Help a newbie: BCD + Reg for warm/cold waters

[astralmind]

Well I've been doing my fair share of reading, on this very forum and elsewhere and would greatly appreciate input from you guys.

My wife and I just got OW cert aswell as Advanced (which really, isn't advanced by any means). We dove 17 times over 2 weeks in Roatan and absolutely loved every minute of it. We were lucky enough to have an instructor for the 2 of us alone that tagged along for all our "class dives" and most of our "fun dives".

We already both have our masks (atomic subframe) fins (Scubapro Nova Seawings), snorkels, booties and 3 mil full wetsuits. We rented the remaining equipment (Scubapro Pilot BCD and the least expensive scubapro reg).

Our experience with the rental gear, which we've used for 2 weeks was rather positive. The BCD was comfy enough and the "vest" style didn't bother us much although we had nothing to compare it against. The regs were ok but we could easily tell that breathing capacities varied pretty widely depending on how full our tank was and on depth.

Unfortunately, we live pretty far from warm waters (Montreal, Quebec) and there is no doubt we will want to dive in waters closer to our home (no way we'll be waiting for our yearly trip for more dives!). This means potentially very low water temps.

I'm a geek and enjoy shopping for any tech gear but truly am a bit confused with the various options.

To me, it seems I'd rather want to invest in a higher quality sealed reg that can be easily serviced. Our budget remains limited so I cannot afford to go extreme, nor will we be diving at a rate requiring high end equipment. My favorite candidate so far is the Atomic Z2 (sealed) which is roughly going for 440$ online. That would be pushing my budget but from what I've gathered it would be a worthwhile investment. Any thoughts or alternatives on this ?

As for the BCD that one is much more complicated. I saw a package on a popular website not long ago that bundled the Atomic Z2 with the Sherwhood Avid Cqr3 for an insane price.. turns out the price was wrong and got corrected. That being said it got me looking at that BCD and it does look like the Sherwood Cqr2 is a great BCD at a rather agressive price (280$ online). Not exactly sure what are the benefits of the Cqr3 for almost twice as much! While reading up I did notice that most were in favor of back vs vest however most options I've seen were much costlier. As I mentioned, we'll be traveling down south for our dives but also (most likely) diving locally in colder waters. Although it's not a huge deal, I would prefer a system with integrated weights.

As far as computers go, I'm looking for a simple wrist mounted solution that supports Nitrox and can be easily hooked to a PC, relying on a standard gauge for air. Basically more on the value end for this one. Haven't seen any specific model that jumped out, there seems to be many that offer the same features at the same price. Any recommendations here ?

Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[thefeve]

As a recent newb myself, diving regular in the puget sound, I'd highly encourage you look into a backplate and wing setup. Very simple, low cost, easy to pack for vacation diving, and can grow with you as you progress in the sport. Ive already started doubles training! Doesn't have any fancy bells and whistles, but that's what is so nice about it. Do some more research on it, and I bet you'll find similar recommendations from cold water divers.

Good luck!

 

[They call me Tater]

I have a B2 and my buddy has a Z2. I believe you will be very happy with it. As for the computer/Gage setup. I bought a new reg but combined it with a used rental console for just a bit more. As for the BC, I bought a 'wrong sized return' so no advice for you there other than to make sure you like diving locally first. Cold, fresh water is way different than tropical reefs. It may impact your decision.

 

[astralmind]

Thanks to both of you for your input.

I've been reading on the whole BCD jacket vs BP/W debate, wow quite a hot topic hehe. Will certainly investigate further, I had not even considered that option.

As far as BCDs go though I had also thought of a more travel friendly model. The Cressi Air came up as highly recommended however I found out that weight wise there was a 3 pounds difference between it and the Sherwood Avid, for quite a bit more $... 3 pounds is not negligible but big picture, seems like not such a huge selling point.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Well I've been doing my fair share of reading, on this very forum and elsewhere and would greatly appreciate input from you guys.

My wife and I just got OW cert aswell as Advanced (which really, isn't advanced by any means). We dove 17 times over 2 weeks in Roatan and absolutely loved every minute of it. We were lucky enough to have an instructor for the 2 of us alone that tagged along for all our "class dives" and most of our "fun dives".

