Help a Baby Diver Pick BCD and Regs

[foolds]

My wife and I got our open water certs on our honeymoon in Thailand about 3 months ago. We are going diving again in Mexico around the 18th of this month.

So far we have managed to Accumulate some gear.
We both have Wet Suits 3mm full
Booties
Fins
Masks
Snorkels

Ive also gotten her
Travelite BCD
Cressi 1st and Second Stage and Octo
Dive Bag
Cressi Dive Computer


I've got A Oceanic Atom 3.1 Dive computer with Transmitter but thats it.

Now for the Next Part.

Trying to Look for a decent set of first gear that can grow with me as a diver... Being that we live in Colorado we will pretty much always have to fly to get to a Diving spot so weight and size does matter..
Looking around and reading and talking to a couple of online dive shops Ive come up with a couple of options on BCD's but am open if you think I'm way off base.. Budget is around $350 for BCD. and $350 For 1st and Second Stages plus Octo. There is some flexibility if need in that budget.

The BCD's Ive been recomened are.
Cressi Air Travel 2.0 BC
Prime BCD with MRS Plus Weight Pockets

As for Regs I'm considering Dive Right in's Deal of $399 for the TX50 First, Second and Octo Package

Help a new diver out. Ive found when getting into a new hobby forums are a great way to get advice with out worrying about if a store is selling you on a product.

JJ

 

[runsongas]

DGX Custom - DGX Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package | Dive Gear Express®

Scuba Diving Gear, Classes and Dive , snorkel Charters. - BCDs - bcd, dive rite, diverite, transpac, xt, softpac, soft pac, harness, soft, bcd, back inflate, voyager, pack, pac, voyagerpac, voyagerpack, scuba, dive, diving, tech, tec, tek, diver, dixie

 

[Peter Guy]

Before anyone else does, I'll say it:

BCD --- back plate and wing! -- if you are really concerned about weight, get an aluminum (or plastic) plate that has the cambands on it (not on an STA) and a smallish wing (my tropical wing is a 25 pound lift wing). The whole rig should weigh about 3-4 pounds and will be slightly negative. If you put weight pockets on the cambands and/or the waist strap, you'll be able to have more than enough places to put weights so that you trim out well. The system travels much easier than most "regular" BCDs because it is modular. You should be able to stay well within your budget. It will also "grow" with you -- good for cold or warm water (but you'll need a bigger wing for cold water).

The HOG/Edge reg sets tend to be well priced and with Black Friday coming up, you should find some good specials. BTW, think about switching from a secondary donate system to a primary donate one when you get your reg set.

 

[tridacna]

Be aware that on this forum that any question asked with regard to BCD selection will ALWAYS result in the recommendation of a Back Pack and Wing (BPW) no matter what. It is generally sound advice but you should ask around some local dive stores to help balance the one-sided advice you will receive on each end. Advice here borders on fanatical proselytizing to "you will die" if you don't wear a BPW.

 

[diversteve]

I like your choice of regs because I might have bought those myself if I didn't already have better ones. Apeks is a good brand, the TX50 is a good reg and should you get involved in local diving, also works good in cold water. And that's a good price. IDK if it was a typo but once I noticed it was $299 for the same ad but that changed within about a day - I probably should've bought one...lol.

I can't speak to the Cressi because IDK anything about it but the Mares Prime is heavy for a travel BC since it's not one - it's one of the heavier full featured BC's I've seen - I don't think my doubles rig weighs that much:



There's also a range of travel BC's that are more optimized for that.

They tend to use lighter componenents, have smaller wings/less lift etc. since you don't need as much for warm water. Starting around $375 and up. Some are Zeagle's Covert, Aqualung's Zuma or Scubapro's Lighthawk. Note they're all back-inflate - as are the prior bp/w suggestions. It's easier to trim horizontally when the weight is either centered or below center and the air cell is on your back. The Covert is nice because it rolls up like a newspaper and weighs 3.9 lbs - add a lb. for integrated weights.

If we take the suggestions of the vocal minority everyone would be diving a BP/W with a long hose Hog reg set and self-servicing their regs. Not for me...

 

[foolds]

So the back plate and wings look the like torture devices.. are the better to wear then they look?

Guess. I got some more learning to do as I have not looked at that style at all..

 

[stuartv]

So the back plate and wings look the like torture devices.. are the better to wear then they look?

Yes, they are totally comfortable, even with only board shorts on. With bare skin, the bare metal of the BP does have that "cold" feeling when it first touches your skin. That's the only "discomfort" of it at all, to me.

I second the suggestion for this BCD (which is a BP/W):

DGX Custom - DGX Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package | Dive Gear Express®

And also suggest this reg set:

DGX Custom - Hollis DC1/212 Streamlined OW Reg Package | Dive Gear Express®

Take the SPG off and carry it with you as a ready-to-go spare. Screw your Atom transmitter in place. Go diving.

