Hi,
Another thread of a newbie looking for advise on first dive kit. I've been diving for a few years, got around 80 dives in. SSI Advanced Adventurer. Going to drastically increase the amount of diving I do this year, and it's time to kit up (and stop paying rental fees). However I need some advise (particularly since I am now starting to dive in Sydney, and I have very little cold water dive experience). One of my big issues is that I fly to dive a lot, and can't afford two different setups so I'm trying to reconcile the requirements for year-round Sydney diving with flight baggage restrictions for a single kit.
Much thanks in advance for any advise.
I'm buying a combination of stuff online and at my LDS. Unfortunately the dive shop that I go to doesn't actually run any dives from that location, so I can't trial any gear. The only shop I can get to dive with only carries Oceanic, so I have limited access to try stuff out.
Stuff I want to get new:
Regs - already ordered some Apeks from my LDS. 1st and Primary + Occy. May eventually shift to longhose + necklace so might pickup some new hoses. Gonna grab some service kits online as well.
Wetsuit - I can't afford a drysuit, and I haven't trained on them yet, so I'm going with either a Bare 5/4 Velocity Pro Stretch or 5mm Pinnacle Cruiser for summer and a 7mm Cruiser for winter. I've tried them on and I like the fit (they felt a lot more comfortable than the Pinnacle Vulcan semi-dry). Plus, LeisurePro has them at an amazing price. I'm ordering online since they are literally 1/4 the price of the LDS. I already have a Bare 3mm and rashie for travel dives. I use a size Large in Wetsuit.
I'm also gonna grab some Pinnacle or Bare booties/hoodie/gloves in 5mm.
Stuff I'm looking for new or used:
Dive computer - I was just going to go for a bottom timer and depth gauge, but the wrist mount Suunto Vyper is $270 brand new from scubastore, and this seemed like a really good deal no? (I've tried to grab a couple of 2nd hand ones off the forum here but never had any luck). And I can bungie mount the Vyper and use in gauge mode as my diving progresses.
Also thinking about Hollis DG01 Digital Depth Gauge which is on clearance for $150.
Compass - figure an SK6 or SK7 wrist mount with dss boot and bungie but going to buy locally as I need an Aussie zoned one.
Pressure Gauge - figure a 63mm, was looking at the OMS Brass PSI/BAR one for $100 OMS Brass PSI/BAR pressure Gauge, (63mm) ... which is expensive but I've had no luck finding 2nd hand gauges either. If I don't get one with PSI and BAR markings, then I'll grab one that's just BAR.
BCD - I've left this to last because it's giving me the most trouble. I've only had 1 dive in Sydney so far, and everything else has been in tropical areas where I wear a rashie (or very occasionally a 3mm). So I can't figure out what kind of bouyancy I need.
I'm not having luck finding factory specs for wetsuit bouyancy for the suits I'm looking at. I also don't own my own tanks (and won't for quite some time) so it'll depend what the diveshop has as to what I'll be diving. I'm gonna guess single steel 15L at 200bar, bouyancy unknown until I rent it.
The thing is - at least 50% if not more of my diving will be travel. And if I can get my whole kit plus a pair of board shorts into a 10kg carry-on bag, that would be ideal. I think this is doable (airlines here also let you have a pillow or blanket carry-on, which will prob be my rolled up 3mm or rashie and towel).
I've picked up a pair of Force Fin Pros to travel with since they are really light. (I grabbed a pair of Jet Fins for local use).
I'd really prefer not to have to get 2 different BCD setups (home and travel). I really haven't decided what I want to dive yet (normal jacket, back inflate jacket, backplate and wing) so I don't want to invest much money in this yet.
I was looking at a used Mares Dragon Air Trim, but it weighs a ton.
Was also looking at a Zeagle Brigade or Stiletto, but I'm trying to find something used to save some money.
I know nothing about setting up a backplate and wing, and although it is highly recommended all over this forum that they be used - I don't feel comfortable buying a used one since I don't know enough to identify if I am getting a good product for a good price, and if there are any parts to it that are missing or faulty.
From the reading I've done, 45# lift would be too much for single tank (so extra plane weight and water drag for no gain), but 30# would be too little for diving a 7mm wetsuit to depth in cold water, so I should be looking for a setup with around 35# of lift. I imagine the proper answer is two wings (one for travel) but again the money thing - that seems like a plan for further down the road. And I imagine I want an abs or aluminum backplate so I can take it on the plane. But again, I'm not too sure about it all.
Once I get geared up, I'll head out on a dive/float test with each wetsuit using a lds weight belt and figure out how much weight I need to buy. I'm just going to use a standard belt, because I actually don't mind the feel of them.
Advise appreciated.
