Help me decide if getting my own gear makes sense.

[OceanicRocks]

no one has commented on my main concerns posted here http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3124585-post5.html

 

[Mark Vlahos]

many great suggestions that will be considered... I wonder if you could elaborte on some of your wrong eqipment decitions... It would be beneficial to know. thanks for posting.

Well, you asked for it.

My first BC was a vest style BC. I still have it, but I never use it. Eventually switched to a Zeagle back inflate, liked it but now never use it. I now dive a backplate and wing, far more appropriate for my current diving. It does work for normal recreational diving, but it is almost a requirement for cave diving.

A similar evolution with a computer. The first one did not have NITROX capability (this was normal at the time). I outgrew it when I started using NITROX. I replaced it with another and eventually out grew that one as I started planned decompression diving.

Silly things like fins have followed similar patterns, I'm now on my third set of fins, actually evolving forward to the oldest design I have used the ScubaPro Jet fins.

Knives, I first got a big "pig sticker" which I never used. I replaced it with a small BC knife, and now use a "Z" knife and EMT Shears.

The list is seemingly endless but you will discover that whatever you get first is not likely to meet your eventual desires. Most recreational divers would have stopped at my second set of gear and been quite happy in the long term, but I continued on the path to more technical diving profiles. You probably won't do this, most divers don't.

When I get in the water for a cave dive I am wearing well over $4000 worth of gear and I have spent as much on training along the way, you don't need that to dive a coral reef in the Bahamas.

Good Luck,

Mark Vlahos

 

[nereas]

no one has commented on my main concerns posted here http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3124585-post5.html

I thought I answered that?

I thought the answer was: yes, get your own basic gear for travel.

I thought that a 3 mm wetsuit, timer gauge, and reg (by Mares or Poseidon) were recommended.

And annual maintenance of $75 on the regs.

And a backplate/wing vs an expensive B/C.

What part of this answer was not understood??

 

[getwet2]

ok perhaps I need to clarify a bit... yes money is a factor in this. I am not one to skimp out on stuff as important as life support system... this is persicely the reason behind my wanting to gtmy own gear. I am already looking at about 1200 to $1500 worth in gear so I'm not looking to go cheap either. here is the thing and I may not have been as clear as I would hav liked to be on my opening post...

Money is a factor, yes... but SAFTY is a bigger factor if not the biggest. As I mentioned befor, I was told that not diving your regulator often can be harder on your equipment than diving it... since this will be most probably the case with me, Why am I going through the trouble of owning my gear? (perhaps this is a direct question to the vendor above?) I was also told that most diving regulator issues occur right after service... and getting them serviced too often is NOT a recipe for safety. so, the real question is... is it actually safer to own your own equipment if you don't dive it but once a year? and sometimes even skip a year or two. again, money is a factor but safety is the greaer factor for my decision...

If you already have all the basics and you are considering spending $1500 more, then you should be able to get your regs and bcd and still have a little left over to go towards the computer. If you have your own equipment it might also encourage you to try diving in the little lakes, rivers, ponds or quarries that might be close to your area now. Once you have your own gear, divng gets a little cheaper to do so that's a plus. Also keep an eye out for deals if you are not in a hurry to purchase the equipment, you might be able to pick up new gear that is being cleared out to make room for new models that are coming in. You don't need top of the line everything but don't buy something just because it's on sale either.

If you don't dive for an extended period of time, lets say 3 years for the sake of arugement, then don't worry about servicing your gear every year, just be sure that you DO get it checked out prior to your first dive. As for failures after servicing...... well s**t can happen at any time and not just after servicing, let your buddy know that it's the first dive with the serviced equipment and pay a little more attention to how the gear is performing during the dive. Keep it clean and store it properly.

To sum it up, I'd say get your own gear and start diving more. It also gives you an excuse to travel more, that's really where diving gets to be expensive though.

P.S. You don't say where you are from?

 

[Hank49]

no one has commented on my main concerns posted here http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3124585-post5.html

Your concerns about regulator function, reliability and maintenance cannot be answered with absolute certainty. The odds of everything turning out fine are in your favor though. If you don't service your reg in your "off season", just take it to a shop, hook it to a tank....or even jump in their pool with it and check it out a couple weeks before you go off on a trip. Same with the BC. make sure the inflator is working. There isn't a whole lot more to it.
If you buy gear, it may light a fire in you to dive more. As they say, getting of the bus at the wrong corner can change one's life. Just go for it and ride it out. No worries dude.

 

[diversteve]

no longer applicable

 

[Damselfish]

It's good to have your own stuff. But, there are people that always rent when traveling. There are pros and cons to each. If it won't "pay" to have gear you have to decide if the extra cost is worth it to you.

For tropical diving a basic computer makes sense financially, you should break even after a few trips, and you will be familiar with it which is a good thing. And it's easy to pack! It doesn't need any maintenance unless the battery needs replacing so there is no significant recurring cost.

Getting a BC also makes sense because of fit and familiarity. It will take somewhat longer to "pay off" but will eventually. Again, this doesn't really require maintenance/recurring cost, you can check it out yourself.