We already both have our masks (atomic subframe) fins (Scubapro Nova Seawings), snorkels, booties and 3 mil full wetsuits. We rented the remaining equipment (Scubapro Pilot BCD and the least expensive scubapro reg).

Our experience with the rental gear, which we've used for 2 weeks was rather positive. The BCD was comfy enough and the "vest" style didn't bother us much although we had nothing to compare it against. The regs were ok but we could easily tell that breathing capacities varied pretty widely depending on how full our tank was and on depth.

Unfortunately, we live pretty far from warm waters (Montreal, Quebec) and there is no doubt we will want to dive in waters closer to our home (no way we'll be waiting for our yearly trip for more dives!). This means potentially very low water temps.

I'm a geek and enjoy shopping for any tech gear but truly am a bit confused with the various options.

To me, it seems I'd rather want to invest in a higher quality sealed reg that can be easily serviced. Our budget remains limited so I cannot afford to go extreme, nor will we be diving at a rate requiring high end equipment. My favorite candidate so far is the Atomic Z2 (sealed) which is roughly going for 440$ online. That would be pushing my budget but from what I've gathered it would be a worthwhile investment. Any thoughts or alternatives on this ?

As for the BCD that one is much more complicated. I saw a package on a popular website not long ago that bundled the Atomic Z2 with the Sherwhood Avid Cqr3 for an insane price.. turns out the price was wrong and got corrected. That being said it got me looking at that BCD and it does look like the Sherwood Cqr2 is a great BCD at a rather agressive price (280$ online). Not exactly sure what are the benefits of the Cqr3 for almost twice as much! While reading up I did notice that most were in favor of back vs vest however most options I've seen were much costlier. As I mentioned, we'll be traveling down south for our dives but also (most likely) diving locally in colder waters. Although it's not a huge deal, I would prefer a system with integrated weights.

As far as computers go, I'm looking for a simple wrist mounted solution that supports Nitrox and can be easily hooked to a PC, relying on a standard gauge for air. Basically more on the value end for this one. Haven't seen any specific model that jumped out, there seems to be many that offer the same features at the same price. Any recommendations here ?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Consider a Back Plate and Wing (BP&W) It's a modular BC that can be adapted to a wide range of applications. I'm a bit biased, as BP&W is our primary (DeepSeaSupply) product.

While the modular nature of BP&W's are an advantage the number of possible combinations can make selection daunting for those not familiar with them. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions and make a recommendation based on your application.

The starting point for a specific recommendation is:

Height and weight

Most buoyant and least buoyant exposure suit

What cylinders you will be using.

Tobin

 

[vincent54]

I will add my two cents. I've had good luck with the Scuba Pro and Suunto products. They seem to be everywhere in the world, so if you are on vacation there is support if problems arise. I am a fan of buying from a shop you are comfortable with, and maybe pay a bit more. The support you will get in terms of warranty, etc. goes a long ways. Nothing wrong with supporting a local business, tell them what your wants are and let them help. Cheers and have fun.

I

 

[swimmer_spe]

The one important thing to remember: You need to make sure that the equipment will work in cold waters.

My first first stage free flowed because it was only rated to 45 F. Waters were 30 F

 

[astralmind]

The one important thing to remember: You need to make sure that the equipment will work in cold waters.

My first first stage free flowed because it was only rated to 45 F. Waters were 30 F

That's interesting! I doubt we'll be frequently diving in waters that low temp though. 50ish might be more common, I'm assuming 60 and up most of the time. That being said, if I can find a reg that would handle lower temps, that would be a nice to have!

As far as BP/W conf go, I'll keep it in mind as an option.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Look at the scubapro kinghthawk/ladyhawk. I've been extremely happy with my ladyhawk and it packs well.

