro QD BC. I've put over a hundred dives on it. Mine was made with the weight pouches only attached with Velcro. As the Velcro wore the weights became self ditching. Most disconcerting. I went to a weight belt to solve the problem. I see the newer ones have addressed that problem. I also stitched in the Non ditchables as I lost one or two of those. Other then that its a great BC. I even have hoops for doubles and plan to dive it that way this year. I've owned Dacor regs for years and had a Viper. I liked the reg but it would not tolerate a combination of Deep(120+) and cold(36 degrees and colder). It would free flow everytime even with a coldwater kit installed. I understand that DACOR is also about to cease to exist, so getting parts and service could be a problem in the future. I've gone the Poseidon Xstream route. I understand that Apexs are great regs too. Just my opinion guys. I agree that you may as well bite the bullet and go dry. You will eventully anyway. Good luck and have fun. Most of all dive safe!

Jim

 

[alpenadiver]

I dive all Apeks, ATX 200 on my single setup, my BC is Ameri-sea it's nice but I wish it had more d-rings.

On my double setup I use ATX 50's, with a Dive-rite BP/W.

I currently use a Bare 7mm Artic semi-dry. I'm looking at Dry-suits, must come with age, also I 'm turning more to the tech side of diving all of the good wrecks up here (Alpena) are below the recreational limits. So you might want to keep the tech-diving option open. I also thought recreational diving would be as far as I would go, but then I started hanging out with people who dive doubles, and using Nitrox, and I can tell you that 19 minutes at 100' on air is not alot of sight seeing on a wreck, so while we head up to the surface the others are still enjoying the wreck.

Just my .02¢

Mike

 

[diverbrian]

I dive all Apeks, ATX 200 on my single setup, my BC is Ameri-sea it's nice but I wish it had more d-rings.

On my double setup I use ATX 50's, with a Dive-rite BP/W.

I currently use a Bare 7mm Artic semi-dry. I'm looking at Dry-suits, must come with age, also I 'm turning more to the tech side of diving all of the good wrecks up here (Alpena) are below the recreational limits. So you might want to keep the tech-diving option open. I also thought recreational diving would be as far as I would go, but then I started hanging out with people who dive doubles, and using Nitrox, and I can tell you that 19 minutes at 100' on air is not alot of sight seeing on a wreck, so while we head up to the surface the others are still enjoying the wreck.

Just my .02¢

Mike

I second that thought on Alpena. I will be doing my dives for my Normoxic tri-mix there. Two of our instructors have boats out of there and I get the impression that that is where they started their tech diving. As a matter of fact, you probably run into Dr. Walker and Wayne in your dive travels up there. Wayne's boat used to the Free Flow and Dr. Walker's boat is Daze Off. The Grecian is nice, but it really isn't one of those wrecks that you dive a whole bunch of times in a short trip and stays interesting.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I'm diving a Scubapro MK10 and have been very happy with it in cold water for 11 years. Hubby has an Apeks that I really like but I'm getting ready to buy a Dive Rite since it's not supposed to be as expensive as the Apeks but it's just as nice.

I have a US Divers Conshelf 22 with US Divers Octo and the console with a depth gauge and pressure gauge that I'm thinking of selling. I bought it used for a back-up and I haven't used it much. It's up for its annual service and I'm not really interested in paying to service a reg I have probably used once since the last time it was serviced.
Ber :lilbunny: