New Diver trying to make decisions on gear

[Froghopper]

Hi everyone,

Brand spanning new diver here, just logged my 5th dive this past weekend.

What is everyone's recommendation when it comes to when and in what order you should purchase gear?

For example: I am planning a trip to Florida this summer, and I would prefer not to have to dive with rented gear. But, that may be the recommendation this early on?

I learned on all Scubapro gear, and they seem to get top marks in things like the regulator still.

I also see a lot of people pushing for BP/W, is that suitable for a brand new diver? I also like the style of the SP Seahawk.

With the litany of regulator choices, how did everyone decide?

I think I'm set on which computer I'm going for (Mares Puck).

Should I buy the BC, computer, regulators all at once or slowly accrue?

Thanks!

 

[sheeper]

good question and something i talk about with my students.
renting gear is a good way to experience different types, styles, and manufacturers. it is easier to choose once you know what your choices are.
The one thing i suggest buying early is a dive computer (DC). that DC can go anywhere easily with you. It will track your dives, integrate to dive log software and give you a consistent dive profile. For this reason, i prefer wrist worn computers. Different computers use different algorithms and employ different conservatism settings. Using one computer for your dives gives you consistency. Plus you will be able to really learn how to use it. Computers are the one thig that differ wildly.

Ping us at the Vero Beach Scuba Club on Facebook when you come to Florida. we can help you out with some gear choices.

 

[Caveeagle]

Renting gear for early dives can be a good option, but you are subject to what shops have available. It might be a good idea to ask ahead what type of gear they have to rent. Age, configuration etc. I don't want to get into brand-v-brand here, but there are several reg suppliers that have VERY similar configurations for sale. So, trying one out might help determine if you like that particular style of reg.

Personally, I have had some bad luck with rental gear over the years, and really try to avoid it. There are some shops with a pool for you to try out gear. That might be a good option where you can make sure its going to work for you BEFORE you get out on a dive boat.

Re: BP/W. I use this system exclusively, and have had my three kids diving this way from day 1. Its surely not the only way to go, but it offers many advantages. Being a modular, adjustable for example.

 

[wspalding]

I'll not make any recommendations on gear, I'll just say that when I got certified I immediately bought a package from Scuba.com, and while for the most part the gear has served me well and I still use it 10 years later, there are some choices in hindsight I would have made differently had I known what I was doing. I agree with the above comment that a dive computer is where you should first consider investing, but even then you have to figure out whether you want to have air integration as one of your features. I'd see if you can do several dives with various reg/computer/BC configurations before purchasing with some discussion beforehand regarding strengths/weaknesses of each piece of equipment to help you assess trade-offs. My first dive computer (Sherwood) just started to crap out this past year so I bought a GEO 2 wrist computer which works really well for me, is easy to set and read during my dive, and was pretty inexpensive. I'll end up replacing the Sherwood too (I learned the hard way that some redundancy in dive computer can save a dive excursion) and may buy one with more functionality however, since I will never be a tech diver, I don't need lots of bells and whistles. Probably no need to go high-end on a computer now as whatever you get can end up being a backup if you prefer something else later.

 

[tbone1004]

many opinions on here, here is mine.
No need to rent, because you are only going to be renting normal recreational gear, and throwing money away. It won't give you any better performance as they likely aren't tuned properly, and it is unlikely you'll be able to rent the gear that you want to purchase anyway because rental rigs are usually cheap.

First order of business. You are in Chicago, go to Dive Right in Scuba, make them your new LDS.

Second, BP/W's are used to train new divers, why? They're better. Get it fit properly, and you're good to go. Write $500 off to Tobin at Deep Sea Supply, especially if you are outside of the normal size range i.e. 5'8"-6'1" and roughly 150-250lbs. Give or take. He makes short, long, and wide plates that help not quite so normal people get fit, but even if you need a normal sized plate, his are better than everyone elses, especially for single tank diving. Call him.

