newbie diver intro and looking for some advice

[Mariner11]

Hi,
I am a new diver who just started this summer and have done the OW and AOW and a few other dives and am going to do the underwater navigation course soon.
Gear I have gotten so far is atomics z2 reg and mares hybrid bcd.
Had a couple of questions
1. Was interested in getting a wrist dive computer which has hoseless air integration and the ability to monitor a buddy's air supply. ( My daughter , who is 10 wants to get certified next summer and I would like to keep an eye on her supply as well. ) So far I have found the liquivision lynx and oceanic VTX that can do this. Are there others I have missed and which one would you suggest ?
2. Do I have to get my own tanks at some point ?
3. I was planning a cozumel trip in the spring and wanted to get a drift dive cert and also get info on the local dive sites, fish/creatures etc and was wondering which dive shop/resort has the best and most knowledgeable instructors/divemasters in your opinion and which resorts are the nicest

thanks

 

[Mariner11]

Hi,
I just started diving this summer, have OW, AOW, PPB and will get underwater navigation done 2 weeks from now.
Have gotten atomics z2 reg and mares hybrid bcd.
Have a newbie question:
1. Want to get a hoseless air integrated wrist mounted dive computer that can also monitor a buddy's air supply ( my daughter who is 10 wants to start diving next summer and i want to be able to keep an eye on her air supply as well). So far the only tw I have found able to do that are the Oceanic VTX ( for which there is a 300 $ off coupon that expires tomorrow) and a Liquivison Lynx. Are there any others that meet these criteria or and which one would you recommend or should I get the Oceanic VTX since it could be potentially 300$ off

thanks

 

[tbone1004]

disagree with the bcd, but such is life

1. hold out for the Seabear H3, not sure if it will have buddy monitoring capabilities or not yet, but the AI transmitter gets announced in November, so hold out for that
2. no, but if you are diving locally a lot, it is advantageous to own steel tanks to take lead off of your belt *going from an AL80 to a LP72 cuts almost 10lbs off of the total rig weight on land
3. can't help you there, but unless you need a drift diving cert to do that dive, I wouldn't bother. it's not rocket science and you're usually with a herd of people and a DM carrying a flag. More prudent thing would be to buy and know how to use a DSMB

 

[captio2000]

1. Definitely get a computer but you might want to talk to some people about air integrated. Air integrated provides an additional point of failure and most divers I know that use it also have a manual pressure gauge as backup (good idea).
2. You will never travel with tanks on a plane so only buy tanks if you will dive locally and transport them in a car. Those things are darn heavy.
3. Went to Cozumel last Nov. and had a great time riding/flying the currents. You need to be comfortable with this but I'm not sure you need a course. Maybe a talk with your LDS will provide all the info you need. As far as dive operators in Coz, I won't suggest the one we had on our trip. There are plenty of discussion threads in SB you can search for and there is actually a board for Cozumel, I would look there for advice.

 

[Steve_C]

Did a drift diving cert. It was not relevant as to doing a group led drift dive with a guide. However, I learned some things about leading a drift dive ranging from air consumption (mine) and how to stay relaxed while herding cats, especially 3 fast cats and 2 very slow cats.

 

[beaverdivers]

Had a couple of questions
1. Was interested in getting a wrist dive computer which has hoseless air integration and the ability to monitor a buddy's air supply. ( My daughter , who is 10 wants to get certified next summer and I would like to keep an eye on her supply as well. ) Are there others I have missed and which one would you suggest ?

I would recommend either the Galileo Luna or Sol. You can easily keep track of your daughter's air. We use the Sol in training. You will either need two with transmitters or one with two transmitters.

I would recommend that you go with a Luna with two transmitters and your daughter a two gauge XP-10.2.

Do I have to get my own tanks at some point ?

No, I would wait until you know how much local diving that you are going to do.

3. I was planning a cozumel trip in the spring and wanted to get a drift dive cert and also get info on the local dive sites, fish/creatures etc and was wondering which dive shop/resort has the best and most knowledgeable instructors/divemasters in your opinion and which resorts are the nicest

There are many excellent choices depending on your budget.

 

[Mariner11]

Thanks for all the advice.
After thinking about it I think I will go for a dive computer without AI so that my daughter learns to keep an eye on her spg and not rely on me to tell her what her air supply is at. I think that will reinforce good habits. (As a dad u can be overprotective)
So now I just have to get a dive computer for myself , what do you guys think of the petrel 2 ?

 

[tbone1004]

best computer on the market, best customer service in its class. Call Cave Adventurers, they'll hook you up.

 

[h2oDawg]

I'm sure others on SB will give you more technical answers on the Petrel 2, but from a simple recreational use it is fantastic. It uses AA batteries, which you can get just about anywhere. It is very easy to setup and the user interface is very intuitive compared to other computers. It is also very easy to read in the water. The customer support is great and they have great videos online to help you learn how to use it if you like. Solid dive computer and service, you won't regret buying the Petrel 2.

 

[tbone1004]

the O-ring seal is a standard DIN o-ring, it syncs via bluetooth with your iphone for dive log uploading, for decompression it also loads into PastoDeco now. Piezo switches are fantastic, has replaceable screen protectors. Comes out of the box for everything you could ever need, Air, Nitrox, Trimix, CCR. Is cheap compared to other options out there, half the price of the Eon Steel.

There are only two reasons to not purchase the Petrel. If you want a watch form factor, or you want AI. In either case, the Seabear H3 makes more sense.