Newbie needs your advice!

[waterwraith]

Well hi guys, Ill introduce myself (newbie here): Im Chris, from MI. I have recently completed my open-water course and a few dives, and now am interested in getting my own gear. Primarily, i set out to learn to dive for when i go on vacations in the Caribbean during the winter, but i have also found an interest in diving the great lakes. So these locations are where the equipment will be used.

A friend of mine works at a dive shop, and so has offered to get me my equipment with his discount. I really want to buy quality equipment now and grow into it, rather than having to keep upgrading later. Through some discussion with him and the shop here's what i came up with, and i thought maybee you could give me any advice on this:

--Zeagle Ranger BC
--Atomic SS1 safe second/inflator
--Atomic B2 regulator
--Sherwood Wisdom AI comp (getting an absolute steal on this one)
--80 CF aluminum tank

Anything here that you would recommend against? My buddy said all of these things would work well for any situation im likely to encounter and should provide for reliable service for years to come.

Thanks guys and sorry this is so loooong, but i guess i just have a lot of questions right now.

Chris

The gear you have listed looks like solid choices. Just make sure your reg is OK for cold water diving (e.g. below 50C). I used to live in Michigan so I know how cold those waters can get. I believe the atomic B2 is environmentally sealed but I am not sure.

You might want to check out Sea-Quest BC's they are awesome and generally not as pricey as Zeagle.

 

[kawboy579]

If you want to get quality equipment, ditch the Ranger and get a BP/W and a steel tank.
The rest is OK,

So ive researched the BPW idea a little bit and it sounds a lot simpler. Do you assemble these piece by piece, or are there comanies that make setups? If so, which do you recommend?

 

[Maresreg]

Halcyon wing is a good one i have one for my doubles. i use an oxycheck wing for my singles. you can get a bp and harness from halcyon. dive rite also makes them.you want a continous webbing harness and back plate.you can check on any of their websites for them.you can also go to extreme exposure.

So ive researched the BPW idea a little bit and it sounds a lot simpler. Do you assemble these piece by piece, or are there comanies that make setups? If so, which do you recommend?

 

[kawboy579]

Oh and one more thing. I like using an Air 2 system as i mentioned, but i have had very little experience using a primary/octo setup. Are there any advantages to either besides the air 2 eliminating a little bit of clutter? Especially considering BP/W setups, i see most people are running a standard inflator/primary/octo type setup for single tanks. Thanks, you have been most helpful.

Chris.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Well, there are a couple of problems with the Air2, IMO. First off, you have to have a longer hose on your primary, which in itself isn't a problem. The problem is that most people only get a 36" or so hose. This is a standard octo hose length, and so it makes a huge loop out to the side of your head, instead of the smaller one a normal length hose makes. This increases drag and entanglement hazards, and, if you swim somewhat fast or use a reef hook in a current, the vibrations on the hose will wear out the fittings.

The solution? You need to put a long hose on the primary (7 feet). This allows you to run it down behind the wing on the right side, tuck a bit into the waist strap, run it diagonal across your chest, loop behind the neck, then go into your mouth. This is extremely streamlined and gives you plenty of hose to make a comfortable ascent with your buddy attached.

Another problem is that with a wing, you usually don't have a right-hand shoulder dump. So, with the inflator in your mouth, how are you going to dump air from the wing?

If you want to be streamlined without using an Air2, here's an option: You can have the long hose like I described as your primary, and then on a short hose, have a backup that is slung around your neck on tubing. If you need to donate air, just duck your head and the hose will come over the top of your head. They now have 7 feet of hose to give them room to be comfy, and you grab the backup, which is in the exact same spot every time, and breathe off of it.

 

[kawboy579]

Sounds pretty simple. Have you had any experience clipping the octo into one of those holders that grabs the mouthpiece and pulls it up against the tank or lower D-ring?

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Yes, that's the system I currently use. As far as that goes, there are a couple of options. You have the hose clips, that clip onto the hose right below the 2nd stage, you have 'Scumballs' that are basically a round ball that you shove the mouthpiece up into, and you have 'fitted Scumballs' that are shaped like the reverse of a mouthpiece.