A reg may never "pay off" for you financially with 1 trip per year or less. You can probably rent a reg for around $60-70 per week in most vacation places - probably more or less the same as getting it serviced once will cost you. So for you this one is all about having a reg you trust. You will get rental regs ranging from complete crap to pretty good. It sounds like your experience with rental regs was on the crappy end of the scale and I wouldn't expect it to always be that bad - especially if you go to real dive operators at real dive destinations - an AI in Jamaica is neither. So it depends some where you travel. One thing about regs is, you don't have to get used to them like a computer or BC. You stick it in your mouth and breath, there is no learning curve. I'm not sure if you are always more likely to get a better rental at home that on vacation, and if something goes wrong with a rental from home when you're away you can't just swap it and probably don't want to get it fixed. You could rent from home if you are going someplace your research tells you might have suspect gear, and at the resort if you hear they have good stuff. Whatever.

I don't know that sitting around is so much harder on regs then diving them. But some people think if they only did a few dives then it sat for a couple years it is less likely to need service, and the important point is that this isn't true. But other than any interest in keeping a parts warranty active on certain brands, you don't need to maintain them every year if you're not using them. They can be serviced before you go and should be good as new - unless of course the service person screws up which can happen. Heck, some people believe in the throwaway reg - you can buy something new and decent pretty cheap, never service it, and just buy a new one in a few years with the money you saved on service. (I'm not sure maintaining one reg yourself occasionally is a way to save money, or get good at it.)

 

[OceanicRocks]

You're kidding right?

uuuuuhhhh yea! I think a picture is worth a thousand words, most I think get this smily when displayed

(it was displayed right after that comment) its a whinking smily as to say uuuhhhh just kidding guys ha ha... just to be sure, Yes I'm certified would you like me to show you my cert card? can you take a joke?

You're kidding right?

Actually Phil Ellis, Mark Vlahos, myself, Nereas and several others have addressed your concerns point by point. Did you read our responses?

Anyone else sensing a troll here? I've got better things to do...

Ok, wait a minute I think I see where the problem lies I said that folks have not answered post #5 linked above but that was an error (I'm human right? am I allowed to make mistake? gee I'm sure you never do). The link I wanted more feedback on was post #4 http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3124565-post4.html so again sorry about that folks...

Now, a troll? are you kidding me? you know what I already deal with small kids of my own and I come here to deal with adults and folks that help and hope that there will be anopportunity for me to give back as well. and I do... So I don't have the time to deal with stupidity and I won't. I will ignore you if you get out of hand or deal with it in other ways.

Having said that I actually found a few of your posts rather helpful until now so I hope you can leave this behind and refocus on post number 4.

as for everyone's advice it is all considered and YES I have read each and every one of them in detail. special thanks to damselfish and Mark Vlahos who have brought us excellent info and point. Now can we move on? ok here is a copy of post 4 below and inparticular see whats in the red. Some havetouched upon it a bit but I would like to hear more difinative expierience from others on this.

ok perhaps I need to clarify a bit... yes money is a factor in this. I am not one to skimp out on stuff as important as life support system... this is persicely the reason behind my wanting to gtmy own gear. I am already looking at about 1200 to $1500 worth in gear so I'm not looking to go cheap either. here is the thing and I may not have been as clear as I would hav liked to be on my opening post...

Money is a factor, yes... but SAFTY is a bigger factor if not the biggest. As I mentioned befor, I was told that not diving your regulator often can be harder on your equipment than diving it... since this will be most probably the case with me, Why am I going through the trouble of owning my gear? (perhaps this is a direct question to the vendor above?) I was also told that most diving regulator issues occur right after service... and getting them serviced too often is NOT a recipe for safety. so, the real question is... is it actually safer to own your own equipment if you don't dive it but once a year? and sometimes even skip a year or two. again, money is a factor but safety is the greaer factor for my decision...

or maybe this is the short answer below and there realy isn't any other...I just wanted to know if I get my own gear and it sits around but I get it serviced before I go diving... is that making it more or less safe? I don't mean to be beating a dead hourse. I hope I'm not.

Your concerns about regulator function, reliability and maintenance cannot be answered with absolute certainty. The odds of everything turning out fine are in your favor though. If you don't service your reg in your "off season", just take it to a shop, hook it to a tank....or even jump in their pool with it and check it out a couple weeks before you go off on a trip. Same with the BC. make sure the inflator is working. There isn't a whole lot more to it.
If you buy gear, it may light a fire in you to dive more. As they say, getting of the bus at the wrong corner can change one's life. Just go for it and ride it out. No worries dude.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

To address your concerns on safety. Rental equipment is often lower end gear that is frequently used and sometimes poorly cared for, usually by other renters, not the shop. Rental gear may get more frequent maintenance than somthing you might purchase, but it usually gets used more often too. You do need to consider that even if you buy the best piece of gear available and have it maintained regularly, it can still fail, perhaps rental gear is more likely to fail than purchased gear, but a part of that is YOU. If you own it you still need to check it.

It is true that a regulator that sits completely unused for a year or more may be more of a risk to use than one that has been used once a week for the same period of time. Why? O-Rings and other sealing surfaces may tend to flatten out if they are not used. I can not tell you what is best for you. If you dive enough you will eventually want to own your own gear, are you there yet? Will that happen in the next year, or never? Lots of new divers buy gear that sits for several years before they finally get rid of it.

I have a good friend who dives several times a year, he has been renting for years and is very happy with that arrangement. When he finishes a dive he simply returns the rental gear and lets the shop rinse it out etc... This works well for him and actually saves him lots of time. You need to pick what works for you.

Mark Vlahos

 

[diversteve]

no longer applicable..

I apologize for the troll remark and no hard feelings.
I hope you get the answers you're looking for.