Welshman
senior member
You can access the apeks website at www.apeks.co.uk if you want to compare the different apeks regs.
I need gear and I am too green to have a clue
- Thread starter boatboy
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art.chick
Contributor
All of the above is wonderful advice. The best reg/octo/computer I ever had came from the used table of my LDS. I got an old US Divers Reg that never freeflowed, it was balanced (a must for me) & sturdy. I got other great goodies for my husband there, too. To hell with the internet as a supply source! A relationship with your LDSs is irreplaceable. So what if I save a couple bucks buying at a pawn shop or on the net? LDSs stake their reputations on knowledge & service, both of which u will need! They also host clubs, a great way for you 2 to stay in the loop, & they plan trips.
The first piece of gear I recommend is a wet suit & the last to buy is a tank because those are rentable everywhere & a pain to carry around. Simple equipment that feels comfortable & does not have lots of confusing features is best at first, & if you sign up for cave diving later, sell your stuff for trade-in value at the LDS. I don't like the non-standard BCs with weird inflation systems. I took a rescue class last summer & can kinda figure out how to save someone wearing one, but what if the guy who saves you took that class 2 yers ago, before they came out & he's never seen this oddity before? I used to make appointments with my OW instructor to meet me at the shop & watch me try on stuff like BCs to make sure they fit. Regardless, everyone learns what works by buying what doesn't. Tha's why an LDS with a trade-in policy is best.
The first piece of gear I recommend is a wet suit & the last to buy is a tank because those are rentable everywhere & a pain to carry around. Simple equipment that feels comfortable & does not have lots of confusing features is best at first, & if you sign up for cave diving later, sell your stuff for trade-in value at the LDS. I don't like the non-standard BCs with weird inflation systems. I took a rescue class last summer & can kinda figure out how to save someone wearing one, but what if the guy who saves you took that class 2 yers ago, before they came out & he's never seen this oddity before? I used to make appointments with my OW instructor to meet me at the shop & watch me try on stuff like BCs to make sure they fit. Regardless, everyone learns what works by buying what doesn't. Tha's why an LDS with a trade-in policy is best.
Welshman
senior member
Art Chick
The point about the LDS is fine so long as they are staking their reputation on service etc but there are lots of LDSs here in the UK which are not and from what I can see on the Board there are similar instances in the US.
Buying on the internet is not about saving a couple of bucks. I could have saved £85 (around US$130) off the cost of a Seaquest Pro QD+ (MRSP £360) by buying online. In fact when I told the LDS they offered to sell me the same BC for £280 and I bought from them. Not every LDS has such a commercial outlook. Many just quote MRSP and seem to ignore the fact that dive equipment is a commodity just like any other.
Regards
The point about the LDS is fine so long as they are staking their reputation on service etc but there are lots of LDSs here in the UK which are not and from what I can see on the Board there are similar instances in the US.
Buying on the internet is not about saving a couple of bucks. I could have saved £85 (around US$130) off the cost of a Seaquest Pro QD+ (MRSP £360) by buying online. In fact when I told the LDS they offered to sell me the same BC for £280 and I bought from them. Not every LDS has such a commercial outlook. Many just quote MRSP and seem to ignore the fact that dive equipment is a commodity just like any other.
Regards
art.chick
Contributor
Welshman,
I have had great experiences with our Los Angeles dive shops, especially the small, privately owned ones, so I guess I presumed that every LDS has high ethics & fear of maintaining a great reputation in a very competitive market. My friends who have bought stuff online have had some really mixed experiences, and in some cases their savings have been false economies which found them with "white elephant" gear they try to peddle for a loss. As fit is primo for many pieces of gear, the inablity to try stuff on can be a huge minus! I suppose I did not realize that shops in other locales have different incentive-structures that may skew customer service and price.
I certainly hope that if internet sales are an improvement over some LDSs, the less illustrious proprietors learn that they must be competitve if they want to stay alive in the diving community. It would be a shame, on the other hand if LDSs disappeared due to the price competition of low-overhead online dealers; LDSs can be "town squares" where local divers meet, compare notes, and create demand for further education & exploration. In Los Angeles, several of our shops are also centers of dive history where international diving legends can be seen and approached.
