New to it all.

[Pullmyfinger]

Hi everyone.
I'll be taking a scuba certification course next month. This site is great, I've spent alot of time searching throught the various threads.
I'm sort of researching gear, as i plan to buy everything after getting certified. I thinking about buying a BC prior to taking my classes, i figure i might as well start training with the BC that I'll buy.
I plan to buy a back inflate instead of a jacket style. The shop where I'll be taking my class uses jacket type BC's.
So I figure I'll just start out with a good back inflate BC.
I've narrowed my choices down to either an Oceanic Excursion or a Zeagle Ranger.
I read most of the posts about these two BC's.
After absorbing all of that, my questions are: what are the negative points about the Ranger? particularly any that would apply to a new guy. I've read somewhere here about the Ranger being difficult to dump air from certain positions. Is this something that boils down to a training issue? or is it a design problem? ( Can anyone advise a soon to be student?) Should this be a real deciding factor in choosing between the Ranger of the Excursion?
I like the idea of a couple of small pockets on the Ranger. The Excursion doesn't have any, except for the roll down pocket. The pockets aren't a big factor in deciding.....I would just get used to whichever setup I ended up buying.
Both BC's seem comparable.
It may seem like it's not the best idea to buy a BC before starting class. But I know from all my reading that I want a back inflate BC, so I want to start with that. I know that I want a top of the line BC, so I won't feel the need to upgrade later.
Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated. If you can think of any issues that a new guy should be concerned with, that I haven't mentioned, please point them out.
Thanks alot.

Mitch
See you in the water.

 

[Jimmer]

I think between the two you mentioned, the Ranger in the best option. At least in my mind. Zeagles are tougher, and have a hell of a reputation. I know several new divers who dive that BC and love it. I'm sure you'll do fine, especially getting to train with it, you'll have a good feel and understanding of it.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I appreciate the feedback, I wanted to get any last minute thoughts and opinions before i spend my money.

Thanks again.

Mitch

 

[DiveMaven]

If you like the Ranger, check out the Brigade from ScubaToys. It has a smaller bladder (I noticed you're from FL) but has the Ranger harness system. Good prices and a 10% discount don't hurt either.

 

[Eduardo]

Mitch: They are both durable, well made BCs. You can't go wrong with either one. Scubatoys carries both Zeagle and Oceanic and can give you some pros & cons for each.

Ideally, you'd be able to test them both in the water but at a minimun have a chance to try each of them on to check fit and comfort. I went through the same comparison process after my OW cert last Sept. and ultimately bought the Excursion. Fits me well and I like the weight integration/release system.

Like Toyota vs. Honda: it is really personal preference as the quality and engineering are comparable.

 

[DanBMW]

I don't understand the rush to purchase. Use as many different BC's as possible before your purchase to understand the "water" difference. Everyone is a little different and you can learn to use any of them if you have to, but why not get the best for you? You have lots of time and I'll bet that most on this board would have liked to have had a second chance on many first purchases. That being said, you will not go wrong in the Zeagle purchase. Personally I prefer the Stiletto's that we use and abuse at The Florida Aquarium. We had Ranger and recently switched to the Stiletto. Both work well. My personal is Scuba Pro as I like the simplicity of it without weight integration, but that is another thread.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I'll admit that there is a little bit of excitement and rush. You know, the kid in the candy store kind of thing.
The objective part of me figures that since the shop only has jacket styles, and older ones at that. I won't have a chance to really try out any of the newer upper end back inflate BC's during my class.
So the only way I'll be able to go about it is to base my selection on reviews and opinions here.
How could I really go about trying the various BC's in the water. There isn't a Zeagle dealer here, for example. There is an Oceanic Dealer as well as a Scubapro dealer. But each of them probably won't just let me jump in the pool with a new BC just to try it out. I'm taking a class at the Oceanic dealer, they may let me try out the Excursion. But in the instance of the Zeagle Ranger, I'll probably just end up having to put my money up and take a leap of faith. The Ranger gets so many great reviews here...and in any polls, it's by far the most widely used one on scubaboard. I will probably listen to the collective voice of experience, and go with the Ranger. As for Scubapro, Idon't know if they'll just let me jump in the pool with a new Knighthawk. I have tried the Scubapro knighthawk on in the store, as well as the Oceanic Excursion. I kinda liked the Excursion better, but admittedely they were very close. But there is a $100 difference in price between the two.
I'm still leaning toward the Ranger, though.

Thanks,
Mitch

I don't understand the rush to purchase. Use as many different BC's as possible before your purchase to understand the "water" difference. Everyone is a little different and you can learn to use any of them if you have to, but why not get the best for you? You have lots of time and I'll bet that most on this board would have liked to have had a second chance on many first purchases. That being said, you will not go wrong in the Zeagle purchase. Personally I prefer the Stiletto's that we use and abuse at The Florida Aquarium. We had Ranger and recently switched to the Stiletto. Both work well. My personal is Scuba Pro as I like the simplicity of it without weight integration, but that is another thread.

 

[Damselfish]

Research is great but it's still hard to know what will work best for you when you haven't dove yet. Even if you don't get to try out a variety of BCs, being in the water with any BC will help you learn what to look for and what matters to you, and help you understand what good fit means for a BC. Even a badly fitting BC will tell you something. For example, do you know where you prefer the dumps located? And when you're comparing BCs among the major manufacturers, I don't think "top of the line" has much meaning. You need to look for the best fit and the features you want and not full of stuff you don't - that might turn out to be one of the higher priced ones, or it might not. So you may get lucky and buy the right thing on your first try, or you may find in a few months you regret what you bought and will either feel stuck or be replacing it. Or you might even decide after the class you don't like diving. So just be aware of that. I can understand the reasoning for wanting to buy before class, but there are good reasons many people suggest not doing that.

Some people do consider pockets to be a factor - there will be things you want to carry. It's not a matter of getting used to it - if you don't have pockets you need to figure out other ways to carry stuff.

 

[DanBMW]

Maybe things are different in North Florida, but I can't imagine a Tampa Fl., dealer not allowing you to try their BC' in the water. There is a difference between how it fits and "rides" standing up vertical in the store vs. being in the water horizontally! I don't know of a shop or store in Tampa, Florida that will not let you give their equipment a test dive.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Thanks for all of the input, that's why I posed the guestion(s).
After reading all of the advise, I think I'll wait. It doesn't do much good to get advise from experienced people and not follow it.
So I will wait a bit.
I really appreciate it.
Mitch