New diver regs and BP/W setup!!!! Looking for advice and recommendation

[BHB ScubaTroll]

the dive rite wings aren't kevlar btw, they use superfabric, which is very different, and much better, albeit much more expensive to produce. Also, your plate isn't 7lbs negative unless it is a custom plate, "standard" plates are usually just under 6lbs, and around 6lbs once you add the harness to them.

and yes, we can answer that question really easily. 23lb is far too small for a 7mm semi-dry. You need the 32lb for diving that wetsuit safely, especially if you are going past about 20m or so. Even diving a standard AL80, you lose 6lbs right off the bat due to the gas in the tank, so you are now down to 17lbs. Odds are in a 7mm semi-dry you are going to need every bit of that 17lbs and likely a bit more to sink in salt water. Experience is irrelevant, weighting is weight, experience will only dictate how comfortable you are when diving truly neutral or underweighted, which is irrelevant in that thick of a wetsuit because the compression will make you overweighted quite quickly.

I am happy to be corrected... Thanks!

 

[tbone1004]

no worries. On the wing, this was one of the few times that we can be fairly confident in answering the question without more information, only because he mentions a 7mm semi-dry. If the difference was a 30 or a 35 then it would be more difficult, but 23lbs is just not enough for deep diving in thick wetsuits and that's a pretty easy question to answer. Is 32 enough? That we would need more information, my gut says yes, but if you go to a larger tank, then it may not be.

 

[hypnodiver]

As a fellow Victorian diver, the package you've listed looks pretty good.

I think a sealed diaphragm first stage is a good choice, not because the water around Melbourne gets cold enough to require cold water gear during winter (though we get pretty close) but because it keeps grit out of the first stage. If you're diving in a current, particularly in the southern parts of Port Phillip Bay, the water can get surprisingly gritty. Even though I moved to Melbourne only 2½ years ago, I've lost count of how much time I've spent cleaning grit and sand out of my gear.

I wouldn't be worried about using DIN regs unless you're planning to do a lot of diving in the tropics or the United States. Most of the local dive shops use DIN valves with yoke inserts on their cylinders, so as long as you ask for DIN valves (and carry the right sized allen key to be able to remove the insert) you'll be fine.

You've been quoted for both a HOG Classic and Zenith second stage. Personally, I'd go with one or the other. I've standardised on HOG Classic seconds, which breathe really well, and it means that the parts and service kits are the same across all my second stages.

As far as the wing is concerned, 32lb is about right for a single cylinder wing, bearing in mind that most shops hire 12L steel cylinders, and if you're diving outside the heads, you could be bobbing around in a 1 - 2m swell for a while at the end of your dive, so a bit more lift comes in handy. My own singles wing is a 27lb Halcyon Pioneer, which is just enough for the local conditions. If I have to wait for the boat to pick me up, I usually put extra air into my drysuit to give myself a bit more lift.

A 23lb wing is more designed for tropical diving in a thin wetsuit, which you definitely won't be getting in Melbourne given that the water temperatures usually range between about 20ºC/68ºF in January or February and 9ºC/48ºF in July or August.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The classic and zenith use the same kits. There are no differences in the servicing of them as far as installing the service parts.