 

[elan]

As you live in Montreal Atomics will be at the end of my list. You have to remember that Atomics are pistons and sealing them involves packing the chamber with christolube. Yes the one you have mentioned is sealed but it's very expensive here to seal them. It will cost you about $40-$50 on top of other expenses just to seal the reg when you service it. We dive in similar conditions here and the workhorse regs that will work for both cold and warm waters for us are diaphragm ScubaPro MK17 /G250V and Apeks XTX50 with DST or DS4 first stage. I know quite a few people here who were excited with the Atomics in the beginning as they were pushed by their LDS but later switched to Apeks due to service costs. You can dive an unsealed piston in cold water and I do it regularly but they are more finicky in those conditions and if I had to choose either or I would take a diaphragm reg for cold water without thinking twice.

SP MK17 or Apeks would be on the top of my list together with Aqualung Titan LX or Aqualung Legend. Poseidons are great in cold water too but they are more difficult to find a good service tech here. The SP and Apeks have a very good resale value as well. Even when they are 10-15 years old they still go for good money.

You can still possibly catch a deal with beaverdivers clearing the last year stock on MK17/G250V for 399 or on Apeks north east scuba supply. If you can get one of those deals it's a nobrainer and I would not think twice going for it.

I have a good contact for servicing those regs in Ottawa, shoot me a PM if you need.

I would get one of the BP/W types of BCDs from Tobin @ DSS - he responded above I think.

Well I've been doing my fair share of reading, on this very forum and elsewhere and would greatly appreciate input from you guys.

My wife and I just got OW cert aswell as Advanced (which really, isn't advanced by any means). We dove 17 times over 2 weeks in Roatan and absolutely loved every minute of it. We were lucky enough to have an instructor for the 2 of us alone that tagged along for all our "class dives" and most of our "fun dives".

We already both have our masks (atomic subframe) fins (Scubapro Nova Seawings), snorkels, booties and 3 mil full wetsuits. We rented the remaining equipment (Scubapro Pilot BCD and the least expensive scubapro reg).

Our experience with the rental gear, which we've used for 2 weeks was rather positive. The BCD was comfy enough and the "vest" style didn't bother us much although we had nothing to compare it against. The regs were ok but we could easily tell that breathing capacities varied pretty widely depending on how full our tank was and on depth.

Unfortunately, we live pretty far from warm waters (Montreal, Quebec) and there is no doubt we will want to dive in waters closer to our home (no way we'll be waiting for our yearly trip for more dives!). This means potentially very low water temps.

I'm a geek and enjoy shopping for any tech gear but truly am a bit confused with the various options.

To me, it seems I'd rather want to invest in a higher quality sealed reg that can be easily serviced. Our budget remains limited so I cannot afford to go extreme, nor will we be diving at a rate requiring high end equipment. My favorite candidate so far is the Atomic Z2 (sealed) which is roughly going for 440$ online. That would be pushing my budget but from what I've gathered it would be a worthwhile investment. Any thoughts or alternatives on this ?

As for the BCD that one is much more complicated. I saw a package on a popular website not long ago that bundled the Atomic Z2 with the Sherwhood Avid Cqr3 for an insane price.. turns out the price was wrong and got corrected. That being said it got me looking at that BCD and it does look like the Sherwood Cqr2 is a great BCD at a rather agressive price (280$ online). Not exactly sure what are the benefits of the Cqr3 for almost twice as much! While reading up I did notice that most were in favor of back vs vest however most options I've seen were much costlier. As I mentioned, we'll be traveling down south for our dives but also (most likely) diving locally in colder waters. Although it's not a huge deal, I would prefer a system with integrated weights.

As far as computers go, I'm looking for a simple wrist mounted solution that supports Nitrox and can be easily hooked to a PC, relying on a standard gauge for air. Basically more on the value end for this one. Haven't seen any specific model that jumped out, there seems to be many that offer the same features at the same price. Any recommendations here ?

Thanks a lot for your help!

---------- Post added February 20th, 2013 at 07:46 AM ----------

The only place where you would get that temp is The river upstream from Montreal mid - late summer. Even if you want to go and dive Les Escoumins the water there is pretty cold.

That's interesting! I doubt we'll be frequently diving in waters that low temp though. 50ish might be more common, I'm assuming 60 and up most of the time. That being said, if I can find a reg that would handle lower temps, that would be a nice to have!

As far as BP/W conf go, I'll keep it in mind as an option.