Getting into tec diving--want to anyway

[mudchick]

I've had my first little taste of technical diving and I liked it. Next comes more courses, more gear and of course more money needed to pay for it. I'm looking for the least expensive way to get the gear I need. Is it a reasonable method to buy just a couple of pieces at a time with the understanding that it could be months before I have all I need to use it. Any other ideas?

Thanks,
mudchick

 

[japan-diver]

Depending on what you have now you can add a bit at a time to come up with the necessary kit- but as tech diving takes time to do it right that is not a problem.

To start a
BP/W
Custom hoses on regs (this can be done to almost any set-up)

Practice on this for awhile.

Add double tanks

Practice

add stage

Practice

 

[RikRaeder]

Not being rich, that's pretty much the route I'm being forced to take myself. I sure hope it's possible to accumulate gear step-by-step or else I'm sunk (and not the good way).

 

[Sas]

I've had my first little taste of technical diving and I liked it. Next comes more courses, more gear and of course more money needed to pay for it. I'm looking for the least expensive way to get the gear I need. Is it a reasonable method to buy just a couple of pieces at a time with the understanding that it could be months before I have all I need to use it. Any other ideas?

Thanks,
mudchick

Sure you can buy pieces at a time when you see things on special or something. Japan-diver's list is pretty good way of going about it. But I think another idea is to borrow lots of gear off friends and that helps you figure out what you need I borrowed gear like twinsets and ponies/deco bottles for a year before I got my own, helped a lot.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

My answer was to take advantage of all the overtime my company offered and when not using that for vacation plow it all into gear! Also make sure to tell friends, relatives, co workers, etc that for special occaisions like your birthday, Christmas, anniversary's, ground hog day, etc that you do not want any stupid clothes, flowers, jewelry, or books(unless they are on deco theory). You want gear or gift cards that will get you gear. For Christmas of 08 I got a Pinnacle wetsuit and a Halcyon P valve for my drysuit. Nothing says I love you like a p-valve.

 

[waterpirate]

That statement is really an oxymoron. This is how I did it.

Find people with more diving experience than you and dive with them.

I got a bpw off e-pay
I dove bpw with single rig 50 dives
I added a slung pony to single and dove 50ish
I found ccr newbies and bought their doubles
I dove doubles 50ish dives
I bought a bauer k-14 and started cooking my own gas /totally un-neccassary step/
I bought a al 40 and filled with 70%
I bought v planner and played with it add nauseam
Took adv nitrox/deco procedures
Added helium to my gas

the above proccess took two years and lots of overtime to finance. Be patient and stack up your pennies. Do not buy anything without consulting your mentor first. It keeps you a buyer not a seller of bad choices.
Hope this helps
eric

 

[Gilldiver]

There is a lot of territory that can be covered between regular diving and whatever “Tech” diving is. I say that as no one has a definitive definition of “Tech” diving. If anything, the term “Tech Diving” is more marketing now then anything else.

Back in the dark ages – the 1980’s and early 90’s before Mike Menduno coined the term Tech Diving, we were all just divers. Some were recreational divers, some were wreck divers, some were cave divers, and a few were Jersey Divers and we were all trying to figure this stuff out. We learned from each other at the back of the boat or at the waters edge.

If you are still at a stage where you are using a single 80, then go get a 30 cubic foot pony or a larger tank, say a 120, and a NITROX cert. They will let you extend your range a long way without pushing the envelope too hard. Eventually, if you keep going, it will be time for doubles etc. which may/will start you on the road to other gasses and decompression. Just take your time and look for good quality used gear to keep the costs down. In doing this, learn how to take care of your gear, it’s not hard.

Then go diving, a lot, then take a dive, when you get bored go diving, after a short break go diving. When you are done, get another 30 to 50 dives in. Experience will tell you much more about what you will want to do then any of us will ever tell you. Along the way, find some good buddies and a diving mentor who can show you the ropes. Get some training, by all means go at least through Advanced and rescue, but maybe take a break there and go diving, figure out what you are really interested in before getting a lot of cert cards and realizing that you have a bunch of training dives and not many fun dives.