The hose clips are alright, not my favorite though. They break easy and don't hold the hose very good. The round Scumballs are good if you have one of the mouthpieces that have a 'bridge' that fits behind your teeth--I think they're called Comfo-fit, maybe. If you have a normal mouthpiece, the kind that look like they're fitted to the mouthpiece--i.e., kind of flat with two 'sides' that each side of the reg mouthpiece fit up into--hold them the best, since they're the tightest. That's the kind I use.

Most of these come with a keyring style attachment, replace that with a ziptie because the keyrings rust.

hope that helps

 

[kawboy579]

yeah, that sounds like it will work out just fine. Thank you Tek

 

[scubatoys]

And personally, I'd go a whole different route. Zeagle BC - great weight system, very comfortable, pockets for stuff, packs small, can use singles or doubles.

As far as the Octo Inflator - works great for me. One less hose, easy and fast to get to. Big buttons and very comfortable to use. I read the argument here that you can't dump air while breathing off it. To which my educated informed response is... So...

I got that reg recovery skill down pat. I can actually take a big breath, blow a few bubbles, hold the inflator up and push the button... all at the same time, without drowning.

Second, and probably more important. I've got literally thousands and thousands of dives. In those dives, aside from training drills, I've never once had an actual out of air emergency. Not one. Now perhaps that is because DAN has shown the only real reason people have an out of air emergency is because they don't look at a gauge. I always know how much air I have... and I know how much everyone around me has too. If no one runs out of air, you don't have to worry how to dump air from a bc while sharing air - but if you do... it's really no problem.

Oh heck, let me continue a rant on the out of air thing... Get a console.. not a wrist computer. I know I should be struck by lightening for even suggesting such a thing... but hear me out.

People get lulled into a sense of security with a wrist computer. The neat little device displays how deep you are, and gives you a big number showing available bottom time. Divers look at it and see 15 minutes still to go, they look a while later, after ascending a bit, and wow, no I've got 26 minutes to go. That does not take into account how much air you have left (unless you're dealing with a wrist AI computer... those are cool)

My policy - never look at your computer to determine your depth and remaining time, unless you also check your air pressure. Simple. If they are together on a console, instead of one over here, and one over there... that gets a lot easier. I don't drive down the street with a gas gauge on the dash and a speedometer on my wrist, tach on my knee. Keep it together.

Perhaps I over simplify... but Dan stats show ... if divers would check their pressure which is much easier if it's in a console next to the computer... over 98% of the out of air situations would be eliminated. In which case, you will never have to worry about having to master that ever so tricky reg remove and replace skill while dumping air from the BC.

But maybe that's just me...

 

[sauga]

People get lulled into a sense of security with a wrist computer. The neat little device displays how deep you are, and gives you a big number showing available bottom time. Divers look at it and see 15 minutes still to go, they look a while later, after ascending a bit, and wow, no I've got 26 minutes to go. That does not take into account how much air you have left (unless you're dealing with a wrist AI computer... those are cool)

My policy - never look at your computer to determine your depth and remaining time, unless you also check your air pressure. Simple. If they are together on a console, instead of one over here, and one over there... that gets a lot easier. I don't drive down the street with a gas gauge on the dash and a speedometer on my wrist, tach on my knee. Keep it together.

Perhaps I over simplify... but Dan stats show ... if divers would check their pressure which is much easier if it's in a console next to the computer... over 98% of the out of air situations would be eliminated. In which case, you will never have to worry about having to master that ever so tricky reg remove and replace skill while dumping air from the BC.

But maybe that's just me...

Gee, it sounds a lot like "I can't be out of money, I still have checks!?!"

Larry knows what he's talking about. You can have all the (scuba)toys in the world, but by simply paying attention to your air gauge; most problems solved. As for the Zeagle that he mentions, it's really well made stuff. They offer a lot of adjustability. Maybe could use a little more stainless in place of plastic, but overall a well made product. Zeagle seems to be a lightning rod of sorts so take some of the negative comments with a grain of salt.