Help with my first Scuba gear

[Sheldon J Plankton]

The best advice I can give, is to buy equipment that will grow with you.

I wouldn't recommend a BCD they only do one thing, where as backplate and wing will do more (and for less than you were quoted). And $300 for an inflator? For not much more you can buy a proper dual bladder tec wing with 2 inflators. The options are endless, spend some time researching. This is the fun part, don't rush into anything.

A Shearwater computer is a great idea, it'll do everything you'll ever need and a whole lot more. Just make sure its air integrated, whether you buy the transmitter or not (you can always buy that later).

Don't spent more than $100 on an SPG (and buy steam guage, not digital). At this point its just a back up to your computer. You'll never even look at it and likely question why you even spent $100. A simple brass SPG is surprisingly durable, buy a rubber boot ($20) if you're worried.

$2.4k for regs? Will they breathe any better than a $500 set? I'll tell you from experience, the answer is no. There is a price where spending more doesn't get you more, and that's nowhere near 2.5k. Unless you really need cold water performance, save your cash.

And stay away from your dive shop, they're fleecing you.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Wow! Just wow! Holy crap!
My recommendation is not to go back into that dive shop until you’ve calmed down and do a little more reading here on Scubaboard…or ever go back into that dive shop!
I was actually starting to get sick to my stomach reading some of those prices they were quoting you, then using the “longevity” and “life support” equipment line. Did they also tell you the “you’re gonna die” line unless you spend that kind of cash?
No wonder scuba is dying.
Ok, my rant is over.

Scuba is probably one of the biggest sports that people can overspend for gear that really makes little difference.
There’s a big perpetual debate here about jacket BC’ vs BP/W, and it’s not likely to go away any time soon.
I’m in the Back Plate & Wing camp myself. I do believe that BP/W will someday out sell jackets just because they work so well, they are simpler, cheaper, more durable, they’re modular meaning you can change out individual components unlike jackets. They’re highly adjustable, and more versatile - from basic recreational single tank diving up to the most complex extreme tech dives with doubles and stage bottles. Did I miss anything?
DGX has a BP/W package for somewhere around $399.

For regs, I’m a Scubapro fan myself.
No other reason then that’s what I bought new when I started and I continue to collect old classic scubapro regs and love everything about them, but that’s me. BTW, I got made fun of too by my buddies for spending money on a MK20/G200B and an Air2 back in the day, but I don’t regret one bit of it, except for the Air2 - got rid of that thing about 6 mo later.
If you want to spend a lot of money on regs, that would be one place to spend it. You can’t go wrong with Atomic. Regs are something that should be a lifetime buy.
But BC’s no, IMO there’s cheap crap and there’s expensive crap, but it’s all crap. Chinese Crap!
Don’t let a high price tag fool you.

Computers are something I know very little about.
I have just a cheapy Mares Puck wrist computer that was $159. I don’t do big extreme dives so it serves me fine. Before that I just used tables that were included in my OW, so for many years I didn’t see a need to spend money on a computer for the simple shore dives I was doing. I got away with a simple $50 dive watch and a $70 depth gauge for the first 15 years of my diving life just using tables.
But I hear Shearwaters are the bomb!

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

The only thing on that list I would buy as a new diver is maybe the Perdix if I was absolutely certain I was going to dive a lot, and absolutely certain I would advance to Tech diving.

I would definitely buy the Perdix (AI), but I would not go down the Perdix 2 route right now. There are plenty of virtually new Perdii out there, new or practically new, for a fraction of the cost still as the Perdix 2 was only introduced a few months ago. IMO, virtually the same dang machines, running the same dang software, showing you the same dang screen info except for the Ti frame and the stick-shaker alarm.

Swift sensors are the same for both and expensive, but there are others that work with the Perdii just fine, again for a fraction of the cost.

I have no need for it as I use dual Perdii, but I still fantasize about a SW Nerd clamped on the 2nd stage hose coupling.