I have had great experiences with our Los Angeles dive shops, especially the small, privately owned ones, so I guess I presumed that every LDS has high ethics & fear of maintaining a great reputation in a very competitive market. My friends who have bought stuff online have had some really mixed experiences, and in some cases their savings have been false economies which found them with "white elephant" gear they try to peddle for a loss. As fit is primo for many pieces of gear, the inablity to try stuff on can be a huge minus! I suppose I did not realize that shops in other locales have different incentive-structures that may skew customer service and price.
I certainly hope that if internet sales are an improvement over some LDSs, the less illustrious proprietors learn that they must be competitve if they want to stay alive in the diving community. It would be a shame, on the other hand if LDSs disappeared due to the price competition of low-overhead online dealers; LDSs can be "town squares" where local divers meet, compare notes, and create demand for further education & exploration. In Los Angeles, several of our shops are also centers of dive history where international diving legends can be seen and approached.
dmmike
Contributor
I like the idea of renting gear and doing several dives before you purchase. This gives you the option of trying several different types and allows you to create a list of likes and dis-likes.
I've made many dive gear purchases over the years and my LDS always lets me try the gear ( or toy) in the pool before I buy.
For example when my wife and I were purchasing our dry siuts he called the manufacture to get the closest off the shelf fit as possible then rented to us for weekend to use in open water. If we purchased the suit he gave us back the cost of the retail.
When it comes to purchasing gear I always purchase from the LDS. I have found that after shipping and handling and loss of warrenty (sp) work the LDS is only a few dollars more. In addition if I need any work done on my gear he is always able to do it right away. This is an import feature because it my impact a dive trip or dive weekend.
And as the old saying goes " you cann't get your air fills over the internet". Give the LDS the business and you'll find that he will be a unlimited resource of information and guidance.
I've made many dive gear purchases over the years and my LDS always lets me try the gear ( or toy) in the pool before I buy.
For example when my wife and I were purchasing our dry siuts he called the manufacture to get the closest off the shelf fit as possible then rented to us for weekend to use in open water. If we purchased the suit he gave us back the cost of the retail.
When it comes to purchasing gear I always purchase from the LDS. I have found that after shipping and handling and loss of warrenty (sp) work the LDS is only a few dollars more. In addition if I need any work done on my gear he is always able to do it right away. This is an import feature because it my impact a dive trip or dive weekend.
And as the old saying goes " you cann't get your air fills over the internet". Give the LDS the business and you'll find that he will be a unlimited resource of information and guidance.
Welshman
senior member
ArtChick
It's good that your experiences of your LDSs have been positive, but there are exceptions which hopefully prove the rule - look up Trymixdivers thread "the last straw" in Basic Scuba Discussions for an example.
Regards
It's good that your experiences of your LDSs have been positive, but there are exceptions which hopefully prove the rule - look up Trymixdivers thread "the last straw" in Basic Scuba Discussions for an example.
Regards
srkdvr
Contributor
:mean:
What I read is good advice, try on different BC's, do you want one that is weight intergrated or not. Do you want a vest style or back inflation, many questions and thoughts that only you can answer. Does your LDS have a pool so that you can try gear out there? I will say this, I am sold on Scubapro gear myself, because of it's rep, and quality. I just replaced a mask I have had since the 70's only because our ferrets chewed on the nose area and put wholes in it. I just replaced my BC and REG with new 2001 model Scubapro items and love it very much.
Just take you time, ask many question, try things on and see what fits you and your wife well and what is with in your budget. But don't let you budget cause you to buy something your not happy with.
