Just got Open Water Cert, Question on Equipment

[ScubaSquatch]

Here's a different perspective. It seems heavy because you're new to diving and not used to the gear. Put a dozen or so dives on it and you may be surprised as to what heavy really is.

 

[rhwestfall]

Going from a 3mm in a pool to a 7mm in the outside world is going to be a big difference, and require a change. Working on proper weighting is paramount. I hope it was stressed in your instruction.

Each new class/certification I have taken has had the instructor having the class do a weight check. It is amazing to watch the weight be shed as skills develop....

 

[nnhood]

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.

Thank you!

 

[nnhood]

Going from a 3mm in a pool to a 7mm in the outside world is going to be a big difference, and require a change. Working on proper weighting is paramount. I hope it was stressed in your instruction.

Each new class/certification I have taken has had the instructor having the class do a weight check. It is amazing to watch the weight be shed as skills develop....

Yes I could tell this already, had 4's and then 3's and 2's. I would have much rather just kept the same equipment for the whole course, at least the BCD part. I think I'll really enjoy going in now outside of a class environment. We had one really good patient instructor and then another who was not patient and seemed frustrated. This caused anxiety, some students were just worried if they were going to get yelled at again instead of focusing on their skills.

 

[rhwestfall]

This caused anxiety, some students were just worried if they were going to get yelled at again instead of focusing on their skills.

Sorry to hear that....

Keep pushing onward. It is so worth it!

 

[formernuke]

My advice to new divers

This is my personal advice to those who are brand new to diving. I'm targeting those who are considering getting into the sport, currently in OW or just out of OW. I am not a professional and I not pretend to know everything about this sport. This is based on my experience and the experience...

scubaboard.com

 

[Big Dan K]

Another vote for renting a few bcds before purchasing one. After trying traditional and wing type bcds, I ended up with a back inflate jacket. (SP LiteHawk) simple, stable, reasonably priced

 

[boulderjohn]

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.

As you describe the difference between your pool experience and the OW experience, you are blaming the BP/W for your difficulty with buoyancy. I believe you identified the wrong culprit.

People have already commented that a 7mm suit requires more weight, but it is much more complicated than that. A 7mm suit requires a lot of weight at the beginning of the dive when you begin your descent, but it compresses quickly as you descend, so when you are at depth, it does not need nearly as much. The deeper the dive, the less weight is needed.

The problem for a student is that your first dives are relatively shallow. The closer you are to the surface, the more the wetsuit will expand and contract as you change depths, even slightly. You ascend a little, the wetsuit bubbles expand, and suddenly you are heading to the surface. You descend a little, the bubbles compress, and suddenly you are sinking. It is the wetsuit that causes the problem, and you would have had the problem you describe with any BCD.

When diving deeper, there is less change in the bubbles as you change depth. That difference is significant. That means if you are using the wetsuit at greater depths, you won't notice it as much. You will also get used to it at the shallower depths with more experience.

 

[RobPNW]

For a beginner, doing single tank diving, I'm confused by the recommendations of going to a lighter backplate. Seems you would just have to add weight somewhere else. Unless of course this is solely for travel.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Hollis HD200 BCD.