Atomic makes good stuff, and I bought both the B2 and the ST1. I am really wondering why the LDS said the Ti would outlast the ST1. Do they intend to leave it under saltwater water all the time? Or never rinse it in freshwater after a dive maybe? Mechanically the same. Only difference is the first stage weight due to the use of the Ti alloy and maybe some **marginal** difference in very long term exposure to salt water with no common sense maintenance; the second stages are identical, except for the blingy trim.... Full disclosure - I primarily dive ScubaPro or Halcyon first stages (MK17/H-50 or MK11) and Apeks XL4 seconds, maybe pulling out the SP G260 occasionally). But usually the Apeks models. If I was starting out I'd look long and hard at an SP MK11/C370 setup for a quarter the price of the Atomic. Great setup. Simon says.

OMMOHY

 

[L13]

If I was starting out I'd look long and hard at an SP MK11/C370 setup for a quarter the price of the Atomic. Great setup. Simon says.

OMMOHY

Simon (@buddhasummer) is right, the SP MK11/C370 is great! Lots of better choices for a first reg without paying for titanium.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I would definitely buy the Perdix (AI), but I would not go down the Perdix 2 route right now. There are plenty of virtually new Perdii out there, new or practically new, for a fraction of the cost still as the Perdix 2 was only introduced a few months ago. IMO, virtually the same dang machines, running the same dang software, showing you the same dang screen info except for the Ti frame and the stick-shaker alarm.

Swift sensors are the same for both and expensive, but there are others that work with the Perdii just fine, again for a fraction of the cost.

I have no need for it as I use dual Perdii, but I still fantasize about a SW Nerd clamped on the 2nd stage hose coupling.

Atomic makes good stuff, and I bought both the B2 and the ST1. I am really wondering why the LDS said the Ti would outlast the ST1. Do they intend to leave it under saltwater water all the time? Or never rinse it in freshwater after a dive maybe? Mechanically the same. Only difference is the first stage weight due to the use of the Ti alloy and maybe some **marginal** difference in very long term exposure to salt water with no common sense maintenance; the second stages are identical, except for the blingy trim.... Full disclosure - I primarily dive ScubaPro or Halcyon first stages (MK17/H-50 or MK11) and Apeks XL4 seconds, maybe pulling out the SP G260 occasionally). But usually the Apeks models. If I was starting out I'd look long and hard at an SP MK11/C370 setup for a quarter the price of the Atomic. Great setup. Simon says.

OMMOHY

Yes, the MK11/C370!
Great combo!
My dive buddy just bought two sets from our LDS, one for him and his wife.
I convinced him to shop there since the price is the same whether he went to Leisure pro or there. Leisure pro is now an authorized dealer so no more grey market prices. Our LDS made it right and he’s happy, the LDS is happy, I’m happy, everybody’s happy.
I hear the C370 is a smooth breather, like velvet.

 

[schuylerclark]

I was in your position not long ago. I opted for the Atomic B2 and have been very pleased with it. I’d recommend trying/renting different BCDs or BP/W until you develop a preference - your issue with the one you rented is unfortunate but pretty unusual. I spent around 2k total for the reg set, computer (AL i550c), fins, mask, and BCD (AL Zuma). You could spend even less and still be happy and have reliable gear. Happy shopping!

 

[buddhasummer]

...like velvet....

 

[buddhasummer]

It appears that you really want to make this an expensive hobby.

an even MORE expensive hobby.

 

[Bazzathemammoth]

Honestly here’s my 2c

Buy the best fins you can for how you dive, try them all on, try different styles while training etc. Don’t look at the price, just buy what fits you well and works.

Buy a mask that fits you perfectly.

Buy the correct fitting and thickness wetsuit/dry suit for the conditions you’ll dive in.

Really agonise over those decisions and make sure you get them right. Then buy the cheapest bcd regs etc that the shop sells and use all that money you saved to go diving.

I bought most of my gear secondhand, but I accept that some people would find that a bit risky.

My secondhand kit had a really nice regulator that ended up unserviceable. The sales person told me that I needed to buy x and y because they breathe amazing, are adjustable blah blah blah. I said just give me the cheapest you sell (@ 1/2 the cost of his recommendations). I’ve dived that cheap ass reg down to 40m and never even thought about how it breathes, except for when these topics come up.

Don’t get suckered into ********, if it wasn’t fit for purpose they wouldn’t sell it

 

[SlugLife]

Doesnt really help. Can you give some suggestions?

