Like the guy above said RENT, RENT, RENT, RENT, AND RENT SOME MORE!!!! Great that you are looking at scubapro, but also look at Apex, and Mares, also Atomics. I am also a new diver, I ended up getting a backplate and wing (bp/w) not a traditional bc. Your mistakes in purchasing as I have learned is that you can still use the regs, for ponies and deco bottles as you advance. As with the setup for your reg, 5 or 7 ft primary and an octo, spg console or with wrist computer. Still rent until you find what you like
Looking to buy new gear - Questions
- Thread starter footballguy05
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Supershark
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Welcome to diving.
My Scuba pro regulators are workhorses, i would not give them up for the world. They have done 3000+ dives and I have had no problem whatsoever. The amount of diving I do, I only get the chance to do a full reg service every 6 months. I do a mini service every month (100 dives). I have found the service kits from scubapro excellent value for money and very simple to use.
The dive shop I work for gave me a set of regs to test (not going to name brand, don't want to offend), they were brand new but I hated them. I had the 2 other members of my staff do a dive on them and they all agree that our standard scubapro rental regs are way better.
With regard to a bcd. My first one was a scubapro, it was functional, but not very adaptable. I now have a Seacsub Pro 2000, which I absolutely love. I have recently been testing a Vietnamese brand called Scubol, when my Pro 2000 dies I will be getting a Scubol. Other Bcd's that impress me are the Sherwood range, OMS for wings etc and seaquest. My advice would be to try as many bcd's as you can before you buy. Make sure the fit is correct, and that the bcd will benefit you in the future as you continue with your diving. A big pocket probably does not seem useful now, but in a couple of hundred dives you will probably need it!
Wetsuits. I would recommend a made to measure suit, they are slightly more expensive than an off the hanger, but I think worth it. Other than that, the Sweedish Waterproof range is fantastic.
Mask, fins boots etc are all personal choice, just test test test.
With regard to guages, again sorry personal choice. I love my wrist mounted computer and compass, my Course Director loves his Cobra and compass together. It will have to be your decision, but again try a few different ones. Got to say though, I love Suunto for computers.
Hope this helps
P.S Hate the air 2!
My Scuba pro regulators are workhorses, i would not give them up for the world. They have done 3000+ dives and I have had no problem whatsoever. The amount of diving I do, I only get the chance to do a full reg service every 6 months. I do a mini service every month (100 dives). I have found the service kits from scubapro excellent value for money and very simple to use.
The dive shop I work for gave me a set of regs to test (not going to name brand, don't want to offend), they were brand new but I hated them. I had the 2 other members of my staff do a dive on them and they all agree that our standard scubapro rental regs are way better.
With regard to a bcd. My first one was a scubapro, it was functional, but not very adaptable. I now have a Seacsub Pro 2000, which I absolutely love. I have recently been testing a Vietnamese brand called Scubol, when my Pro 2000 dies I will be getting a Scubol. Other Bcd's that impress me are the Sherwood range, OMS for wings etc and seaquest. My advice would be to try as many bcd's as you can before you buy. Make sure the fit is correct, and that the bcd will benefit you in the future as you continue with your diving. A big pocket probably does not seem useful now, but in a couple of hundred dives you will probably need it!
Wetsuits. I would recommend a made to measure suit, they are slightly more expensive than an off the hanger, but I think worth it. Other than that, the Sweedish Waterproof range is fantastic.
Mask, fins boots etc are all personal choice, just test test test.
With regard to guages, again sorry personal choice. I love my wrist mounted computer and compass, my Course Director loves his Cobra and compass together. It will have to be your decision, but again try a few different ones. Got to say though, I love Suunto for computers.
Hope this helps
P.S Hate the air 2!
OP
footballguy05
Registered
thanks for all the replies - comments have been really helpful
DougieIL
Registered
Welcome to diving! You can see as I did when I began that if you ask a question like this you get a hundred answers, all different and some opposed to others. I bought my stuff in April for my first trip in May and my dive shop let me test it all out in the pool. Not optimal, but useful. I like Scuba Pro as well. I chose the Glide BCD with the air2 figuring I was new and everything I tried would be new as well. I got the APEX Reg and it's awesome but I could have and should have spent less and gotten either the Scuba Pro or the Aqualung Titan. I do very much like having fewer hoses and the air2 works great for me. Just remember if you share air, you use the Air2 and share your main. For still few hoses I got an air integrated wrist computer. The Suunto Vytec DS and I really love that. Good luck. It's great fun picking all this stuff out and the board is a great place to get info from the more experienced divers.
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