New Diver on a budget

[DevonDiver]

To be fair sir....that was some of the "senior" divers that were onsite who told me if I was going to buy something to put the money upfront on a decent product

That's good advice.... but....

$1500 for a recreational diving computer is a joke. You can get a perfectly adequate computer for $300.

If you want to 'future proof' the technology, then you can get an amazing trimix, ccr ready, downloadable software, multi-gas OLED technical diving computer for less than $1500. Seriously... that's 'Ferrrari' money.

You want something 'decent'... but you don't need a Ferrari.

'Decent' in respect of scuba kit equates to 'Land-Rover', not Lamborghini stuff. You wouldn't buy a Prada raincoat to go hiking in the wilds or a pair of Gucci loafers to run a marathon in....

It's not even a good investment for a diver who's primarily concerned with image and 'cool factor'. If that's the case... just buy all your kit in black...do a fundies course....and drink kool aid.

There's some seriously good 'high-end' kit on the market - it's typically very specialist stuff...and well over-specified for a recreational diver. There's also a bunch of crud...that's loaded with gimmicks and over-priced... because some sucker is always likely to believe a salespitch hype and pay triple what they need to spend on it.

Buy a decent computer, that'll do what you need..... and save the change for a week of vacation diving somewhere hot.

My LDS has been really cool with me, and even allowed me to test ride at least 6 fins before I picked one...and has let me use 3 BCD's during my OW cert.

Of course... so would I... if your credit card was on the counter and you were nodding your head when I showed you the price tag for a $1500 dive computer. Heck, I'd expect the store owner to let me go out back with his daughter.....

I don't sell any diving kit - I believe it detracts from having a proper focus on training and educating with honesty and transparency. That's my personal ethos.

As a pure recommendation, if you want an expensive, high-end, diving computer then look at something like Liquivision.
The X1 if you plan to progress into 'advanced'/technical diving. The Kaon for recreational and nitrox diving. The Lynx if your heart is set on air-integration.

Personally, I dive with a battered old Suunto Vyper (1st edition) that I've had forever. It's kept me safe on ~5000 dives, across 5 continents, at depths down to 80m, inside grisly wrecks, at the mercy of near-suicidal students and in ice-cold and balmy tropical waters alike. I've bought newer, more expensive, computers along the way - but none has stood the test of time.

 

[Dr Dog]

Hey Swede

I am going from the same thing you are right now, buying all this gear, and spending hours on research and frankly making my head spin.. My wife is my buddy, so I am trying to keep our gear similar, but of course she wants what she likes, and vise versa.

The 1500 computer you do not really need, yeah it is big and pretty, but uses a lot of juice to keep that big and pretty display lit up, you will be charging all the time. Mares has a smaller version, granted without air intergration called the wide, that is 400 dollars. For the meantime, you can get a great computer from Suunto or Oceanic that is AI, for just over that 400 with the transmitter included. Check online at places like scubatoys.com and leisurepro, the former has a computer on now for under 150.

For the rest of your gear you need, you are probably best talking to one of the fine people around here. My wife and I just bought gear from James LaPenta, new bp/w and full cold water reg set from under 1000 each. For wetsuits, you are best visiting places to try them on, each suit is just a bit different, a L in one, is nowhere close to a large in another. I did go with a Henderson myself ( 7 m aqualock)

Good luck with your gear purchases, I know it is fun

 

[Adam0322]

I just went through everything you are going through now. My girlfriend and I got certified a couple weeks ago and I spent weeks before that researching every piece of diving equipment I could. It's alot of info to try and swallow. I just finished buying 2 of everything and I think the two of us now have all the gear we need for quite a while. For the computers, I settled on the Mares Puck wrist computers for both of us. They have all the features you'll find in the more expensive computers and were only $175 each at LeisurePro.com.

Don't let it scare you. Diving is supposed to be fun after all. Good luck to you!

 

[Lemna]

Hi Swede,

have a look at DiveNav's comparison tool to see what's on the market: Dive Computer Training . You'll find most models cheaper than on that site, but it's an excellent comparison tool. Most of my buddies seem happy with a basic model, like a Suunto Zoop or Vyper, or a Mares Puck... These will do anything you need for recreational diving. Try a few of these underwater: are they easy to use? can you read the display?

Think very hard about air integration: it costs a lot for little gain. As you gain experience you will find that you don't need to check pressure all the time (because you get to know your air consumption better) and you will probably carry a backup gauge anyway.

