I'm buying stuff! Give opinions...

[travelmadness]

this stuff adds up! i just checked a few prices on some things i've got my eye on....


-zeagle brigade bcd -$399 scubatoys
-apeks atx50 reg. -$364 leisurepro
-apeks atx50 octopus, yellow -$149 leisurepro
-suunto vyper wrist dive computer -$349
-suunto sk7 wrist compass -$59 leisurepro
-oms brass pressure guage only -$74 leisurepro
-akona bag of some kind for all my gear -$99 ?
-steel tank? -$200 ?
-guage keepers? -$20 ?
-whistle/signaling device of some kind -$10 ?

 

[geraldp]

this stuff adds up! i just checked a few prices on some things i've got my eye on....
.
-steel tank? -$200 ?
.

That price is probably low... I paid $330 each for a couple of PST E-7 100 tanks last April. That price included cleaning for Nitrox, however. It looks like LeisurePro is now asking $336 plus shipping for them.

Yes it does add up. I was able to swing a pretty good deal through my LDS for a bunch of gear this year, then they gave me 1 year same as cash. I also get free Nitrox fills as well.

Jerry

 

[ekiledjian]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this board and could not figure out how to post a new message so I am replying in this thread. I am a new diver and am interested in buying a SUUNTO dive computer. I am debating between the Mostiquo and the Stinger. I could not find the differences, what are the differences? Any recommendations on which one is better? Is Suunto a good brand? What about quality and service?

I heard I can change the battery of the Mosquito myself. Is this acurate? Can I do the same with the mosquito? Please post replies here and copy me at ekiledjian@hotmail.com


Thank you all for your help.

 

[geraldp]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this board and could not figure out how to post a new message so I am replying in this thread. I am a new diver and am interested in buying a SUUNTO dive computer. I am debating between the Mostiquo and the Stinger. I could not find the differences, what are the differences? Any recommendations on which one is better? Is Suunto a good brand? What about quality and service?

I heard I can change the battery of the Mosquito myself. Is this acurate? Can I do the same with the mosquito? Please post replies here and copy me at ekiledjian@hotmail.com

Thank you all for your help.

Go to www.suunto.com. Hold your cursor over the "Products" text in the upper left column. Click on "Compare Products" text that pops up. Down below under Search by Sport choose "Diving", then "Scuba Diving", then "Diving Instruments", then click on Proceed. You'll get a complete list of all the Suunto dive computers. Choose the Stinger and Mosquito, then click on Proceed. That will give you a detailed description of the two computers.

The Stinger is a smaller lighter computer, that has several nice features over the Mosquito. You cannot change the battery yourself on the Stinger, but you can with the Mosquito. The Stinger is considerably more expensive.

Jerry

 

[Mike Veitch]

Before you buy a Zeagle...
All the rest of your gear is just fine. Apeks and Suunto both make great products but...
Zeagle is crap.
I've worked full time as a dive guide in tropical destinations for over 5 years and seen thousands of people and done thousands of dives.
Over and way above any type of BCD, Zeagle gives people more trouble than any other. The lower back air dump is on the opposite side it should be for one. Watch a Zeagle diver exit the water the next time you see one. You will see about 2 gallons of water come streaming out of the BC once they get back on the boat. And that is after just one dive!
I am talking about the Ranger and the ones similar to it.
It is such a sloppy design that it traps a lot of air continuously. People constantly have buoyancy problems with it especially if they are not that experienced in the water.
Their way of compensating for this? Adding more weight! Therefore the buoyancy problem just runs in circles...
You are much better off going for a simple jacket style BCD like a Scuba Pro Classic for example.
You will find that 90% of people who do this for a living use a nice simple and small BCD. (I am not talking about instructors who go out and dive with 10 students on the weekend because i know a whole bunch of you are going to say something here)
I mean people who dive 2 or 3 times per day 5 or 6 times a week.

Not sure of your experience level or what sort of diving you have in mind but please do yourself a favour and get a nice small, simple BCD. Personally i prefer jacket style and always will but there are some smaller back bladder ones out there as well. Seaquest makes a trim and tidy one. Its much easier to travel with and in the long run you will be happier with it. The big Zeagles are a sloppy mess and way too much BCD for a recreational diver.
Unless of course you are planning on doing a bunch of twin tank diving...but they are too sloppy for that too

Oh and add a safety sausage to your gear as well, big 9 footer is best.

 

[FrankT]

The price of Steel Tanks is why you see so many Aluminum 80's around. Don't be in a hurry on the tanks and keep your eyes and ears open for some "GOOD" used ones. I just picked up 3 Catalina 80's and 2 PST LP-95's for $225 for all 5, from someone that had quit diving. They were all just out of the first hydro and had been sitting full and unused for the last 3 1/2 years. Cost me another $125 to have all of them Hydro tested, VIS, and refilled.

BTW if you are going to buy steel, PST's (Pressed Steel Tank) are the only way to go. They are hot dip galvanized and will last a lifetime if you take care of them.

