New gear questions...brands

[devjr]

Sailfish, LOL, your plaintiff cry has got the "Hellcyon" types on the run. They actually sound defensive and born again reasonable. Watch your back, I hear they have a "summer camp" reserved for people like you, barbed wire, hypnotism and stuff.

I like Vicki, a flash point for the silent majority and worth listening to.

For my part, damn the topedoes! Here are my picks for performance and/or price or service availability.

REG; Scubapro, Aqualung, Mares, Apeks
BCD; Seaquest, Genesis, Beauchat, Zeagle
FINS; Apollo
MASK; Ocean Reef, Scubapro(frameless)
SNORKEL; (old "J" tube, curved barrel)
COMPUTER; Genesis
WATCH; SEAL type, plastic
WETSUIT; Henderson
COMPASS(wrist mount, Sunnto action with lubber line)
BACKUP REG: one designed for this purpose, with long hose, plastic case and anti freeflow. El cheapo OK
CONSOLE/DIAL GAUGE; Scubapro, Cressi, Oceanic
TANK: FABER LP, OMS LP, PST HP(DIN)

A word about BCD's: this is the most difficult of all choices. You need to think about back inflation vs jacket style. The back inflator is special for prowling black holes and cocking big spearguns. Surface performance is iffy. The jacket is an all around thing with easy pockets to carry goodies. You need to try BCD's in the water and out of the water. Check as to whether the tank drags below your butt, particularly watch for this on the surface. You should invert yourself in the water to see if the regulator bangs your head. If either occurs, the BCD is not stabilizing and centering the tank properly. Check size or add crotch strap or rethink another choice. Many people think that they need a ton of lift. Not so. Think about traveling with that thing. The heavy built, D ring monster may be difficult to stow.

Good luck.

 

[Lost Yooper]

Sailfish,

I basically define technical diving as entailing some form of a significant ceiling (deco, wreck, cave, etc). It's more of a common sense thing, I guess.

Back inflation, especially non bungied wings with a harness and backplate (AKA. BP), helps facilitate proper horizontal trim while diving. This is important to all divers (recreational and technical) in that a horizontal posture underwater is the most efficient way to cut throught the water. Anything less than horizontal, and you're pushing more water than is necessary. The more water you are pushing, the more energy is required to move. The more energy you use, the more air you use. Common sense, right? Cave divers helped make wings famous, but the advantages are obviously clear for all divers who wish to dive efficiently (efficiency=fun).

OK, one other advantage of back inflation (espeically BP's and harnesses) is the "cleanliness" of your upper torso. Unlike a regular jacket style, wings cannot enclose around your chest and sides of your torso. Wings will fold around the tank(s) in the most streamlined manner possible. The more streamlined you are, the more efficient you are in the water (both in fixing problems and in energy reduction).

One more thing about wings, some BC's like the Halcyon BC/wing combo are very adaptable. By this, I mean you can change the size of the wing if your diving singles or doubles in just a couple minutes. You can change the BP from a SS plate to an AL plate in just a couple minutes. A harness BC that uses a continous single peice of webbing is not going to break on you (nice for when you're on vacation). It may wear and need replacing ever three years or so, but it only cost a $1 a foot for webbing, and you can find it in practically any dive shop in the world.

I'm kinda jealous. Diving on WWII planes would be cool !

Take care.

Mike

 

[Ari]

Even as a new diver, I feel better UW with a back inflation BC. I own the Beuchat Master Lift Tek and enjoy it very much. As I said, another way to go will probably be the Zeagle. Anything over that might prove a little hard-core for a begginer (some might argue otherwise). I think you should find a BC that will serve you as a bridge between sport and tech, at least untill you decide which way you're going to go.

I feel that Back inflated BC's will better position you UW and this is what's important. Above water, they take longer to master but swimming on your back is not as difficult as some might say (it does take some getting used to).

As expected, you'll get as many advices as there are board members (or almost) but only you can determine what's best for your kind of diving.

Ari

 

[Lost Yooper]

It's very interesting to see a new diver's perspective of back inflation BC's. There's a lot of misconceptions out there about back inflation, but newer divers would be the most suseptable to a problematic BC. So, when a new diver tells you that they are no biggie, that does carry some weight that should be considered too. Like any piece of gear, back inflation has to be used correctly to get the most out of it.

Mike

 

[Scubakid]

Sailfish,
I would have to tend to the advice of DEVJR, sorry LOST YOOPER.

As I have mentioned earlier on this thread I own a Genesis Recon BACK INFLATED BCD and HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. My attitude in the water is perfect. I will repeat once more just in case.........HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS UNDERWATER WITH MY BCD.
Sailfish, you will hear and/or read debate upon debate on bungeed, the Recon has air cell retracting cords, versus un-bungeed air cells. It is all BULL****. As I have also stated before I have dived with divers wearing Dive Rites, Halcyon backplated units.........etc. and in actuality I am happy to have made the decision towards this particular BCD. You need to remember that you "might" want to purchase a tank later on. Depending on which tank you decide to "own", whether it be Aluminum (very light), HP Steel (heavier) or LP Steel (heaviest) or even doubles, the choice that you make now or have made, if in fact you already purchased your equipment, will matter greatly. I myself dive dry in cold water with usually an Aluminum tank. So I need to carry 34-38lbs of weight and "sometimes" I need to carry that weight down stairs, dirt roads etc (you get the picture). So when you "might have to" do that you want something that is comfortable and built tough. That is ultimately on why I decided on THIS BCD (I'll bet people out there are thinking that I work for them) . It seemed to be more comfortable, better built, easier to "upgrade" than any of the other brands. Again research and testing and seeing other divers alongside me was the final key to my decision.
Not only that but If I decide to do double tank diving I do not need to purchase another BCD.
So, Sailfish, to finalize you will be the deciding factor on what you should purchase. As you have said, you plan to do some diving in lakes and off the coast of North Carolina. That said some of the brands that you should pay attention to are:

Of course the Genesis Recon - I highly endorse it

Sherwood - I believe that Genesis and Sherwood are built by the same Company, to include Akona. Genesis is the premier brand and Sherwood is the mainstream model. Akona builds clips and knives (also their "stuff" is well built).