Cheers
Another thread of a newbie looking for advise on first dive kit. I've been diving for a few years, got around 80 dives in. SSI Advanced Adventurer. Going to drastically increase the amount of diving I do this year, and it's time to kit up (and stop paying rental fees). However I need some advise (particularly since I am now starting to dive in Sydney, and I have very little cold water dive experience). One of my big issues is that I fly to dive a lot, and can't afford two different setups so I'm trying to reconcile the requirements for year-round Sydney diving with flight baggage restrictions for a single kit.
Much thanks in advance for any advise.
I'm buying a combination of stuff online and at my LDS. Unfortunately the dive shop that I go to doesn't actually run any dives from that location, so I can't trial any gear. The only shop I can get to dive with only carries Oceanic, so I have limited access to try stuff out.
Stuff I want to get new:
Regs - already ordered some Apeks from my LDS. 1st and Primary + Occy. May eventually shift to longhose + necklace so might pickup some new hoses. Gonna grab some service kits online as well.
Wetsuit - I can't afford a drysuit, and I haven't trained on them yet, so I'm going with either a Bare 5/4 Velocity Pro Stretch or 5mm Pinnacle Cruiser for summer and a 7mm Cruiser for winter. I've tried them on and I like the fit (they felt a lot more comfortable than the Pinnacle Vulcan semi-dry). Plus, LeisurePro has them at an amazing price. I'm ordering online since they are literally 1/4 the price of the LDS. I already have a Bare 3mm and rashie for travel dives. I use a size Large in Wetsuit.
I'm also gonna grab some Pinnacle or Bare booties/hoodie/gloves in 5mm.
Stuff I'm looking for new or used:
Dive computer - I was just going to go for a bottom timer and depth gauge, but the wrist mount Suunto Vyper is $270 brand new from scubastore, and this seemed like a really good deal no? (I've tried to grab a couple of 2nd hand ones off the forum here but never had any luck). And I can bungie mount the Vyper and use in gauge mode as my diving progresses.
Also thinking about Hollis DG01 Digital Depth Gauge which is on clearance for $150.
Compass - figure an SK6 or SK7 wrist mount with dss boot and bungie but going to buy locally as I need an Aussie zoned one.
Pressure Gauge - figure a 63mm, was looking at the OMS Brass PSI/BAR one for $100 OMS Brass PSI/BAR pressure Gauge, (63mm) ... which is expensive but I've had no luck finding 2nd hand gauges either. If I don't get one with PSI and BAR markings, then I'll grab one that's just BAR.
BCD - I've left this to last because it's giving me the most trouble. I've only had 1 dive in Sydney so far, and everything else has been in tropical areas where I wear a rashie (or very occasionally a 3mm). So I can't figure out what kind of bouyancy I need.
I'm not having luck finding factory specs for wetsuit bouyancy for the suits I'm looking at. I also don't own my own tanks (and won't for quite some time) so it'll depend what the diveshop has as to what I'll be diving. I'm gonna guess single steel 15L at 200bar, bouyancy unknown until I rent it.
The thing is - at least 50% if not more of my diving will be travel. And if I can get my whole kit plus a pair of board shorts into a 10kg carry-on bag, that would be ideal. I think this is doable (airlines here also let you have a pillow or blanket carry-on, which will prob be my rolled up 3mm or rashie and towel).
I've picked up a pair of Force Fin Pros to travel with since they are really light. (I grabbed a pair of Jet Fins for local use).
I'd really prefer not to have to get 2 different BCD setups (home and travel). I really haven't decided what I want to dive yet (normal jacket, back inflate jacket, backplate and wing) so I don't want to invest much money in this yet.
I was looking at a used Mares Dragon Air Trim, but it weighs a ton.
Was also looking at a Zeagle Brigade or Stiletto, but I'm trying to find something used to save some money.
I know nothing about setting up a backplate and wing, and although it is highly recommended all over this forum that they be used - I don't feel comfortable buying a used one since I don't know enough to identify if I am getting a good product for a good price, and if there are any parts to it that are missing or faulty.
From the reading I've done, 45# lift would be too much for single tank (so extra plane weight and water drag for no gain), but 30# would be too little for diving a 7mm wetsuit to depth in cold water, so I should be looking for a setup with around 35# of lift. I imagine the proper answer is two wings (one for travel) but again the money thing - that seems like a plan for further down the road. And I imagine I want an abs or aluminum backplate so I can take it on the plane. But again, I'm not too sure about it all.
Once I get geared up, I'll head out on a dive/float test with each wetsuit using a lds weight belt and figure out how much weight I need to buy. I'm just going to use a standard belt, because I actually don't mind the feel of them.
Advise appreciated.
Cheers