Good Deal or not so much?

[WannaBworlddiver]

Just started diving recently as a gift my wife wants to buy me some dive gear. I bought the basics (fins mask snorkel etc.) when doing my certification. While searching online she came along Essential Scuba Dive package. Basically a website was offering this bundle..

Aqua Lung Pro LT Scuba BCD
Aqua Long titan Scuba Regulator
Suunto Zoop 2 gauge Computer
Aqua Lung ABS Scuba Octopus

All for an amazing price. What are your suggestions on this? Is it a good deal or not so much? Much appreciated

The WannaB

 

[Lizard Leg]

I bought three of these packages - son, wife, myself. My wife upgraded her package to the Pearl BC, I upgraded to the Balance BC. Son really liked the Pro LT so he stuck with that. We used the Titan regulators almost exclusively in the keys for training and our first dives and really liked it. The Zoop seems to be a really good entry level computer, and will also handle nitrox. We added the SK7 compasses' as well.

So far everyone is happy with this choice. Another plus is everyones gear is pretty much interchangeable other than size. We all have the same regs, the same seconds, the same computers, the same SPG's, the same compass - since we dive together almost exclusively, it makes learning each others gear a snap.

Of course, YMMV. You're going to get a LOT of suggestions to go with a BP/W setup, and you can do so for not much more cost I believe. Just depends on what you want and what you are comfortable with. The Pearl is made for women and my wife loves it. I wanted a back inflate, so I went with the Balance and I love it. Son likes the wrap around feeling of a jacket.

If you have a local shop that handles Aqualung, they will almost all match the online price of divers direct and the other online AL dealers. If they have this gear in rental form, get them to let you into the pool with the exact gear you are thinking about.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

Everything sounds great, except for the BCD. The BCD is a jacket BCD, which is comfortable but makes it harder to get proper horizontal trim, compared to a backplate and wing. Some people prefer jacket BCDs, though.

I have nearly the same set-up as that, and all the equipment is high quality and reliable.

 

[Colliam7]

my wife wants to buy me some dive gear . . . While searching online she came along Essential Scuba Dive package . . . All for an amazing price. . . . Is it a good deal or not so much?

Nothing really wrong with the gear. I wouldn't buy it, but that may just be me.

1. I am not sure $919 is an 'amazing' price.
2. I prefer a back-inflate BCD for recreational diving, although I also own a jacket BCD and use it effectively.
3. I don't care for weight-integrated BCDs, although the majority of new recreational BCDs being sold are weight-integrated.
4. I don't like the AquaLung SureLock system - but, it is better than some weight-integrated systems, however.
5. I also don't care for the 'octo pocket' style.
6. The reg (first stage and primary) is fine.
7. The computer is a nice addition
8. The octopus is marginal

 

[buddhasummer]

Aqualung make some nice gear, the Titan is a good regulator, the Zoop a nice simple, easy to use and reliable computer. The rest is not my cup of tea but is certainly not "bad" gear just not my preference. Price, no idea.

 

[TSandM]

Wow -- I posted a response to this earlier, and it disappeared!

We bought Titans for our first regulators, and still have them, and have never been dissatisfied with them. I don't know the particular second stage being sold as an "octo" in this package, though.

The Zoop is a good entry-level computer.

The BC isn't one I would buy, but it probably isn't bad gear, if you want a jacket.

$919 isn't a bad price. Our dive shop has a package with a DSS backplate and wing, a SubGear regulator with octo and pressure gauge, and a Zoop, as an entry level package at $999. So that's in the ballpark, because in your package, you'd have to buy the pressure gauge.

 

[Lizard Leg]

SPG comes with the Zoop 2 gauge console on the Essentials package, but doesn't come with a compass.

 

[maniago]

I was offered the same package and I'll be dropping cash on two of these with the following "upgrades", or at least that's todays plan...

Balance BCD (Libra for the wife); Titan LX Supreme (cold water reg), ABS octo (stnd package), Oceanic Vt3 air integrated hoseless....

Not part of the package, but we also picked up his/hers Solafx 8/7 and Oceanic wrist compasses via another vendor...

I pretty much don't expect to buy again for a long long time....we'll that's the plan anyway!

 

[Lizard Leg]

Maniago - you'll like the Balance I think. I really like mine. It took me a few dives to get everything sorted out the way I wanted it - this clips here, octo goes here, etc. but I really like it.

 

[maniago]

Yeah, I pooled with one yesterday and where as I was having problems floating neutral with a jacket style, it was a no brainer (well, fewer brains anyway) with the Balance. We did an underwater swap, and I was sold in about 3 minutes. I even like the surface float with it better - I could assume the "Lazy-boy recliner" position and it was pretty darn comfy. Even upright with the right back weights wasn't an issue and the one I was borrowing was too big for me....