I have an Atom 3.0 with transmitter. For single tank diving, I use only the AI transmitter with no actual SPG attached. It will be 2 years old next month and the transmitter is still using the original battery, and the battery status still shows on the computer as "Good". That's 2 years and over 100 dives. I've replaced the battery in the computer itself 2 times, I think. So, it's on its 3rd battery. I think maybe leaving it to soak in my bathtub for hours or overnight after diving in salt water may be causing the computer battery to run down prematurely. I have now stopped soaking it for so long.

 

[runsongas]

there is no good reason to pay 400 for the hollis regs when DRIS is selling apeks for 300.

 

[jd950]

I will largely echo what diversteve said. The BP/Wing proponents are much more vocal here than those who don't use the backplate and wing, so I don't know how much more you will hear on the BCD choices. I have been diving for years and a BP/W is not my choice...doesn't work as well FOR ME as a good back inflate BCD for for the diving I DO, which is probably much like the diving you will do. I understand that you will need to fly to dive, (given where you live) and assume you are looking for a suitable warm water BCD, maybe with a pocket or two. The travel models already suggested are good choice due to compactness and weight. I am unfamiliar with the two models you have listed so I have no comment there but Cressi is very popular brand and you see a lot of them in the rental fleet for a lot of dive ops. You should also take a look at some Zeagle, Aqualung and Scubapro models that are slightly bulkier and heavier than the travel models. In return they tend to be a bit more durable and have a few nice features. If you are hard to fit, a nice aspect of many zeagle models is that you can personalize the fit of the BCD. Take a look at their website for more if that is of interest.There is a lot to be said for trying on a BCD but you should also check Leisure pro for online ordering. They have a fit guarantee that allows you to exchange for a different size product at no cost, including free return shipping. I have no connection with them except having bought stuff from them for years. Locally for you, A1 scuba has a sale each May and most products are about 10% off, and some of the other shops in the area will offer things like birthday discounts. Generally, a lot of scuba gear is heavily price controlled so it can take work to find a deal. Beaver Divers up in the Avon/Vail area does online sales and sometimes has good prices. You might want to also check out Scubatoys in Texas (online sales).

Basically, you need to decide on back inflate vs jacket style. I prefer back inflate. Then, assuming I am right about the travel, look for something that is not too bulky or heavy so you can travel with it. The models mentioned by Steve are good choices and there are some other models that also work for travel, including Zeagle Stiletto, Scubapro nighthawk, Aqualung Luna and Dimension, etc. Some of these may be above your price point, but you might find a deal. As far as regs, consider where you will want to have regs serviced and be sure you get a brand that can be serviced there. Locally, you will find most shops handle scubapro and aqualung and atomic, only a few will sell diverite locally. Atomic regs are good but have a unique issue when rinsing and many dive ops in mexico will offer to take care of your gear for you and Atomic regs can be a problem in that situation. I would suggest you take a look at Aqualung Titan or Titan LX. perhaps a bit beyond your preferred pricepoint, but a good reg and comes with or can be fitted with the ACD which helps protect the reg if you or a dive op fails to put dust cap in place during rinsing/soaking. I generally do not like or suggest people get the cheap octos that are often sold with regs. Get something good in case you or your wife needs it someday.

For dive computers, try to read up on algorithms and be sure you and your wife have computers using the same or very similar algorithms. if you will keep using the Atom then her computer should probably also be an Oceanic and you should both use the same algorithm (DSAT or Z+).

Have fun. Hope this helps.

 

[foolds]

Yes, they are totally comfortable, even with only board shorts on. With bare skin, the bare metal of the BP does have that "cold" feeling when it first touches your skin. That's the only "discomfort" of it at all, to me.

I second the suggestion for this BCD (which is a BP/W):

DGX Custom - DGX Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package | Dive Gear Express®

And also suggest this reg set:

DGX Custom - Hollis DC1/212 Streamlined OW Reg Package | Dive Gear Express®

Take the SPG off and carry it with you as a ready-to-go spare. Screw your Atom transmitter in place. Go diving.

I have an Atom 3.0 with transmitter. For single tank diving, I use only the AI transmitter with no actual SPG attached. It will be 2 years old next month and the transmitter is still using the original battery, and the battery status still shows on the computer as "Good". That's 2 years and over 100 dives. I've replaced the battery in the computer itself 2 times, I think. So, it's on its 3rd battery. I think maybe leaving it to soak in my bathtub for hours or overnight after diving in salt water may be causing the computer battery to run down prematurely. I have now stopped soaking it for so long.

My plan was to have both an SPG with Depth, and the Dive watch with Transmiter.. Dunno seams safer to me to have a backup on the tank presure.. Plus I'm told its better when you are doing your pre dive test because the transmitters are not fast enough to show a issue? Once again could just be a dive shop trying to sell me a SPG.