Going tech....

[robbanks78]

So, I have decided to go tech, albeit not in the near future, and I have a Zeagle Ranger Ltd. which i guess could get me started in the tech area, but i know that a BP/W is going to be in my future.

Now I am near Lake City where Dive Rite is located and they are a very reasonable price point for their product IMHO.

However, I like to do a fair amount of research before I buy. Since I am new to this area of scuba. Is it worth paying the extra money for the cost of items like OMS and Halycon or are more value (all relative) companies like Dive Rite and good choice to start with.

i am doing NAUI tech since I have found an excellent instructor who is not only very knowledgable, but is an excellent teacher.

Thanks for the input!

Rob

 

[in_cavediver]

So, I have decided to go tech, albeit not in the near future, and I have a Zeagle Ranger Ltd. which i guess could get me started in the tech area, but i know that a BP/W is going to be in my future.

Now I am near Lake City where Dive Rite is located and they are a very reasonable price point for their product IMHO.

However, I like to do a fair amount of research before I buy. Since I am new to this area of scuba. Is it worth paying the extra money for the cost of items like OMS and Halycon or are more value (all relative) companies like Dive Rite and good choice to start with.

i am doing NAUI tech since I have found an excellent instructor who is not only very knowledgable, but is an excellent teacher.

Thanks for the input!

Rob

Well, I have halcyon and dive rite gear. My plate and wing is halcyon, my primary and two of my regs are dive rite. In my opinion there is nothing second rate or 'value' about the dive rite gear I've seen and used. Actually, my wife had been diving the hacyoln plate and wing went to the transpac after trying it.It simply fit her better. I also much prefer the dive rite compact MR-11 HID better than the others when I bought it in2002. Another good company to add to your list is oxycheq and salvo. They make products similar to dive rite, OMS and halcyon. I am sure there are others.

That said, before you make a significant investment in gear, talk to your tech instuctor and see what if any specific requirement he has. Some agencies have quite rigorous requirements while others have more relaxed requirements. (It would suck to drop a couple grand on gear only to be told its not acceptable for the class you want to take)

 

[karstdvr]

Why don't you go by Dive Rite in Lake City,they are some very nice people and will explain any question about their gear you might have. There isn't a manufacturer that I haven't used somewhere along the way,and all produce great gear,but to me how you are treated after the sale,or when you have a problem is the key motivator. That is probably one of the reasons that I keep going back to Dive Rite,in your case with your proximity to them,they'd probably get you fixed up in the same day.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

On a customer service basis, Diver Rite wins hands down over OMS. And in my opinion the equipment quality is essentially the same overall.

Halycon makes great stuff, but I don't like all of it - particularly things like weight pouches where the Dive Rite pouches are better than the Halycon pouches by at least one order of magnitude. I have both dive rite and Halycon wings and the quality is slightly better on the Halycon wing, but the quality and construction of the Dive Rite wing is more than adequate, so the extra bucks for the additional quality is basically overkill.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

I have a veritable plethora of DR gear and have had no issues save one. One time when my light was acting up on a trip to FLA I stopped by Lake City to get their assessment. It was DEMA '04 so Lamar and crew were not around but Dyson spent a good half-hour going over my light (which worked perfectly while being inspected and has since). No charge for the inspection since we couldn't recreate the problem. He went on to tell us about some of his secret dive spots that we hadn't found in DeLoach's book, and certainly lived up to their reputation for customer service. I highly reccommend Dive Rite.

 

[MSilvia]

Take a look at OxyCheq too, at least for wings. The quality of their products is among the best, and the prices are often half of their competitors. Larry at Scubatoys will even give a scubaboard discount.

As for backplates, I wouldn't pay an extra nickel for a brand name, and hogarthian harnesses are easy to DIY.

 

[robbanks78]

Thank you to everyone for your advice. As always, every member has given good advice. See you all in the tech world shortly!


Rob

 

[VinceDS]

Problem w/ going Tech and asking people their opinions, unfortunately, is you are going to get a hell of a lot of opinions.

Personally, my wings (40 and 55lb) and BPs (AL and SS) are Halcyon, my regs are all Apeks (atx50's for deco and atx200's for back gas). Dry Suit is DUI, SPGs are mixed, lift bags are OMS, fins are Scubapro, tanks are PST, manifolds are al Halcyon, bands are Highland, bottom timers Uwatec, Dive Rite - canister light, trim weights, wet notes, compass, etc...

and the list goes on...

In the end, a lot of what you will do will purchase will be based off of instructor recommendations or a lot of research.

Good Luck and, FWIW, I went the NAUI tech route...