But, if you buy anything right now, make sure one of the first things is a good well fitting exposure suite, be it a wet suit or a dry suit. If you keep ending up getting cold and uncomfortable, your diving life will be short. The sad fact is that most of the divers reading this board will cycle in and out of active diving in 3 to 5 years, life just gets in the way with work, family, kids, health, etc. But if you get to 10 years, you will most likely be in it for the long haul. At some point you will find that you are not diving, you are diving to do something else. That something else can be photo's cave/wreck exploration, science, or any number of other activities. But if you don't find that something, sooner or later just being in the water and blowing bubbles will not do it anymore and you will cycle out.

As for me, I started diving in 1976, got my open water cert in 1979 and after 31 years am still collecting gear. So, take your time and keep it fun.

 

[rongoodman]

There's a steady stream of gear coming up for sale here at The Marketplace and over at The Deco Stop, as well as other dive related forums. I'd start with a BP/W and converting your current regulator set to long hose/bungeed back up, and adding a primary light and appropriate exposure protection. Schedule Fundies or an Intro to Tech class as soon as you can. Some expense can be avoided by thoughtful purchasing. If you buy a recreational computer, make sure it has a gauge mode, so you can use it for a bottom timer. If you need a light before you can afford a can light, buy one that will serve as a back-up later on, instead of a bulky lantern type.

 

[dannobee]

I'll echo what others have said with respect to acquiring gear. Dive with buddies who do similar diving. Look at their gear, look where they saved money. See if they're selling an stuff that they don't need.

At a minimum, irrespective of training, you'll need an extra regulator (with SPG) and some kind of tank with stage bottle rigging. Size doesn't matter too much; you'll just get more dives out of a fill if you use an AL80 instead of an AL30, but either will serve the purpose for beginning deco dives. For convenience when servicing, it's a good idea to stick with regulators of all the same brand, but not really necessary.

You'll eventually want to step up to a backplate and wing. Your trim will improve, there will be less "fluffiness," and you'll likely feel more comfortable.

You'll need a bottom timer and deco tables or software, or a multi-gas computer. Your current computer likely will not do a gas switch but will do some deco calculations. It will likely penalize you very hard if you try to do two or more deco dives per day (along with no deco gas capabilities). When you piss it off, it will lock you out and leave you with no usable info.

From there, the sky's the limit. Doubles (plenty of sets), more regs, more deco bottles, fancy computers, home mixing stations, compressors, are all certainly "necessities" for some people.

 

[caverdave]

what was the first little taste and/or where do you think you will be going / what kind of dives?

Probably could use some insight on your current gear?

Pending where you are at and where you are going and wht you have there could be a variety of answers.

I love the ideas given by others. Dive with others learn from them.
In learning be sure to ask why someone does or does not like something. Often is the case that people like/love something and have never tried something else.

A route that worked for me was to take a fundies class. It saved me a great deal in avoiding duplicate gear purchases, and was instrumental in showing a "path" where I could dive rec but if/when I chose I could bump it up without having to change gear diving style etc.

Used gear abounds; if you try something find that it works and confirm that it will work for "the next level" then it all works out. You can save by purchasing only what you currently need and making sure it will work for where you want to go.

If you have a group of people you want to dive with then it also somewhat pays to match their gear. If everyone is diving double 80's, may not work well to show up in doubled 119's etc.

Books can be a great way to steer, and overall don't cost that much.

Just some random quick thoughts- but would be interested in hearing about your direction and first thoughts.
Dave

I've had my first little taste of technical diving and I liked it. Next comes more courses, more gear and of course more money needed to pay for it. I'm looking for the least expensive way to get the gear I need. Is it a reasonable method to buy just a couple of pieces at a time with the understanding that it could be months before I have all I need to use it. Any other ideas?

Thanks,
mudchick