Third: Regs are somewhat personal. I recommend buying a "doubles kit" because it gives you the extra first stage. Whether you go into doubles or sidemount or not, it is advantageous if you decide you want to dive with a pony bottle, very popular in the Great Lakes where single tanks are preferred for the boats, and it also helps you save a dive trip if a first stage fails.
If Mike isn't able to help you out, call Edd at Cave Adventurers. The only real downside to this is they are DIN regs, which when you travel may not be available. Convertible valves are very common in the US and becoming more common overseas, but I'm sure Edd can throw in a spin on yoke adapter.
Cave Adventurers - Dive Rite XT Sidemount Regulator Package - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!
Cave Adventurers - Dive Rite XT Regulator Backmount Package - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!
Sealed diaphragms are the most tolerant to abuse in terms of inadequate rinsing. Any of the pistons are expensive and annoying to seal and if done improperly or left out in the heat, can make any corrosion problems worse so I tend not to recommend them.


Computer: I would avoid the puck personally. I don't like single button computers, I don't like RGBM, but it's adequate for recreational dives.

All in, you're looking at somewhere around $1300-$1400 for all three of those. The BP/W is the best on the market, holds resale value, and you won't ever have to replace it as long as you stay in single tank backmount. The regs are being used for deep, long, exploration/expedition type diving, so they are perfectly fine. They have user available parts, and a global repair network, with a great warranty that isn't predicated on service intervals. The computer is what it is, but that's fine, it's good enough for now, and since it is a watch, you can wear it while on vacation. I prefer the Oceanic Geo 2.0 for a watch, but it's a bit more expensive.

 

[T-rex12]

I personally love the ease of mind of having your own gear. You know when it got serviced, you know how it has been taken care of and you know how to use it. Familiarity is a major thing in an emergency and having your own gear gives you that.

I would recommend buying your own computer (as stated above) and regulator. This is a good start and this will allow you to see what you like and don't like while renting.

I like my proplus3 computer and I have found Atomic regulators to be my favorite. Everyone has their own opinion as you will see on here. This is just my 2 sense.

 

[uncfnp]

I had pretty much all the basic gear before the end of my OW course and even though I have bought a dive shop worth of gear since it was still the right choice for me. My original regulator is still my go to set and the only reason I don't dive my first BCD is because I switched to BPW.

 

[BDSC]

I learned on all Scubapro gear, and they seem to get top marks in things like the regulator still.

I also see a lot of people pushing for BP/W, is that suitable for a brand new diver? I also like the style of the SP Seahawk.

Scubapro is excellent gear and very well made. You wouldn't go wrong if you purchased all SP gear but there is a lot of very well made gear out there to pick from so look around and if possible, try out different stuff before you decide.

I dive the Seahawk you mentioned and if it failed on me tomorrow I'd but another one. I've been diving SP BC's since 91 and have over 1000 dives and I've never had a single problem of any kind with them. I don't think you can beat their quality.

 

[mattia_v]

If you can swing it financially, I'd say go ahead. Rented until recently, but got a BP/W (loathe to go back to jacket, much prefer the feel) and a set of Apeks XTX50's / DST because the local store had a good deal on them.

It does depend a little on how often you dive and your aspirations. If you've just started, you may want to wait and see whether you stick with it - 5 dives isn't all that much to go on, and lots of folks never go past occasional (2-4) dives each year on holiday. Whether it's really worth buying at that point is debatable. I was one of those people (2008-2014 = about 20 dives, last two years another 60 and dedicated dive vacations). I'm now sure I'll continue and I prefer having my own gear.

If doing it step by step, I'd say start with a computer, then exposure protection (wetsuit), regs, BC. In that order. Or just get it all at once and have the fact you have 1200 bucks worth of gear help force you to dive more

 

[tbone1004]

oh I should note that I purchased all of my gear prior to completing OWT. I still own my tanks and have used them in all of my classes up through technical cave, still my primary cylinders. My original reg set was sold to a buddy because I switched to Poseidon, but it is still being used and was just a personal preference. It was purchased cheap on craigslist and sold for what I had into it.. My original BC was a Dive Rite Transpac and I still use it for travel. If you look to the end goal of your diving, and buy the gear necessary for that kind of diving, you want have a need to get rid of it.