Just got Open Water Cert, Question on Equipment

[rhwestfall]

If you are diving home cold waters, you will need weight. That comes from either a heavier rig (steel plate), or adding weights. If you are diving cold home waters, getting away from aluminum tanks by switching to steel is also part of the equation.

Diving in cold water involves utilizing weight. No way around it.

The next part is a personal choice of how much you are willing to pay for the name on the equipment, and what are the benefits of the costs associated with it..,,,,

 

[rhwestfall]

For me, the aluminum plate is also nice for being less head heavy in steel doubles.

the guy is just now OW certified... why are we talking lightening the load because of doubles?????

 

[Dark Wolf]

the guy is just now OW certified... why are we talking lightening the load because of doubles?????

To show an example of why and how things may change due to time/circumstances.

DW

 

[rsingler]

Welcome to ScubaBoard, @nnhood !
As you've just discovered, ScubaBoard is a very opinionated forum that is not jacket-bcd friendly, and favors weird stuff like primary reg donate and necklaced octo's. Few advocate for split fins.
The thing is, though PADI-style diving suits the vast majority of recreational divers (and I instruct for them myself), the ScubaBoard point of view has some merits for the discriminating diver. The comments you've just read regarding trim and buoyancy are spot on. I started with a jacket bcd and an Air2 style octo decades ago and did just fine. But I'd never go back. A backplate and small capacity wing for thin wetsuit diving makes for better trim, lower gas consumption (because I'm more horizontal), and is less expensive than a jacket. As you've already heard, once you get into thicker wetsuits, the advantages become more obvious.
Folks love to bash ScubaBoard for not representing the majority of divers. That doesn't make us wrong.

Again, welcome!
Hope to see more posts from you soon. Don't mind the folks here. We're just opinionated.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@nnhood

Spend enough time on SB and you will learn that jacket style BCD and split fins will result in a dive fatality (kidding).

In general, people are happy with their equipment purchases as well as the instructors they've had. Just look at recommendations for instructors/dive centers/equipment on social media. People will rave and recommend for what they are familiar. When it comes to equipment, most equipment is good enough for owners to be happy (there is some garbage out there).

Now I am a BP/W guy. I won't hide it. I also teach BP/W exclusively for open water, and not because I'm in cold water. When I open a dive center in Greece, I will still be providing BP/W to open water students as I see the advantages of fewer failure points (I have had plastic buckles break on jacket style BCDs), so I'm a fan of steel parts for adjustable harnesses (like from Subgravity). Hogarthian harnesses are not for everybody (example, people with shoulder mobility issues). Take care of your wing and it will last forever. Webbing is cheap to replace, but still last if you rinse your equipment after salt water dives and you don't leave it out in the sun.

I am also a complete wimp when it comes to temperature. I dive a 5 mil with hood in 80 degree water. With that, I dive a SS BP with STA and I need no additional weight with an AL80. If you are tougher than me, than an aluminum BP may be more appropriate or even something lighter like carbon fiber. What works for me may not work for you.

Good luck and stay wet.

 

[nnhood]

Do you really need a backplate?

It's only needed for double tanks for long and deep dives (unless you sidemount your double tanks).

Many people dive happily with jacket style BCD:s.

No I think it was kind of silly to train in the simple style cumber bun and clip style in the pool and then get switched to a Halcyon with the plate for the final dives and a 7mm suit. I finally had my bouyancy pretty good under control and then felt I was going up and down a lot at the quarry dives. I'd be happy without the plate, just more weight to carry around. I just plan on basic dives to 60 or less, probably less as I just got certified. I'll look for a package without the plate... thanks!

 

[Marie13]

No I think it was kind of silly to train in the simple style cumber bun and clip style in the pool and then get switched to a Halcyon with the plate for the final dives and a 7mm suit. I finally had my bouyancy pretty good under control and then felt I was going up and down a lot at the quarry dives. I'd be happy without the plate, just more weight to carry around. I just plan on basic dives to 60 or less, probably less as I just got certified. I'll look for a package without the plate... thanks!

No backplate, you’ll have to add lead to your belt.

 

[nnhood]

Welcome to ScubaBoard, @nnhood !
As you've just discovered, ScubaBoard is a very opinionated forum that is not jacket-bcd friendly, and favors weird stuff like primary reg donate and necklaced octo's. Few advocate for split fins.
The thing is, though PADI-style diving suits the vast majority of recreational divers (and I instruct for them myself), the ScubaBoard point of view has some merits for the discriminating diver. The comments you've just read regarding trim and buoyancy are spot on. I started with a jacket bcd and an Air2 style octo decades ago and did just fine. But I'd never go back. A backplate and small capacity wing for thin wetsuit diving makes for better trim, lower gas consumption (because I'm more horizontal), and is less expensive than a jacket. As you've already heard, once you get into thicker wetsuits, the advantages become more obvious.
Folks love to bash ScubaBoard for not representing the majority of divers. That doesn't make us wrong.

Again, welcome!
Hope to see more posts from you soon. Don't mind the folks here. We're just opinionated.

Thank you! Do you have a link for a package like that I could get?

 

[nnhood]

@nnhood

Spend enough time on SB and you will learn that jacket style BCD and split fins will result in a dive fatality (kidding).

In general, people are happy with their equipment purchases as well as the instructors they've had. Just look at recommendations for instructors/dive centers/equipment on social media. People will rave and recommend for what they are familiar. When it comes to equipment, most equipment is good enough for owners to be happy (there is some garbage out there).

Now I am a BP/W guy. I won't hide it. I also teach BP/W exclusively for open water, and not because I'm in cold water. When I open a dive center in Greece, I will still be providing BP/W to open water students as I see the advantages of fewer failure points (I have had plastic buckles break on jacket style BCDs), so I'm a fan of steel parts for adjustable harnesses (like from Subgravity). Hogarthian harnesses are not for everybody (example, people with shoulder mobility issues). Take care of your wing and it will last forever. Webbing is cheap to replace, but still last if you rinse your equipment after salt water dives and you don't leave it out in the sun.

I am also a complete wimp when it comes to temperature. I dive a 5 mil with hood in 80 degree water. With that, I dive a SS BP with STA and I need no additional weight with an AL80. If you are tougher than me, than an aluminum BP may be more appropriate or even something lighter like carbon fiber. What works for me may not work for you.

Good luck and stay wet.

Thank you for the info, much appreciated! Are shorter fins okay if you're just in a quarry or a small area? I don't plan to be in the ocean until I get more practice. I know they do not displace as much water, but there were times I felt I was "all fins" so to speak, I'm only 5' 7". I had bought a shorter pair, but we weren't allowed to use them just the longer ones. Do you have a set of fins you like? I saw some fins with a break in the middle of the fin, does that help in some way?

 

[rsingler]

I'm not a package fan. Kind of a "pick each piece for its merits" kind of guy. But if I were starting and wanted good value across the board until I acquired my own opinions and prejudices, this would be a good start.

DGX Custom - DGX Gears Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing + DGX Gears D6 Reg Package

A basic DGX Harness / Backplate / Wing and our DGX D6 regulator package for single tank diving at a value price.

www.divegearexpress.com

I'm sure I'll get some disagreement from my fellow SB'ers here.