Frank

 

[travelmadness]

Before you buy a Zeagle...
All the rest of your gear is just fine. Apeks and Suunto both make great products but...
Zeagle is crap.
I've worked full time as a dive guide in tropical destinations for over 5 years and seen thousands of people and done thousands of dives.
Over and way above any type of BCD, Zeagle gives people more trouble than any other. The lower back air dump is on the opposite side it should be for one. Watch a Zeagle diver exit the water the next time you see one. You will see about 2 gallons of water come streaming out of the BC once they get back on the boat. And that is after just one dive!
I am talking about the Ranger and the ones similar to it.
It is such a sloppy design that it traps a lot of air continuously. People constantly have buoyancy problems with it especially if they are not that experienced in the water.
Their way of compensating for this? Adding more weight! Therefore the buoyancy problem just runs in circles...
You are much better off going for a simple jacket style BCD like a Scuba Pro Classic for example.
You will find that 90% of people who do this for a living use a nice simple and small BCD. (I am not talking about instructors who go out and dive with 10 students on the weekend because i know a whole bunch of you are going to say something here)
I mean people who dive 2 or 3 times per day 5 or 6 times a week.

Not sure of your experience level or what sort of diving you have in mind but please do yourself a favour and get a nice small, simple BCD. Personally i prefer jacket style and always will but there are some smaller back bladder ones out there as well. Seaquest makes a trim and tidy one. Its much easier to travel with and in the long run you will be happier with it. The big Zeagles are a sloppy mess and way too much BCD for a recreational diver.
Unless of course you are planning on doing a bunch of twin tank diving...but they are too sloppy for that too

Oh and add a safety sausage to your gear as well, big 9 footer is best.

wow i've never heard such bad things said about zeagle... maybe the zeagle guys care to respond?
i still haven't bought gear yet. i wish there was a scuba shop nearby where i could try out a ton of bc's in their pool. wait, maybe there is?

 

[scubatoys]

wow i've never heard such bad things said about zeagle... maybe the zeagle guys care to respond?
i still haven't bought gear yet. i wish there was a scuba shop nearby where i could try out a ton of bc's in their pool. wait, maybe there is?

I think he might have a slighlty biased opinion for some reason... You will find numerous threads from people who will go on and on telling you how they love their zeagles.

Air trapping?? I dive the Zeagle Brigade and dive with 4 lbs in salt water with a shorty. And I'm 6'4, and weigh 210. With a full 3 mil, I'll kick it up to 6 lbs. If the BC trapped any air, I'd bob like a cork.

We have sold literally 1000's of Zeagle BC's, and we have virtually no problems with them. Most all my instructors use them - and they don't get them free. I give them a deal, but they could own a ScubaPro, or Diverite, or OMS, or Mares, or a host of other brands we sell... but after trying the different BCs, they end up in the Zeagle.

We also service a lot of rescue teams, and have filled several domestic, and international governmental orders, and most times, Zeagle is on the purchase order. If they were "crap" I don't think the navy and rescue divers would continue to order, and reorder them.

Again, there is ford and chevy, Lenno and letterman, chocolate and vanilla in the world, try them both - but just because you prefer chocolate - don't say vanilla is crap.

I wouldn't dive any other BC.

 

[travelmadness]

I just tried on a SeaQuest Balance, and it was pretty nice. I guess that's an option for me now too. I'm still leaning towards the Zeagle Brigade, I just need to figure this out and pull out the Visa so I can start diving my own gear soon!

 

[Mike Veitch]

Hello Scuba Toys and Travelmadness

Well i suppose it is a biased opinion...I guess calling it crap is a little over the top but i am expressing my opinion.

For years Zeagles have been nothing but trouble for me in the tropics, sure this is more a reflection on the diver than the gear but i think Zeagles are pushed on too many people for all of the wrong reasons. There is no reason why people who are only doing two tropical vacations per year should be in a Zeagle.

Personally i am just trying to give some good advice for someone who i assume is an inexperienced diver.
Scuba Toys, you mention that military and commercial divers etc use the Zeagle all the time with no complaints.
I think that these are very experienced divers, as are the instructors who work in your shop. These people understand how to get air out of their BCD, they dive a lot, and are comfortable in the water.

Travelmadness, i am assuming you are fairly inexperienced due to the fact you do not own gear?
WHat sort of diving do you do and where?
If you are going to be recreational diving there is no reason to get such a large and bulky BCD.
If you are going to be doing multi tank, tech diving etc then sure, look at a zeagle.
But if you are going to be doing simple tropical diving and maybe some local recreational diving then Zeagle is simply overkill.

Air trapping?
Oh yes, especially with newer divers. Like i said, i dive with thousands of divers of all levels all of the time. Experienced users with a Zeagle, no problem, but most use way too much weight (S.T. you are one of the few exceptions)
Newer divers, nothing but problems. Usually ends up with me chasing people down all the time.

If you want to call my personal experiences and thoughts bias then i guess it is.

But as a very experienced diver giving advice to a not so experienced diver i would still say no to Zeagle.
But, if you say you have used the Zeagle and feel comfortable with it then i guess that's all we need to know.
Go with what you feel comfortable in.