Beuchat - Good diving equipment with a GREAT reputation.

Scubapro of course - However you pay too much...... for what? Their quality is good but not that good to fork out an extra $100 for their name.

Zeagle - Very well known equipment.

Dive Rite - Scuba manufacturer with a HUGE following.

Sailfish, as you have probably noticed I did not number any of "those" companies because they ALL build good stuff.

The BEST thing for you to do is to go out there, to the beaches, lakes, etc....... and discuss with AND watch what the divers are wearing. From that you can pretty much get some ideas on what you MAY want to purchase. You WILL BE SURPRISED on how much information you can pick up by talking with and watching them. Almost like being in the Special Forces.........first you learn than you ACT. Without doing the searching/learning, you will ALWAYS fail.


Scuabakid

 

[Lost Yooper]

Nuttin' to be sorry about. If I was the only one talking, then how would somebody be able to compare what's good and what's not (other than spending thousands of dollars trying stuff like I've done)? Try as I might, some will certainly slip through the cracks and go other routes. I've done my fair share of wasting money on sub optimal gear .

This is what's it's all about . Good luck to all!

Mike

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Scubakid
Sailfish,
Word of advice. Do not pay too much attention to what EVERYONE OUT THERE suggests as to the equipment "brands" that you should own.

You know...
I was about to post an answer to Sailfish's question...
Then I re-read Scubakid's posts...

 

[Sailfish]

Purely out of curiosity, in Charleston waters, Blacktip, Tigers and Bulls are fairly prevalent. In shore you get gators. I have always had a facination/fear with both. I am sure that if I leave them alone they'll leave me alone. That being said, and considering a "rogue" factor or one of the guys witht the teeth that has not read the aforementioned rule, is their any need to carry "protection" other than in the form of a blade? Is it safe? Is it legal? Is it "don't ask, don't tell?" If any of the above are "yes", what would you suggest. Not to hunt, just in case.

 

[devjr]

Sailfish, I've been diving for more years and seen more sharks than I care to remember. As a spearfisherman, one is likely to be attacked at least once in their lifetime of diving. In 1973, while on an expedition to Guadalupe, in Mexico's Pacific waters, one of our team was killed by a white shark. I have been attacked twice by bull sharks and once by a black tip. I killed two of the beasts and duked it out with the other with a wood gun barrel. My friends in Hawaii, all of whom are spearfishermen(freedivers) are very leery, not to say afraid, of Tiger sharks. My friends from San Diego stay in the boat if a white is sighted, as sometimes occurs near the Coronados. I do too.

Recently, my daughter who goes to college in Charleston reported that a swimmer was ripped by a bull shark. This also happened near Virginia Beach and about the same time. This was close to home and some years removed from when I had encounters near there with the same type of sharks.

For divers, the most dangerous situation is spearfishing and stringing a fish to a waist belt. Even this is not wholey dangerous in most US waters unless the visibility is impaired. Then, the shark which can't see you goes on auto pilot and strikes when it first encounters something in the blood trail. I lost a swim fin in 1983 when it was ripped off by a bull shark. Visibility was six feet. Incidently, one danger off Charleston is spearfishing in inlets formed by breakwaters where water is murkey. Hammerhead sharks prowl these inlets at times.

Yet, thousands of divers go through a year or years without seeing a shark, much less being attacked. Sharks are not sight attackers, they are not like the jungle cheeta which chases or stalks anything which moves. In the water, if anything, a barracuda might act this way. A shark acts upon sensory stimuli which we can only infer. These are primarily low frequency vibrations and blood scent, but the vibrations are paramount. I've seen sharks(and other fish) appear out of nowhere the instant a fish is speared. They were there all the time but invisible, just outside the range of visibility where they like to lurk and watch. This is why so few divers see them and implies that sharks are not a constant threat to the average diver. You are in company more often than you know.

Sharks may occasionally show interest in tank divers who are not carrying fish but mostly they just slowly swim away. If you feel uncomfortable diving in sharkey waters I would suggest you carry a broom handle or suchlike. The stick can be used to prod a shark which comes within reach. Their reaction usually is to withdraw. As I said, this situation is fairly unusual and not a cause for constant concern to most divers.

Some divers begin to take a blase attitude toward these creatures. Tour operators actually feed these rotweillers of the sea and take along a bunch of goggle eyed bubble blowers to watch and ooh and ah. Meanwhile, I'm wondering when the next "tame" shark is going to try to take a piece of my catch, or my thigh.

Good luck and don't go out and buy a 44 mag powerhead just yet.

 

[Bob]

Sailfish,
When hunting, I never attach the stringer to me when there's fish on it. I have a lanyard setup with a breakaway point. I had a little dust up with a five foot Bull Shark a couple of years ago, and wound up sticking him in the nose with my spear tip. He left and so did we. That is the only close encounter I've had in several years of spearfishing. Sharks are wild animals and they are unpredictabe, treat them with respect. Dive Safely.:tree:Bob