 

[a22shady]

If you do not need it to be wireless I would say go with an Oceanic Proplus. Its a great computer. Its air integrated, Nitrox has a very large screen and is a very good computer. I had one for three years and sold it to buy something else but kinda wish I still had it as I liked it should have kept it as back up. My advice if you get it make sure you get the one with compass and quick disconnect unless you have a wrist compass. the QD cable is nice. I know you can download the dives as I always have however I am not familiar with divelog 5.0

Pro Plus 2.1 - Computers




For the rest of your gear I would recomend getting into a set of HOG Reg's which you can get new and breath just as good as the big expensive names some say better but 1/2 price. I would also look into a Backplate/wing for your BC . Hog will more than likely be least expensive and there is also DSS- deep sea supply who is also good on prices. Other than that maybe look at picking up used BP/W here on the board which you can at a good discount most times.

 

[Peter Guy]

OP -- I am an independent instructor who contracts with a local dive shop. Just the other day I had a "frank and open discussion" with the owner about me advising students on what gear to buy. I told him I always recommend gear the shop sells -- IF I CAN. By the end of the discussion we had (more or less) agreed to try to put together a package that would work. Here are MY thoughts and perhaps this may help you:

a. BCD -- I'll admit I'm a BP/W fan, especially for cold water diving. My BP/W of choice is the DSS steel BP and Taurus wing (35 pound lift) WITH the 8 pound weight plates which bolt to the BP. Why? Because the total BP/W is negative 14 pounds -- that means, 14 pounds of lead is taken care of by this system. I also find the bend of the plate and the DSS single tank system keeps the tank as close to my back as possible, minimizing sway. List price $550 (?) including the weight plates.

b. Regulator -- Subgear "Bonaire" system -- solid technology and servicable pretty much anywhere in the world since it is a Scubapro regulator on the inside.
List price with Octo -- $400 (?)

c. Computer -- Suunto Zoop -- Nitrox wrist computer with big screen -- same display as my Vytec and Cobra -- I'll admit I like having air integration but it is NOT necessary and I actively discourage console computers since they tend to be on the left side but need to be held by the right hand during ascent/descent -- i.e., the most critical times you need the depth information.

d. SPG -- get any one --

Unless there is a very specific reason to get a "traditional" BCD, I urge you to look into the BP/W system for overall price and value.

 

[SFC_Swede]

To all replies...I really appreciate the advice. I am WAY over thinking the goal. I am going to stick with something simple and reliable for now based off the advice given. Your all right...and I was mirroring my opinion off of what much more experienced people were using. Many of the seniors and Instructors here have also got me rethinking the whole AI option. How hard is it to check an SPG anyway? Stick to my original needs...Depth, time, temp, and readable for an old guy losing his vision (I had to have bifocal lens put in my mask to give you an idea).

Besides...I need to invest in all the other gear, why blow my wad on a CPU. I dont expect my wife to dive the same gear. I want her to have what she is comfortable with as well. We are both noobs...so a lot of experimentation will be had. Happy diving all, and thanks for listening to my story. To the other new people replying...maybe we will bump into eachother out there in the water.

Cheers

---------- Post added May 24th, 2012 at 02:50 AM ----------

After scouring the internet, reading reviews, ect....I think I narrowed it down to a Mares Puck. Leisure Pro has it on sale for $175 with free shipping. I am going to wait until after Memorial Day weekend...because I emailed a user on the classifieds board about a rig he is letting go for a steal, and wish to hear back its condition or if he even still has it anymore.

Thanks again all.

 

[Dr Dog]

One bit of advice for you. Look forward to where you want to be in the sport. Then purchase accordingly.. My LDS stated this to me in the beginning, and what he meant was, only buy something once. If I were left with no help. I would probably own 3 bcds right now, and wasted how much money?

So if you are planning on doing some tech courses in the future, you should probably buy some equipment that is more geared to tech diving, so you do not have to replace that when you finally do get into it.

Happy diving!!

 

[TSandM]

Although it would run bigger in your budget than the Puck, you might consider looking at the new Liquivision recreational dive computer. The reason I suggest this, although it's more expensive, is that the OLED displays are WAY easier to see than the liquid crystal displays on most computers. With my old eyes, I love the OLED screens, and the ability to change font size helps, too. And it's wonderful at night.

 

[supergaijin]

Thumbs down to the PUCK. What you win in price, you lose in usability. There is a single button requiring advanced Morse Code to find your last dive history, change settings to Nitrox etc. Beep, beep, beeeeeep, beep, beeeeeep etc. My money is on the Suunto Gecko or Zoop. Turn the thing on and it has your last dive. Much more user-friendly than the Puck.

*Used to use PUCK as rental in my last DC. Now I have my own shop, we ate the extra $50 or so and bought Zoop for rental. Personally I have a Gecko.