Having the "Exact Same" equipment as your partner

[murph200]

Question...is it advantageous for a diver (me) and my main dive partner (wife) to have all the same equipment? We're new to diving and just starting to buy lots of great equipment.

I was having this chat with my brother-in-law and the main Pro is the fact that you'd be knowledgeable on each other's equipment. The main Con is the fact that if a piece of equipment (say regulator) decides to fail in a certain diving environment, then both regulators might fail.

What are your thoughts?

In case you're interested, below is a high-level overview of my equipment that I'm planning on buying:
- DSS BPW's.
- HOG regulators
- Not sure about wrist or console computers.

 

[cb5150]

I think the pros outweigh the cons. Besides, I think you'll both look cute in pink fins.

 

[drrich2]

I think the more realistic con. is that while you are starting out much the same, over time you will diverge to some extent. And your preferences will vary.

My wife is OW & Nitrox & content to be a tropical low-current high-viz. vacation diver; sort of a 'dabbler.'

I'm more of an enthusiast. Our equipment differs.

Some people much prefer a wrist dive computer; some people like an air-integrated console unit without messing with a wireless transmitter.

And if you get different products, you can both try them & diversify your experience.

I'm not pushing you guys to get different stuff; just throwing out a few thoughts on potential pro.s of diversifying.

On the other hand, if you have the same dive computer brand & model, and either of you knows how to work the thing...

Richard.

 

[hellhole]

Starting out at the same point is good.. but have to realise that everyone grow differently.. and like different things....

 

[Damselfish]

It's somewhat handy to have the same or similar computers if you're diving together most of the time - easy to glance at the other and know right away what's what, to have the same algorithm, maybe for battery replacement, and to be able to operate each others easily. (Hey, we just flew 10 time zones, could you fix the time on all the computers while I set up my camera?)

The main Con is the fact that if a piece of equipment (say regulator) decides to fail in a certain diving environment, then both regulators might fail.

This seems pretty far fetched to me. Sure if you were cold water diving and had the same regs that weren't good for cold water there's some chance they'd both be a problem, but it's because they're the wrong regs not because they're the same. Regs don't fail often and shouldn't be failing for any environmental reason (nor should any other equipment in any kind of normal diving.) In my experience when a reg fails it's usually because someone screwed up servicing one, or possibly poor cleaning/maintenance. (My husband and I have had the same reg setups of one sort or another for over 20 years, and we've each had the occasional issue - never the same thing and certainly never in parallel, and almost always right after service.) On the other hand, it can be very convenient to have the same brand of regs for the purposes of servicing.

I'd say the real con to the same equipment, is for most equipment fit and personal preference should rule, and this will tend to lead to different equipment. If you really want the same thing that's one thing, but buying the same of everything just to get the same increases the likelihood one person won't be getting what they prefer, and also the likelihood they'll soon want to replace it.

As far as being knowledgeable of each others equipment, you can be so even if you have different equipment - and quite frankly unless you're talking about something like a pair of rebreathers it's not like there is all that much to know.

 

[Hatul]

It's unlikely that equipment fails at the same time even if it's the same brand. It's an advantage to use the same gear.

 

[elmer fudd]

Unless you have some really serious diving planned then I don't think it makes much sense. If you plan on doing 300' dives on tri-mix or cave diving or wreck penetration then it makes a lot of sense to have the same gear. For just recreational diving to 100' or less, not so much.

What you'll likely find too if you get the technical training is that they will dictate to you what kind of gear you should have.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Having the same computer strikes me as ideal. Having similar bcd can help with familiarizing yourselves with the others gear but what is more important is that you understand each other's perfectly for buddy check and in the event of an in water emergency. To me, regs are regs.

 

[Cosimo_Zaretti]

I'd let your wife choose her own gear. You can tell her why she's wrong later.

 

[261311]

I think the only real benefits to that are sharing parts. Honestly if you're going to be buddies with one single person, and you can ensure that and depend on it you'll have more than enough time to "buddy up" and be intimately familiar with their gear before even leaving. Try it on, test it out, whichever and make sure it's safe and you understand its functions. I really don't think owning the same gear is any safer than diversifying, it just shortens the learning curve. If you think you're just as familiar with your identical gear as you are with your buddies, think again. It's not on you so it will still be different. This means you still need to face a learning curve becoming comfortable releasing the safeties, straps and snaps while it's donned on another person, not because you know how it works and you can just go by feel on yourself. Most people can look in a mirror and comb their hair because it's been the norm for 20+ years, they cannot however write while looking into that mirror, or participate in anything that's not habitual without the initial practice when they're not directly "feeling" it. I think I'd rather have a buddy who was comfortable and happy in their own gear that I had to spend 10-15 minutes learning about for the first couple dives and being comfortable with myself for emergencies than the possibility of two divers being uncomfortable because they found a middle-ground, giving cause to emergencies.

The question really amounts to "how much learning are you willing to put into it"? Largely, very little gear is so drastically different on the market (I feel) where you couldn't "figure it out" pretty easily with a proper little sit down and a thorough pre-dive check. The functioning concepts of practically everything but the interface of a computer are largely the same. Even computers I'd diversify so that you could have someone's as a definitively different, and more conservative rig.