Now what ??

[MontyPython]

Good day all.

I passed my OW 1 dives and am now ready to sink or –nay– AND swim. This is the most exiting thing that has happened to me in a long time and an actual dream come true.

Now with all the fun and excitement and adventure awaiting, I face one more daunting task. Trrrrrrrrrrr--- the Buying of the BCD and Regulator --- dish!!!!!

Ok, it is not that bad but heck, where do you start?!? It’s not that I do not know what I want; it’s the making my mind up about which one I will want to buy. There is make and model and pro’s and con’s and then the big word --- BUDGET! That big what if – WHAT IF I buy the one I can afford and one month later the one I wanted goes on special. Or am I just being overly paranoid. Heck I bought a brand new car six months ago without thinking twice about it – I ordered it even before I had a test drive in it. And guess what, the best buy I ever made.

But the Reg and BC is really becoming a bother. So the question is – would it be wise to decide on a make and model and go for it? I’m Libra you see.

Ok, I’ve got an amazing buddy that does all the research and sends it on to me. If it wasn’t for him I’d probably still be wading in the shallow end trying not to get too wet.

Ok back on topic.
We’ve both rented a demo set from our respective LDS’s for testing this weekend. I’m taking the Mares MR12 Proton steel and Mares Vector Chrome BCD. He will be taking a Scubapro model (can’t remember wich)
We’ll do a dive or two each with the different equipment to see what it feels like.
Is there any special thing that you can suggest we look at too compare. I do not want to be biased because I got mares and he Scubapro or visa versa. Is there a checklist available somewhere for testing something like this?

Thanks for reading through my rambling. And a special thanks to those who might attempt to respond.

My future posts will hopefully (no promises) be more coherent.

 

[ScubaFreak]

Ello Monty - love your movies...

Welcome to the board :wavey:

Me thinks the first thing you should do is decide what kind of diving your gonna be doing.
Warm water all the time? - No need for an environmentally sealed Reg (this helps the reg from freezing in cold water and avoids free flows)

Cold water all the time? - Then you need a sealed reg

Mixture of both depending on the time of year? Best off sticking with a sealed reg.
Yeah the sealed reg is a bit pricier, but worth it IMHO.

After that, its asking around. Your lds, divers you meet in the future. But you're starting out the best way, by trying out different models and deciding which ones you want best!

Theres a Regulator discussion forum here for more info. You'll find plenty of info from various Reg owners who will give you honest advice.

Good luck

Scubafreak

 

[Wijbrandus]

Rent for a few months and try out different styles. You will learn a lot in just your first 20 or so dives about what you thought you liked and what you really will like.

There is absolutely no rush to own your own gear.

 

[mrobinson]

awesome! welcome to diving!
I totally respect you're thinking "budget." All the jackets are comparible. Just buy it and get in the water. You're tastes will change as you keep diving. I bought the cheapest, used one I could find and I'm now on my third. Not because I bought cheap ones, but becuase my tastes kept changing. the important thing is you get your water comfort up with more bottom time.
Take care and happy diving!

 

[hermosadive]

Hook up with a dive club in your area and I'm sure you'll meet divers willing to let you try a differenct BC or 2.

 

[Stirling]

My only suggestion would be *don't* be in too much of a rush to buy your own equipment. Spend a lot of time thinking about what kind of diving you are interested in doing, ask people in your area what they use, search around here (and elsewhere on the internet) for information about the stuff that interests you, ask some more questions, and look for opportunities to try it out before you ask even more questions and then buy it.

If you are patient you will (a) demonstrate discipline, which is a good thing, and (b) be more likely end up with stuff that you will enjoy using and want to keep, which (c) saves money in the long run, which is also a good thing.

General knowledge about SCUBA equipment - apart from brand and model comparisons - is helpful. Take the time to read up and ask questions. If you are comparing two brands of regulators or BCs but don't know how and why their designs are different, you may be choosing the less desirable model (for your diving plans) for the wrong reasons.

 

[mrobinson]

(c) saves money in the long run, which is also a good thing. General knowledge about SCUBA equipment - apart from brand and model comparisons - is helpful. Take the time to read up and ask questions. If you are comparing two brands of regulators or BCs but don't know how and why their designs are different, you may be choosing the less desirable model (for your diving plans) for the wrong reasons.

Just don't buy a hub... (sorry to all hub owners!)
if you buy used, make sure it's fully serviced before diving..
if you're a warm water diver, all the BC's and regs are comparible.. none are bad.
Stirling is right on the money with the general knowledge about scuba equipment. If you invest even $90 (mask and snorkel) you should take a "servicing your gear" course from someone because then you'll be able to take care of your equipment and not be so afraid of "what not" to do with it.

Happy diving man!

 

[ChrisA]

All regs work pretty much alike. Buy the features youcan afford and (most importently) a brand that you can get serviced locally and in locations you may travel to. As for features, if you intend to ever go below about 60 feet look for a balanced second stang is nice.
It is really hard to select a bad regulator. Just get something that has balanced 1st and 2nd
stages and can be serviced

BCs vary a lot. There are jacket types, back inflation types and the backplate/wing style.
Some have pockets some don't. Regs are "one size fits all" but BCs, you have to try on.
Most peole likethe weight integrated systems, some use a belt others use both.
Just figure that you will buy another one later.

Good day all.

I passed my OW 1 dives and am now ready to sink or –nay– AND swim. This is the most exiting thing that has happened to me in a long time and an actual dream come true.

Now with all the fun and excitement and adventure awaiting, I face one more daunting task. Trrrrrrrrrrr--- the Buying of the BCD and Regulator --- dish!!!!!......

My future posts will hopefully (no promises) be more coherent.

 

[Wristshot]

Monty,

You have gotten some very good advice here. If you ask, you will get LOTS of advice. Just be sure to sift carefully through for the good advice.

Just a few things to think about.

1) When we started taking ur OW training, my buddy was in a rush, so he ran out and bought EVERYTHING before our first pool session. He has since replaced his BC twice, his Regulator once and his Octo once. He has changed elements of his weight system two additional times. He still uses the same computer, but he has bought two other versions.

2) I waited, rented for a while, and researched. I looked at lots of gear. I thought about what I wished I had when I was diving. I talked to divers about what they liked and what they didn't like, focusing on features rather than brands. I tried on lots of BCs. Then after about 8 months I did some cost comparisons and then I bought (locally) my gear. I still have my original BC and I am very happy with it. I still have my original regs and I am happy with them. I have my original computer, and another almost identical one as a back-up, and I am happy with them. (my buddy took my back-up computer on a trip to PNG and it saved the trip!)

Just some food for thought.


Wristshot

 

[MontyPython]

I say thank you so much,

I have too say that I might have felt in a bit of a rush to buy. As to not have to go through the inconvenience of having to keep on renting equipment and hoping that everything is not booked out when I might need some.

It is quite clear that the inconvenience of buying the wrong stuff will be more so.

I will persevere,

Any way, I kinda did my BUDGET again and figured that if I do buy a new Reg and BC, I won’t be able to dive for the next 12 months. So, I am forced to rent equipment and make informed decisions. Go figure