:mean: Rich
What I read is good advice, try on different BC's, do you want one that is weight intergrated or not. Do you want a vest style or back inflation, many questions and thoughts that only you can answer. Does your LDS have a pool so that you can try gear out there? I will say this, I am sold on Scubapro gear myself, because of it's rep, and quality. I just replaced a mask I have had since the 70's only because our ferrets chewed on the nose area and put wholes in it. I just replaced my BC and REG with new 2001 model Scubapro items and love it very much.
Just take you time, ask many question, try things on and see what fits you and your wife well and what is with in your budget. But don't let you budget cause you to buy something your not happy with.
:mean: Rich
KC_Scubabunny
Guest
Boatboy,
I agree with much of what has already been said so I won't repeat it all but I will highlight a couple things.
Borrow and test anything you can to try. The AI that assisted with my open water class let me use his wife's Diva BCD in the pool so I could experience the difference. Now I wouldn't own anything else. My AOW instructor was big on showing you how different regulators breathed at depth so he had us try each others when we got down to about 90 feet. This is how I decided the ScubaPro MK20-G250 was for me.
Buy used when it makes sense and you knew the previous owner took good care of the item. Divers are constantly upgrading to new "toys". Find somebody that is alittle ahead of you and offer to pick up their cast offs! I got my MX-10 camera because a fellow dive club member was moving up to an nicer model. She didn't say she was going to sell it but when she was showing off her new camera, I asked what she was going to do with her old one. We are both happy with the sale!
Join a dive club or attend a lake clean up where you can meet divers from many dive shops. This will increase your exposure to different gear that you might not even know is out there. If you see someone has a pair of fins you are interested in, ask them how they like them. I have traded fins, dive lights and other accessory gear with people for a dive or two to test it out. Divers tend to be a pretty social bunch.
Realize that diveshops sell only certain brands of gear. The owner might really like ScubaPro and think it is a good brand but if there is already a ScubaPro shop in the market, the manufacturer will not let another shop carry it. I know that happens here in KC. Dive shops also require their instructors, dive masters and other "shop staff" to use only gear they sell when working with students. I am a divemaster's wife and I have even been given a hard time by our LDS because my have an assortment of gear and wear gear that the shop does not sell around students. I take this in a good natured way because I am not a paid advertisement for the shop like my husband is but realize that while your instructor, divemaster and shop owner may be friendly, they also have an angle.
Best of luck in all your diving adventures,
KC_Scubabunny
I agree with much of what has already been said so I won't repeat it all but I will highlight a couple things.
Borrow and test anything you can to try. The AI that assisted with my open water class let me use his wife's Diva BCD in the pool so I could experience the difference. Now I wouldn't own anything else. My AOW instructor was big on showing you how different regulators breathed at depth so he had us try each others when we got down to about 90 feet. This is how I decided the ScubaPro MK20-G250 was for me.
Buy used when it makes sense and you knew the previous owner took good care of the item. Divers are constantly upgrading to new "toys". Find somebody that is alittle ahead of you and offer to pick up their cast offs! I got my MX-10 camera because a fellow dive club member was moving up to an nicer model. She didn't say she was going to sell it but when she was showing off her new camera, I asked what she was going to do with her old one. We are both happy with the sale!
Join a dive club or attend a lake clean up where you can meet divers from many dive shops. This will increase your exposure to different gear that you might not even know is out there. If you see someone has a pair of fins you are interested in, ask them how they like them. I have traded fins, dive lights and other accessory gear with people for a dive or two to test it out. Divers tend to be a pretty social bunch.
Realize that diveshops sell only certain brands of gear. The owner might really like ScubaPro and think it is a good brand but if there is already a ScubaPro shop in the market, the manufacturer will not let another shop carry it. I know that happens here in KC. Dive shops also require their instructors, dive masters and other "shop staff" to use only gear they sell when working with students. I am a divemaster's wife and I have even been given a hard time by our LDS because my have an assortment of gear and wear gear that the shop does not sell around students. I take this in a good natured way because I am not a paid advertisement for the shop like my husband is but realize that while your instructor, divemaster and shop owner may be friendly, they also have an angle.
Best of luck in all your diving adventures,
KC_Scubabunny Similar threads
