New diver! Need help please!

[ashtonmthomas]

Hey all, I just got open water certified this past weekend. I am looking to purchase my first set of equipment.

Now I previously owned my fins, snorkel, and scuba pro mask.

Could you more experienced divers give me some suggestions on a set up. I know the cost is going to be great just to get started. With that said, I would also like to save some money too.

I know for sure I need:

BCD
Regulator first and second stage
Tank
Weights
Computer
Etc etc.

Could you guys give me some good name brands and also point me towards an affordable computer for a beginner diver.

Thanks in advance everyone!


Ps: sorry if this is the wrong thread. I'm newer to these forums.



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[fisheater]

It would help A LOT if you could tell us what kind of diving you intend to do.

For instance, are you only going to dive when on vacation in warm, clear tropical waters? Or, are you going to dive locally every month in cold water? (Hint: Filling out your profile would help, too.) Are you thinking of some day doing some "tech" diving, such as planned decompression, caves or wreck penetration?

 

[ashtonmthomas]

I'm on my phone, I will try and fill that out!

In the mean time, I plan on making my way up to a dive instructor sometime.

I would like to dive as frequent as I can. I would like to stick to the ocean and clear water. I would like to do some cave diving sometime as well.

As for water temperature, I would like to stay in warmer water. I hate being cold!

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[drrich2]

You only need weights if you dive locally; most exotic dive destinations provide them, and it's not practical to take them on planes with you due to baggage weight issues.

A regulator that you can get serviced locally is a plus, since periodic servicing is expected, and some regulators are less failure prone to very cold water. If you stick with warm water, an Atomic Aquatics Z3 would be fine, I imagine, but there are other brands & models that would also be fine, and claiming one is better than the other can be hard to back up.

Decide if you're going to buy online (e.g.: ScubaToys.com (mentioned you're a member here to get a discount), LeisurePro.com, a number of other places) or 'support your local dive shop' (might cost more up front, but maybe free air fills for awhile or something?).

The big issue with BCD will be standard 'jacket style' vs. a backplate/wing. The former is more common, the latter often advocated on the forum and what you're apt to see in technical diving, which most divers don't get into but some do, and you can use a BP/W for standard recreational diving, too. Jacket vs. BP/W is a thread (actually, a number of threads, I think) all its own.

Computers - decide whether you want a wrist unit, or a console. Glancing at your wrist for pressure & depth is nice. Decided whether you want air-integrated (keeps track of your tank pressure) or not, and whether you want the computer to download dive info. to your desktop computer at the end of the day. Just to start you looking, consider a Geo 2.0 (wrist unit, not AI) vs. an Oceanic VT4 (wrist, AI) vs. a ProPlus 3 (console, AI). Would you pay a lot more money for a computer with a very intuitive interface so you hardly need the manual, built-in rechargeable battery you don't need to take out and replace, and a huge onboard log? If so, check out the Atomic Aquatics Cobalt 2 console.

I just do recreational diving, mostly warm water, and I dive a Sherwood Avid BCD, Atomic Aquatics B2 reg., a Cobalt 1 console computer, and as back up and wrist display my old VT3, but I'm not saying my choices are the best, right for you, or that I've also tried many competing options.

Richard.

 

[ashtonmthomas]

Thanks Richard for the input!

I overheard the instructor selling a whole setup to a customer and he was telling him that, I don't recall the brand name, if this product ever breaks that the company will replace the parts for free. Only charge would be the labor. He had a regulator setup in his hand.

Know anything about that?

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[diversteve]

I can't find the link but ScubaPro does free parts for life. I think you have to buy a BC, Reg, Suit and possibly a computer to qualify. SCUBAPRO - Product Support. Until just recently it was specific to certain products also - like regulators.

Aqualung offers free parts for life on regulators - Aqua Lung US - Personal Aquatic Equipment for Personal and Professional Use - Free Parts for Life Program

Atomic has a pretty good warranty also: LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

Note these only apply to new gear purchased from an authorized dealer. Both websites have dealer locators so you can verify that. As an example you'll see much better pricing on Aqualung on leisurepro.com - because they aren't - they offer their equivalent warranty instead.

No one that I know of guarantees what you described. I suspect the salesperson was stretching it a little.

Free parts for life is a marketing gimmick. The parts kits are $20. The service charge is the expense. My LDS actually throws in the parts for nothing, it costs them so little. And charges me $80 per service - 1st stage and 2 2nds - same brand. They service my gauges for free.

