General advice to new scuba divers: do not waste your money!

[DiverDanCa]

Some general comments:

Agree don't skimp on the regulator. It makes a big difference when diving at depth. You might consider buying used high end regulator. I've purchased 2 Atomic Aquatics regulars used and absolutely love them.

BCD are a personal preference. I really like integrated BCD and suggest you purchase your own. Having your own BCD helps with familiarty while diving

Dry suits are great for cold water diving but are expensive. I would wait to purchase one until you're sure you like diving in cold water

 

[halocline]

Some general comments:

Agree don't skimp on the regulator. It makes a big difference when diving at depth.

Not really. 1st stages do work harder at extreme depth, but we're talking about recreational diving here, new divers. Any regulator that is in good working condition, tuned acceptably, will breathe fine at recreational depths. Very deep technical dives, with multiple tanks and likely deco gas, that's a different story, but this thread is not about that.

 

[halocline]

I’m still driving my 2002 Toyota Tacoma, 303,000 miles, just regular maintenance. It’s the Conshelf of vehicles!

I finally sold my 04 VW diesel (about 250K miles, if I remember) to get an EV, a chevy bolt. I freakin love it and it was under $30K.

 

[Damselfish]

I disagree with most of the original post. Scubaboard is full of statements where people think they know what is best for everyone, this is just another.

 

[travisfull]

That clearly was not the intention.
I just wanted to share my experience and maybe help someone when choosing new gear.

I disagree with most of the original post. Scubaboard is full of statements where people think they know what is best for everyone, this is just anothe

 

[gamon]

I purchase first and second stage regulators on Ebay from a regulator technician who also services them for even less than the purchase cost of about $50. Good, used, tested and serviced from the major dive manufacturers. IP pressures, condition, any cosmetic defects, all clearly stated on the listing. Rarely have I ever had a problem. More often than not I simply replace them after a few years rather than service them, and sell them used on Ebay for almost what I paid, if not more.

 

[travisfull]

I purchase first and second stage regulators on Ebay from a regulator technician who also services them for even less than the purchase cost of about $50. Good, used, tested and serviced from the major dive manufacturers. IP pressures, condition, any cosmetic defects, all clearly stated on the listing. Rarely have I ever had a problem. More often than not I simply replace them after a few years rather than service them, and sell them used on Ebay for almost what I paid, if not more.

Used regulators are not necessarily bad if well maintained over time and if the original quality (in terms of brands and features) was good.
However, if I had to chose what piece of equipment to buy new I would probably chose regs and I would not think about JUST saving money.

 

[ginti]

Hi @travisfull, it is remarkable that you want to help less experienced divers and share your experience. It's very kind of you The only thing is that you missed some crucial points, which is why I think you are receiving some criticism... So maybe your suggestions are suitable for people who started in your position, but not necessarily for everyone. A couple of ideas coming from my experience (and by no means right for everyone):
- High-end regulators are often in titanium or carbon to be lighter, and the price difference won't pay for them, except if you travel a lot (and I doubt it will even if you travel a lot). Also, most "good" regulators (apex xtx50 or higher, Scubapro G260, etc.) are not necessary for most divers. Keep in mind that some very (VERY) advanced divers prefer to have basic regulators for their backup. Similar reasonings are valid for the first stages. People more expert than me may want to explain better.
- Computer-wise, tons of details might be significant: the size of buttons, screen size, brightness, etc. I have a Garmin Descent MK1; I bought it to save money (I needed both a dive computer and a sports watch), and I would do it again, given my finances at that time and now. But I can assure you that a proper diving computer has many advantages, especially with dry gloves (I hate those small buttons!)

In general, I feel your attitude toward helping others is admirable, and I also can see there is some reasoning behind what you wrote. But there are some other aspects that play a role when choosing equipment, that's it Thanks for your time if you read it until here, dive safe and have fun!

 

[travisfull]

Hi @travisfull, it is remarkable that you want to help less experienced divers and share your experience. It's very kind of you The only thing is that you missed some crucial points, which is why I think you are receiving some criticism... So maybe your suggestions are suitable for people who started in your position, but not necessarily for everyone. A couple of ideas coming from my experience (and by no means right for everyone):
- High-end regulators are often in titanium or carbon to be lighter, and the price difference won't pay for them, except if you travel a lot (and I doubt it will even if you travel a lot). Also, most "good" regulators (apex xtx50 or higher, Scubapro G260, etc.) are not necessary for most divers. Keep in mind that some very (VERY) advanced divers prefer to have basic regulators for their backup. Similar reasonings are valid for the first stages. People more expert than me may want to explain better.
- Computer-wise, tons of details might be significant: the size of buttons, screen size, brightness, etc. I have a Garmin Descent MK1; I bought it to save money (I needed both a dive computer and a sports watch), and I would do it again, given my finances at that time and now. But I can assure you that a proper diving computer has many advantages, especially with dry gloves (I hate those small buttons!)

In general, I feel your attitude toward helping others is admirable, and I also can see there is some reasoning behind what you wrote. But there are some other aspects that play a role when choosing equipment, that's it Thanks for your time if you read it until here, dive safe and have fun!

Thanks a lot for this very interesting comment.
Criticism are totally fine, as long as they make sense and are made with logic like your comment.
I agree on what you said, and of course any diving item has to be tailored to the specific need of a specific person: e.g. your need of a sport and scuba watch is a perfect example...it does serve you well with other needs of your life but it is a high performing scuba watch which will serve you well until trimix or even CCR diving. Yes, the button are not as large as a shearwater, but it still perfectly usable with some training with dry gloves.
As for the regulators, I don't totally agree when you said that a XTX50 or a G260 are "not necessary for most divers" and this is my main point of the discussion: if you go diving regularly or not, having a high performance regs (a lot of different brands produce them) will be the best option for you. And for those who always rise the "I don't have money" flag, I'd say to look for some good used regs. Of course, anyone can go diving with whatever they want, there is no regulation about it, but it is not the right "diving culture" we should share.

 

[ginti]

As for the regulators, I don't totally agree when you said that a XTX50 or a G260 are "not necessary for most divers" and this is my main point of the discussion: if you go diving regularly or not, having a high performance regs (a lot of different brands produce them) will be the best option for you.

May I ask why you think regulators like xtx50 or G260 would be necessary for vacation divers who only dive within OW limits (<18m/60ft)? What are the technical differences between, say, a G260 and an R190 that would make the latter a worse option for such a diver?