Bubbletrubble
Contributor
You should definitely purchase your own gear.
Since you'll be traveling to dive, it makes sense to pay attention to the dry "carry" weight of your scuba gear. Some manufacturers are installing Miflex (flexible, light, more expensive) hoses on their "travel" reg setups. Many people like this type of hose. You can retrofit virtually any reg setup with them. Many manufacturers are now offering warm water "travel BCDs." Look into them.
When it comes to BCDs, you really need to try different styles for yourself. Most divers get OW certified in a conventional jacket-style BCD, so they are familiar with that style and purchase that for their first BCD. Before buying anything, I'd recommend at the minimum trying out a rear-inflate BCD and a BP/W rig. With experiences in 3 different BCD styles, that should help you make a more informed buying decision. Join a local scuba club, make friends, and ask to try out some of their equipment. Most divers are fairly generous when it comes to things like this.
Some divers prefer a BCD with a rigid backplate (heavy plastic, aluminum, stainless steel) because it can help the tank feel more secure on one's back. You need to try the BCD or BP/W out for yourself in order to assess this.
I'd recommend staying away from the "up/down" I3 lever on the Aqualung BCDs. It's an innovative design that is completely unnecessary (going to be more difficult to repair) in my opinion.
For regs, everyone has a favorite. Lots to consider -- performance, price, reliability, parts availability, service availability in your locale, warranty, sealed vs. unsealed first stage, adjustable breathing control knob on second stage. I don't dive in super-cold or "dirty" water, but I like environmentally-sealed first stages for the ease of maintenance. I service my own regs, and it makes me smile when I look inside my reg that hasn't been overhauled in a couple of years...and it looks brand new in there. High performance regs come in either balanced diaphragm or balanced piston designs. I couldn't recommend one over the other -- both are great. Yes, Atomic regs are of a balanced piston design and, to "seal" them, the reg technician needs to pack the environmental chamber with a fair bit of Christolube (oxygen-compatible lubricant). This is messy and expensive. Atomic regs do have a reputation for breathing very nicely and have a recommended service interval of 2 years, which is longer than what some other manufacturers recommend for their own regs (Scubapro: every year, Apeks/Aqualung: every other year with in-between year inspections). I really like my Apeks ATX100/50/FST reg. I also like my Aqualung Legend regs. Both reg setups are very reliable and perform extremely well. My buddies have Scubapro S600/MK25 regs. They work very well, too. See the trend here?
There are a couple of things you should be aware of when shopping for or trying out regs. First of all, a higher price doesn't necessarily mean a "better" reg for you. Take anything a salesman, who works on commission (many do), says with a grain of salt. If a salesman begins any sentence with: "You're looking at life support equipment, so..." I'd recommend finding someone else to talk to. Secondly, when assessing reg performance, it's practically impossible for a novice diver to distinguish between the inherent capability of a reg and the ability of the reg tech who last worked on it. Proper tuning is critical for maximizing reg performance. At some point, you're just going to have to trust what other people say about a particular brand/model reg. Many divers try out a crappily tuned rental reg, find that it's difficult to breathe from, and then vow never again to use/own that same brand/model of reg. Don't fall into this trap.
I hope you find this info helpful.
Since you'll be traveling to dive, it makes sense to pay attention to the dry "carry" weight of your scuba gear. Some manufacturers are installing Miflex (flexible, light, more expensive) hoses on their "travel" reg setups. Many people like this type of hose. You can retrofit virtually any reg setup with them. Many manufacturers are now offering warm water "travel BCDs." Look into them.
When it comes to BCDs, you really need to try different styles for yourself. Most divers get OW certified in a conventional jacket-style BCD, so they are familiar with that style and purchase that for their first BCD. Before buying anything, I'd recommend at the minimum trying out a rear-inflate BCD and a BP/W rig. With experiences in 3 different BCD styles, that should help you make a more informed buying decision. Join a local scuba club, make friends, and ask to try out some of their equipment. Most divers are fairly generous when it comes to things like this.
Some divers prefer a BCD with a rigid backplate (heavy plastic, aluminum, stainless steel) because it can help the tank feel more secure on one's back. You need to try the BCD or BP/W out for yourself in order to assess this.
I'd recommend staying away from the "up/down" I3 lever on the Aqualung BCDs. It's an innovative design that is completely unnecessary (going to be more difficult to repair) in my opinion.
For regs, everyone has a favorite. Lots to consider -- performance, price, reliability, parts availability, service availability in your locale, warranty, sealed vs. unsealed first stage, adjustable breathing control knob on second stage. I don't dive in super-cold or "dirty" water, but I like environmentally-sealed first stages for the ease of maintenance. I service my own regs, and it makes me smile when I look inside my reg that hasn't been overhauled in a couple of years...and it looks brand new in there. High performance regs come in either balanced diaphragm or balanced piston designs. I couldn't recommend one over the other -- both are great. Yes, Atomic regs are of a balanced piston design and, to "seal" them, the reg technician needs to pack the environmental chamber with a fair bit of Christolube (oxygen-compatible lubricant). This is messy and expensive. Atomic regs do have a reputation for breathing very nicely and have a recommended service interval of 2 years, which is longer than what some other manufacturers recommend for their own regs (Scubapro: every year, Apeks/Aqualung: every other year with in-between year inspections). I really like my Apeks ATX100/50/FST reg. I also like my Aqualung Legend regs. Both reg setups are very reliable and perform extremely well. My buddies have Scubapro S600/MK25 regs. They work very well, too. See the trend here?
There are a couple of things you should be aware of when shopping for or trying out regs. First of all, a higher price doesn't necessarily mean a "better" reg for you. Take anything a salesman, who works on commission (many do), says with a grain of salt. If a salesman begins any sentence with: "You're looking at life support equipment, so..." I'd recommend finding someone else to talk to. Secondly, when assessing reg performance, it's practically impossible for a novice diver to distinguish between the inherent capability of a reg and the ability of the reg tech who last worked on it. Proper tuning is critical for maximizing reg performance. At some point, you're just going to have to trust what other people say about a particular brand/model reg. Many divers try out a crappily tuned rental reg, find that it's difficult to breathe from, and then vow never again to use/own that same brand/model of reg. Don't fall into this trap.
I hope you find this info helpful.
