Need Advice on Gear (New Diver)

[EliotD]

If it were me I would ditch the D6, I and others have found them hard to read underwater. If you want a Suunto think about a Cobra.

 

[rawls]

Just curious but how did you pick this stuff out? Specifically the computer. By features or price or reputation or what? The reason I ask is that I am researching computers now myself and I am thinking they all sound about the same except for wrist mounted or wireless etc etc etc. Seems like they all do the same things. What makes them so different price-wise.

Greg...All computers do not use the same algorithms. Some are more conservative and some more liberal regarding NDL's and such. You may be diving and your computer says, Greg...dive times up, while your buddy may still have a few more minutes.
Some computers allow you to plug in 3 different nitrox mixes, some have none. I would get one with at least one nitrox mode because at some point you will most likely be diving with enriched air, if you are not already. Then you get into computers like the VR-3...I will pass a description of that computer on to someone else I hear they are hard enough to understand if you have one, and I don't. Some alow you to download your profiles to your computer....So, they are not all the same, bottom line. There are alot of good computers with one nitrox mode for reasonable prices. I would only suggest you get one with a larger display and I personally like wrist mounts....Bobby

 

[jpcpat]

Everything you mentioned is good gear. It's a little easier to help if we know the type of diving you intend to do. For example, if coldwater diving, a 7 mil or drysuit is indicated, as well as a sealed reg. For Warm reef dives a 5/4 is overkill