A good entry level, easy to use computer is a Sunnto Zoop.

 

[TSandM]

A lot really does depend on where you dive. Are you someplace with warm water, or cold? The exposure protection is different, so the total ballast required is different, which makes the type of gear that's optimal potentially different. In cold water, where you have to carry so much weight, you want to avoid taking anything underwater with you that floats, if you don't have to do so. BCs with lots of padding and quilting are positive; backplates are negative and become part of your ballast, reducing the size of your weight belt or the amount you have to stuff in weight pockets.

Regulators which are fine for warm water may have a tendency to freeflow in cold (depends on design)

Cold water divers almost immediately buy lights, because the water tends to be murkier and there is less ambient light. If you dive in 100 feet of viz, you may not feel a strong need for a light until you take up night dive.

Tell us more about where you are, and we can be MUCH better about giving advice. But in the meantime, take a look at THIS thread -- it will at least let you know what a lot of people view as mistakes they made buying gear.

 

[oly5050user]

I'm on my phone, I will try and fill that out!

In the mean time, I plan on making my way up to a dive instructor sometime.

I would like to dive as frequent as I can. I would like to stick to the ocean and clear water. I would like to do some cave diving sometime as well.

As for water temperature, I would like to stay in warmer water. I hate being cold!

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if serious about going pro why not start now and buy at the lds that certified you. you will establish a relationship with them that may prove usefull when / if you go pro..that woul be more valuable than any saving you may or may not get elsewhere.

 

[herman]

Don't get suckered into the "buy the most expensive because it's better" trap, it's not. Most regs in a manufs line within a range are the same internally (where it counts) with bling on the outside to think you are getting more. Aqualung, which makes good regs, is a good example. The internal parts of all of their mid to top end regs are basically the same (and has been for over 50 years- and that is a plus, they got it right the first time and did not mess with it), the only difference is the outter shell, performance/reliabably wise they are identical so being upsold to the high end model first stage buys you nothing. Second stages are a little different but to some extent the same applies. Once you get into the mid to upper middle of any brands product range the internals of the second stage are identical, they just add outside bling or questionably useful "features". The point being, don't get sold a high end reg becasue the salesman tells you it's better, it's not. Stick somewhere in the mid to upper middle of any manuf range for the best value. Ignore any hype about brand X being so much better than brand Y, they aren't, just stick with any of the major brands that you can get serviced locally and you will be fine, brand wise.
The "free parts for life" program that some manufs offer is more sale gimick than anything else. While the parts are "free" the labor to install the parts is not. You are required to have the reg serviced at a given interval that is much greater than the real need so you end up paying dearly for those "free" parts and if you miss your time frame (usually 1 or 2 years) the program ends. In the long run you are much better off extending the service interval some and paying for the parts when they are needed.

Don't buy tanks until you are sure you are diving a good bit, make them your last to buy item. Besides cost, you must have your tanks inspected yearly (VIP) and hydroed every 5, these cost add up and unless you dive a lot, it's better to rent tanks, at least for a while. Used tanks, actually all dive gear, can be a bargin but you do need to understand what you are buying. Some are great deals and others are a waste of money.

One final though, don't get hung up in the idea of "buy now for the future". A lot of divers will tell you that but reality is much different. Most any mid grade gear will be fine for the majority of any diving you will do up to tech. If you move into an instructor role, most shops will require you to use their brand (and likely a newer model) so your students will see yours and want what you dive. Point being is, there is no telling now what shop or brand or model you may need/be required to use so buying now with the idea you will continue to use it is not a sure bet. Then there is tech diving, if you decide to go tech, you will be buying a lot more gear including more BCs and regs, there is no way out of that and when you do, you will likely want identical brands and models so buying 1 now with the idea of using it later is not a good bet since finding a new identical reg later is not likely and odds are high you will end up having/wanting seperate tech gear and rec gear anyway. Buying now for later is a nice idea that rarely works out in the end.

 

[sphyrnidus]

@TS: I don't want to be pessimistic, but I've seen so many divers being enthusiastic and wanting to go pro, but few eventually do. Mainly because it is hard work for not so much money and now you're diving for fun, but taking students for a dive, multiple times a day is a different cookie.
So see how it goes and don't by gear now just thinking: I need this because...
I agree a lot with what Herman says.