General advice to new scuba divers: do not waste your money!
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As an example. Two years ago I bought a new snorkel. It is the same style as the one I got when first diving more than 35 years ago except it can be bent to stuff out of the way. This $10 to $15 “J” snorkel is capable of being used for the rest of your diving life.
Sometimes things you get at the beginning, you do keep using for a long time. The only item I still have from the beginning. A pair of cressi sub fins that were bought second hand from a guy at the diving club. And these are soon for the bin as the rubber foot pocket is coming apart from the plastic blade. They only lasted 40 years, who can I complain to?
Belzelbub
Contributor
Yep. That was the parallel I was attempting to draw. Besides functionality and price, there are often other less tangible benefits that can push one brand over others. Support after the sale is a big one. Hopefully, it's not needed, but it's really nice to know which companies stand behind their product, and which ones don't. Assuming of course you bought from the former, not the latter.
OP
travisfull
Contributor
I totally agree on that.
Thats what I was trying to explain…besides that, as of today, shearwater is definitely easier to user compared to other computer such as suunto or mares; it is a product fit for a recreational diver and it will last for years!
Belzelbub
Contributor
Agree for the most part. Most of the Shearwater line is not aimed at the recreational diver. That's not to say that they can't be used for recreational divers. Shearwater steers clear of rec and tec in their comparison and instead uses terms like Everyday Diver (for the Peregrine) and Demanding Diver (for Perdix, Petrel, and Teric).
Thankfully, I never got to experience the fun of a Suunto computer. About the worst I've used from a UI perspective are a few Oceanic computers. Not terrible, but definitely not as intuitive as the Perdix UI. For years, the dive computer market was dominated by a few dive gear manufacturers, so not a ton of options for the diver that was looking for something different. Even the different brands were often made by one company.
The somewhat recent increase in dive computer competition can only be good for the diver. With more options, the diver does not need to tolerate poor interfaces.
OP
travisfull
Contributor
You are totally right on the specific wording used by Shearwater.
I had a Suunto and I never liked it: I bought because it was advised by my local dealer and in those years Suunto was dominating the market with its RGBM...then I switched to Shearwater and I'll probably never look back no matter the kind of diving (tec or rec)
Do your research. Many dive shops sell the brand that they can mark up and make money on. There is nothing wrong with that. However you might end up with gear that you don't like. If you can, try things out to see what works best for you. A couple in my OW class years ago were sold every tiny little gimmick and piece of equipment possible for diving. They spent thousands of dollars on equipment that they ended up replacing anyway. They learned quickly that a crowded rec boat was not the place for a ton of gear. Just because your BC has "D" rings doesnt mean you have to be using all of them.
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
My advice to new divers.
Use your dive shop, don’t let them use you.
Do your homework and have an idea what you need and want.
The best is thing after OW (before you spend a bunch of money) is to get into your local dive scene and marinade yourself in the sport for a time and see how other people do it and what they use. Pay special attention to people who are veterans that have already been through multiple set of gear over the years and see what they use and how they use it.
The internet can be a tricky place. Just gleaning information solely on the net via social media is one method, but realize there are a lot of people who think they are a lot smarter than they actually are, and you don’t know them. But some actually are what they say they are - as advertised.
Just weeding through all the chafe to get to the good stuff is a skill in itself.
Then there’s the geographical component.
Where are you located?
What kind of diving goes on where you plan to dive?
What type of dive shops are in your area?
Is there any local diving?
A dive shop and dive scene in California will be completely different than a dive shop and dive scene in Texas, or Florida, or Colorado.
I do agree that there are way too many choices these days.
Use your dive shop, don’t let them use you.
Do your homework and have an idea what you need and want.
The best is thing after OW (before you spend a bunch of money) is to get into your local dive scene and marinade yourself in the sport for a time and see how other people do it and what they use. Pay special attention to people who are veterans that have already been through multiple set of gear over the years and see what they use and how they use it.
The internet can be a tricky place. Just gleaning information solely on the net via social media is one method, but realize there are a lot of people who think they are a lot smarter than they actually are, and you don’t know them. But some actually are what they say they are - as advertised.
Just weeding through all the chafe to get to the good stuff is a skill in itself.
Then there’s the geographical component.
Where are you located?
What kind of diving goes on where you plan to dive?
What type of dive shops are in your area?
Is there any local diving?
A dive shop and dive scene in California will be completely different than a dive shop and dive scene in Texas, or Florida, or Colorado.
I do agree that there are way too many choices these days.
I'll throw in my 2 cents. I am that brand new diver buying all new stuff. With the resources on this board, even a little tadpole like me can figure out what gear to buy (or not to buy). If a newbie can't decide which reg, BC or computer to buy after a short time on here, then he's either looking in the wrong place or asking the wrong questions. Sure, preferences may change, but that's a different discussion. But I do have preferences even now. I gravitated to a BP/W because I spent much of my play life backpacking and my work life climbing towers, so wearing and rigging a harness is a natural fit.
What if I decide that diving isn't for me after buying all this kit? That might be a good reason to buy a little better quality. It would be easier to sell. And yes, I've read enough on this board to know that many of you are counting on that.
What if I decide that diving isn't for me after buying all this kit? That might be a good reason to buy a little better quality. It would be easier to sell. And yes, I've read enough on this board to know that many of you are counting on that.
SlugLife
Contributor
A lot of people don't discover this board, until sometime after they've been suckered by their LDS into buying gear that is not an ideal fit for themselves, their budget, or type of diving. You can also not know what the right questions are to ask (though a generic "help" post can start to steer you in the right direction.)
Right. As one who hangs out on the used-market, resale value is a fairly strong consideration. Plus it usually means your gear will last longer if you do continue to dive. Some pieces of gear can be sold decades later, while others you'd be lucky to sell after 3 months on craigslist for $25 (like certain regulators or BCDs).
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