Welcome to Scuba Board.
I will start by stating 3 things off the cuff:
1. The time to ask an opinion about gear is BEFORE you buy it...you are not seeking opinion at the moment you are seeking validation/vindication.
2. Nobody but you really cares what you are diving with unless they are your dive buddy and in that case they only care that it is in good working order.
3. Despite the discounts, coupons etc, You still overpaid for your gear.
With that out of the way....
The Mares Abyss 22 - this is great regulator set, I have 2 of them myself. They are easy to service and parts are readily available to shops and with some hunting on-line to the individual. This reg set can last you your lifetime if you don't abuse it, and then even if you do it can take a licking and keep on ticking. Both of mine are late 80s/early 90s models of both the 1st and 2nd stages. Mares has not made any significant changes to the design in a many many years except they changed the first stage from a honking big chunk of chromed rass to a smaller hunk of chromed brass, they basically machined away all the excess brass to make it smaller and lighter to appeal to divers who travel. The internals of both the 1st and 2nd stages are identical through the years except the earliest model 1st stages used a different high pressure seat and orifice configuration that Mares stopped using in this 1st stage a long time ago. Their are other good regs on the market but I think you made a good choice with this one.
Mares MV Octo - Nothing wrong with this as an octo, it is side venting so it can be breathed upside down without issues. Not the greatest breathing performance at depth but that should not be an issue as a an Octo. I use a similar model made by Aqualung (Aqualung ABS) on one of my reg sets. Overall not really anything special. Be aware that the end cap of the 2nd stage is easy to dislodge and lose. Most of the 2nd hand MV Octos I have seen are missing the end cap. The part can be ordered through a dive shop or found on ebay from time to time.
Mares Mission Puck 2 - It is a basic entry level dive computer. If the user interface appeals to you and you are happy with it then that is all that matters. I use Suunto Vyper and Vyper Air....all the non-tech dive computers do basically the same thing, it comes down to price and user interface in my opinion. Gucci features like wireless air integration are nice to have but totally unnecessary and typically add a chunk of change to the price.
Cressi Start Pro BCD - this is basic entry level BCD....the difference between the start and the start pro is the pro has integrated weight pockets. My family is partial to backplate and wings, but for an entry level BCD the Start Pro is as good as anything else in its price range. Just make sure you have the weight pockets securely clipped in as they are expensive to replace and Mares pockets have a tendency to come out when jumping into the water.
TUSA Titanium knife - its a knife...totally unnecessary in the water, and you paid way to much for an item that you will soon find is not a useful piece of dive kit. In 24 years of diving I have never actually been in the water with my dive knife and I do have one...It has mostly been used to spread peanut butter and cut cheese and sausage during surface intervals. Instead I dive with a Trilobyte line cutter. I also have a set of stainless steel EMT shears that I carry depending where I am diving. But if having a knife suits your fancy then great for you.
It is nice to have new stuff, but you probably would have been better served researching what to buy before hand, getting some opinions and then spending less money on higher quality 2nd hand gear that could be resold and replaced as your needs/desires become more developed and apparent.
-Z
Hi, Divemaster Zef, Thank You for responding so promptly and thoroughly,
Yes sir.... you are right.... I did a LOT of research on all of this gear and I followed this gear on sale on many sites for about 2 months, I caught it on the end of christmas sale, I am in constant search of info, and since i am yet to try out my dive gear, I still ask about it. The info you got on the mares abyss is what I eventually found out, thats why I picked it as my 1st reg!!! (I hope you're proud of me
.. )
The MV Octo, the mouthpiece holder that I have, holds onto the mouthpiece a little too well, it requires quite a strong pull to get it out, Feels like if i yanked it out once every dive, very soon I would just rip the mouthpiece to bits. if not, it can to be nudged out side by side. Maybe they made a change? that mouthpiece is pretty solid held in there. i even seen a youtuber pro diver Lakehickoryscuba use it as his main octo, he uses the same set up but he has his MV hooked up to a neck strap, I dont, I have it looped in the gauge pocket, mouthpiece hooked to carabeener.
Ya the gauge I got is what it is, basic dive comp, but i got it on a kit...
The Cressi BCD, has Gravity drop weight integration, so only the weights drop, nothing else. also I got the 2.0 a little better than first, i like the gauge pockets. also it only inflates in the back and sides, not on top, so "THEY SAY, NEW DESIGN" when horizontal, feels like a wing bcd.... we'll see...
LOL the dive knife, some1 convinced me i had to have it and paid for 80% of it, so i got it for like 20 bucks, lucky me.
wow, I didnt, think about getting high end second hand. I know high end gear is suppose to last for decades with proper care. wow....
Thank you so much for ALL that amazing PRO information!... I hope I didnt bore you with my long msg, point is, you are right about it all. My research proves it, common sense proves it, lol, and above all, your experience.
thank you for your time!
This scubaboard.com is amazing.....
