New stuff: How do you think it will work out?

[Jimi]

For my birthday, although im paying $600 of it outa my *****, i got an ex-rental Mares Vector Origin BC, an ex-rental console with tank pressure in psi (i would like BAR, but w/e) and depth in feet (i would like meters, but w/e), a new Mares MR-12 1st stage, a new Mares MR-12 Axis 2nd stage, and a new 1ST PROLINE octo. All were checked for leaks and defects, and all the stuff was serviced the hell out of for free

Here are the prices in CAD:

BC.....................................$100 (it was originally $199, but i got it in a deal with the rest of the stuff)
Console..............................$100
New 1st and 2nd main regs....$330
New Octo...........................$100
BC hose from 1st stage.........$70

Total.................................$800 + taxes

do you think that buying that was a good choice for my first set of gear? should i return it?

 

[dulldiver]

jimi, if you'd be more comfortable with a metric console do get one.

$70 CAD for an inflator hose seems a little um......excessive.

your MR-12 should give years and years of good service if you take good care of it

I don't know anything about your BC, but all in all it looks like a decent 1st set of gear.

 

[Jimi]

not the one that goes from the inflator valves to the bc jacket. its the one that goes from the 1st stage to the valves.

 

[Tamas]

not the one that goes from the inflator valves to the bc jacket. its the one that goes from the 1st stage to the valves.

still makes no sense?!

is it the hose that connects the 2nd stage or octo to the 1st stage or the hose that attaches to the inflator on the BC?

either way, $70 for a standard hose is pretty up there

 

[Nemrod]

Return it.
The Mares regulator you can keep. The BC is not my choice as I would go BP and wing. The "console" look is out of date and not very functional. This is my opinion, you asked. N

 

[Brandon]

I'm assuming you don't have a big pile of cash sitting around to make massive changes to what you've bought. If you do happen to be amazingly wealthy, then just start reading the board, and soon you'll figure out what the best of everything is, and you can run out and buy a whole new set of gear. But.. you've already bought gear, so you may as well use it. Any suggestions to return/replace will likely cost you more anyway.

If the imperial units work for you, and you don't have conversion problems, then just use them for now. If not second nature though, you'll probably want to get a metric guage to make you more comfortable, as dulldiver said.

Your BC is a basic, no frills one. Don't worry about it for now, they all work basically the same.

The MR-12 seems to be a reliable reg from what I've seen posted around the board... no personal experience though.

By time you're ready to start replacing things, you'll have a much better idea of exactly what features you need. Until then, just use what you have.

My first 35 dives were in all manner of rental gear, mostly low end stuff. By time I was ready to purchase my own, I knew (from reading on the board as well) exactly what I was looking for.

-B

 

[Marek K]

(i would like BAR, but w/e) (i would like meters, but w/e)

Hey, you guys up here (oops, down there -- you're probably farther south than I am now) still have your speed limit signs in both metric and imperial, don't you? Oh, right... that would be miles vs. kilometers. (I can't get smilies to work here!!)

WHIW, I learned a long time ago in the U.S. using imperial units. I'm living now in metric-zone Europe. I can deal just fine in metric for most things -- learned a long time ago in the Army how far a range of 2,000 meters was, and for driving I think in km/h.

But for diving, my head is still set on imperial. I know what 500 psi means. And I can visualize how deep 60 feet is; 18 meters is abstract to me, when it's vertical water.

All my gauges are imperial. Which makes it real interesting when I sound off with my max depth and ending pressure to the divemaster on a German-run boat in the Red Sea.

--Marek

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Hi there Jimi -

You should be happy with your gear: the reg is a basic but good breather. The vector is no frills but will last you several hundred dives, which for 100$ is good value. Learn with them and change later when you have more experince. For $600 I think you did fine

The BC is not my choice as I would go BP and wing. The "console" look is out of date and not very functional. N

Out of interest does anyone makes small backplates that would fit a 12 year old? I guess the system could grow with him...

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[Se7en]

For my birthday, although im paying $600 of it outa my *****, i got an ex-rental Mares Vector Origin BC, an ex-rental console with tank pressure in psi (i would like BAR, but w/e) and depth in feet (i would like meters, but w/e), a new Mares MR-12 1st stage, a new Mares MR-12 Axis 2nd stage, and a new 1ST PROLINE octo. All were checked for leaks and defects, and all the stuff was serviced the hell out of for free

do you think that buying that was a good choice for my first set of gear? should i return it?

Buying any gear and going diving more is a good result. At the moment you probably don't have enough experience to know what you really like - reguardless of how many internet divers are telling you exactly what you want. So don't worry about it, just take the gear you have and go dive it until it's worn out, or you decide it doesn't work for the diving you want to do.

A lot of people have a whole lot of dives on gear just like that - no real problems with any of it. Some may prefer a backplate and wings, others a rebreather, but diving now in gear that works is a hell of a lot better than not diving while saving for someone elses idea of the perfect setup.

Se7en

 

[JimC]

$100 bucks for a BC is a steel and you should beable to get alomost that much when you upgrade/move on from it.

As for the rest:
Console $100 - Not a bad price, depending on what kind of SPG it comes with and if it includes a compass. A quality new SPG is ~70 USD with no hoses. I personaly would tear apart the console and throw the rubber boot away.

MR12 + Axis - I assume your going to be diving in Canadian waters, you want to leave this reg in the store. The MR12 is ok, the Axis junk. For $350-400 CND you can get a DS4/TX40 or TX50 Apeks which will last you a life time of use in any and all environments you can dive in - from lakes to reefs to 300 feet deep 2 miles back into a cave. I own one, it was my first reg - and a constant source of problems.

Proline Octo - Run screaming away from low quality, low performance octo's. When someone needs this reg, they need it to work and work well. DOn't buy something that is hard to breath in a pool and completely usless at 100 feet. For $100 bucks upgrade the above to include a second TX40 or TX50.

BC Hose - This hose comes with any new BC, so add this cost to the cost of the BC when you look at prices. $70CND for an LP Hose is just a teenny bit much considering you can get them online for $15 USD.