Before giving someone specific suggestions, it sometimes helps to make certain they have the right mindset. My first advice is to throw out that entire list.

Next, we need to get to know you a little better before offering advice that is good for YOU:

• How much dive-experience do you have outside of classes?
• How often do you intend to dive?
• What kind of conditions will you be normally diving in? (Temperatures, region, current(s), salt/fresh water, depths)
• What kinds of diving do you intend to do in the near-term? (ex: local diving, vacation diving, etc)
• What kinds of diving do you expect long term? (i.e. recreational, technical-diving, commercial-diving, rebreather, cave, instructor?)
• What's your budget in general?

Dive Computer

A Perdix 2 with transmitter is a great computer, but obviously quite expensive. To be honest, even a $300-new computer you buy used for $100 will do the job for a beginner ... but if you have money to spend, go for it!

Oh, and skip anything that's similar to the "Oceanic Proplus 4.0." Those things, and anything like it is terrible. They're heavy, bulky, in your way ... and on the used market you can barely even give away those style of computers.

Get a standard SPG if you want a backup SPG. Get an extra (cheap/used) dive-computer, if you need a backup dive-computer. For the most part, transmitter batteries last a long time, and if you replace the battery once-per-year you should be well ahead of any dead battery. (The Perdix 2 may even warn you about low-battery in the transmitter? Someone here might now)

Regulator:

If you want to drop about $1000 on regulators, I'd probably suggest Scubapro MK25 (1st stage), SP S600 (2nd stage), and a cheap Scuba-pro Octo. You don't need a fancy octo, you'll barley (almost never) use it. Even a random inexpensive used 2nd stage can do the trick. It just needs to breathe, and perhaps be adjusted to not free-flow.

If you want to spend even less, there are plenty of options. A used Scuba Pro MK10 + G250 is a fantastic set, and might be about $200 or so. I've got several sets of those, and used them for a while and have zero complaints. Only reason I stopped using them, was because I got a fantastic deal on some MK25 + S600 regs.

Get DIN regulators if you can, and then just have a din-to-yoke adapter for yoke-tanks. Din is lower-profile, can handle higher pressures, and is generally preferred by most divers as they advance.

BCD: My real advice here is just to "spend less."

A backplate + wing setup is often a solid bet. It's highly customizable and upgradeable, and you can swap just about anything. For example, you'll probably start with a standard "wing" (the inflatable part of your BCD), but if you decide to dive doubles at some point, all you have to do is swap the wing, and attach your double-tanks.

If you really want to save money, check out craigslist, ebay, scuba-board classified, and facebook-marketplace. Used BCDs are dirt-cheap, and often hard to sell. As someone who regularly buys used-equipment, I've ended up with about 5 BCDs I didn't want as part of bulk-purchases.

Cutting Tools:

You absolutely want a cutting tool for safety. However, for your safety stay very far away from ocean-cleanup as a new diver, entanglements are VERY DANGEROUS. If you do eventually start doing ocean-cleanup, you may want specialized equipment and training.

My absolute #1 recommendation for cutting tools is this line cutter. It's light-weight, small, low-profile, good grip, no risk of stabbing/cutting yourself, will cut most line or webbing effortlessly, and when needed will cut rope. Given the price and size, I'd suggest buying 2, and putting one on each shoulder-strap.

If you want a knife, something like this is a solid bet. Still small and lightweight, but not quite as small as the line-cutter. You have to be careful when re-sheathing the knife to avoid cutting/stabbing yourself and your equipment. You could also do 1x line-cutter and 1x knife, and only pull the knife when absolutely needed.

Other:

If you didn't blow the bank, you should have plenty of money left over for FUTURE upgrades and purchases! Some things you may be interested in long-term may include:

• More Classes (Nitrox, Advanced Open water, Rescue, etc)
• More Scuba Tanks (you can never have enough)
• Swappable parts (wings, etc) for your BCD
• Dive Flashlight(s)
• DSMB ("safety sausage")
• More diving! Or vacations!
• Redundant Air supply / Pony Tank
• Various "Save a Dive Kit" Supplies and Tools

You don't need these other things now, but you might see why you want to set aside some money just in case you get to the point you start wanting some other equipment.