Newbie in Wisconsin

[JaveStack]

Some great info guys. Thanks! I have another question: My wife has decided on a BC she likes the fit of (Sherwood Luna). Is $165 for a lightly used 2013 unit a decent price?

 

[They call me Tater]

Not sure where you live but there a shops in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Madison, etc. Many more just across the border in IL.

I think you are on the right track to stick with a 7 mil. The local lakes and quarries warm up nicely by the end of summer. Lake Michigan will also warm up but will still be pretty chilly at depth.
I've not heard of turtle problems diving the quarries and generally you can get more dives/dollar. Great places to practice.

As for buying used gear. Used gear is a great way to save money. The problem is that in this area, much of what is for sale is litterally worthless junk. I know someone who almost died when trying out his new used dry suit....it was a great deal right up until it failed. Make sure you know what you are getting.

 

[JaveStack]

Not sure where you live but there a shops in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Madison, etc. Many more just across the border in IL.

I'm pretty much dead center between Green Bay and Milwaukee. Perfect dead zone for SCUBA shops.

As for buying used gear. Used gear is a great way to save money. The problem is that in this area, much of what is for sale is litterally worthless junk. I know someone who almost died when trying out his new used dry suit....it was a great deal right up until it failed. Make sure you know what you are getting.

So far, I haven't bought anything used locally. Mostly Florida, Texas, and California. I'm trying to only buy used gear that's been recently gone through (or easy to have serviced) and is less than 10 years old. I would agree that most of the local stuff in classifieds seems pretty iffy.

 

[JaveStack]

Anybody have any input on the 2013 era Luna? Its not the one with the flashy graphics, but it does have CQR3. I see some of the newer ones have fragile back plates?

Sherwood Luna CQR3 BCD 2013, Small | eBay

 

[Marie13]

Check with shops to see if they have used/open box gear they're selling. The Scuba Swap & Shop group on FB is great. The Great Lakes Wrecking Crew group also has people selling gear.

SCUBA gear Swap & Shop

I would stay away from Craigslist and such. Stick with the classifieds here and the FB sale groups.

If you're willing to make a trip down to the Chicago area, Dive Right in Scuba in Plainfield is a fab shop (they also have a huge online store). This is my shop.

 

[1bubbleoff]

Jave-

Port Deco divers in Port Washington...


Port Deco Divers – Dive Shop – Scuba


Bubs

 

[JaveStack]

Jave-
Port Deco divers in Port Washington...
Port Deco Divers – Dive Shop – Scuba
Bubs

What the heck! I mean, I see it's a pretty new establishment, but I must be blind. Talking to the local divers, noone mentioned that shop. Didn't show up in my search either.... That cuts my drive down to about 30 minutes! Thanks for showing me the light Bubs!

I know this is covered in relative detail elsewhere, but most of what I have seen seems like hearsay. Does anyone have any experience mixing SSI and PADI training? Do they really play nice, or is it safer to stick with one or the other? Will they respect each other's specialty courses when I decide to pursue AOW?

 

[1bubbleoff]

I am PADI, SSI, and TDI ....it's not the agency..it's the instructor. I spent the last 5 years working at an SSI shop...each agency has certain facets that overlap, and some that are less cohesive. The best advice I can give you is to find not just an instructor...find a MENTOR....someone who you respect, who you learn to trust, and even more importantly...will help you develop as your OWN diver in a safe enjoyable manner. It's not about the cards you carry, but about what YOU have learned.
Have fun, dive every chance you can, and learn something new EVERY dive. Re-inforce existing skill sets, and try different things before you subscribe to the flavor of the week in gear or technique.
Also keep in mind....your sitting on top of the finest wreck diving on earth. Thats NOT an exaggeration. If thats your thing...you'll be in heaven. If your gonna dive Lake Michigan, do yourself a favor and plan on going drysuit sooner rather than later...as far as gear...best word of advice I can give you is twofold... beg, borrow, steal or coerce gear from fellow divers to try BEFORE you settle on specifics.... and buy gear not for what and how you dive now...buy for where you wanna be as a diver in 2 more years.
Best of luck,

Bubs

 

[JaveStack]

I am PADI, SSI, and TDI ....it's not the agency..it's the instructor. I spent the last 5 years working at an SSI shop...each agency has certain facets that overlap, and some that are less cohesive. The best advice I can give you is to find not just an instructor...find a MENTOR....someone who you respect, who you learn to trust, and even more importantly...will help you develop as your OWN diver in a safe enjoyable manner. It's not about the cards you carry, but about what YOU have learned.
Have fun, dive every chance you can, and learn something new EVERY dive. Re-inforce existing skill sets, and try different things before you subscribe to the flavor of the week in gear or technique.
Also keep in mind....your sitting on top of the finest wreck diving on earth. Thats NOT an exaggeration. If thats your thing...you'll be in heaven. If your gonna dive Lake Michigan, do yourself a favor and plan on going drysuit sooner rather than later...as far as gear...best word of advice I can give you is twofold... beg, borrow, steal or coerce gear from fellow divers to try BEFORE you settle on specifics.... and buy gear not for what and how you dive now...buy for where you wanna be as a diver in 2 more years.
Best of luck,

Bubs

There's a whole lot of advice in there. I appreciate it! I guess I'll start by getting some face time in with each of the closest shops. Maybe do a dive trip with each of them, see what their communities look like.

 

[JaveStack]

Also, I finished my basic setup last night. No exposure system yet, but I'm planning on taking those purchases more slowly, with the mixture of advice I have gotten about Midwest diving lately. I'm pretty sure we are going to end up owning two wetsuits and one drysuit each, but balancing that with planning international travel over the next 18 months is the tricky part.

Here is what I have now:
1st: AL Legend (New)
2nd: AL Legend LX (New)
Octo: Apeks TX50 (NOS - Thanks rsingler!)
Gauges: Cressi Mini Single (New)
Computer: Mares Puck Pro (New)
Mask: Tusa Freedom HD (New)
BCD: SeaQuest Pro QD (Like New - with 2016 service receipts)
Knife: AL Squeeze Lock Blunt Tip (Came with BCD)
Fins: Mares Wave Open Heel (New)
Boots: Akona 5mm Soft Sole (New)