Officially certified! Time to start diving! Gear Choices, *pics*

[TampaScuba]

So my old lady and I decided to get into scuba and we love it! As of last weekend, we are officially certified! All the training was fun and my LDS was great! Props to Calypso Diving in Tampa, FL. They were extremely nice and even let me change my OW dive date with no charge or hassle. I do however owe one of the instructors a bottle of scotch for leaving my dust cap off one time haha.

I have a buddy at work that has been helping me pickup some gear as I want to never have to rent equipment. He was a rescue/cave diver for a long time and knows his gear...

I just picked up a Scubapro MK20 UL, G250 reg, R380 octo, lp hose, and a oldie but a goodie-a Oceanic Datamax pro plus computer for a great price, $240!
Which brings me to my first question... Do you guys think the G250 or the R380 will flow better? They both are adjustable.

Second question, tonight I'm picking up a Seaquest Pro QD i3 BCD, anyone have any objections? I really like the idea of the lever to inflate/deflate, and have only read good things about them. I'm not really "used to" the classic style, so it wouldn't be something new I have to get comfortable with.

Anyway, can't wait to get some dives in!

 

[Phil_C]

Congratulations on your certification and good luck with gearing up with your own stuff. Second hand is fine, but don't forget to factor in the cost of an inspection and service. Items may look like new but if they have not been packed and stored correctly then there could be hidden horrors waiting to catch you out.

So don't be afraid of buying second hand/used but get them serviced and checked before you rely on them to keep you alive in an alien environment.

I have no direct experience of the regulators you have picked up, but both should be fine for recreational diving. Get in a pool and try them out and see how they perform. Enjoy and dive safe -

P

 

[USFpsychDiver]

Welcome! I learned to dive at a Tampa shop too (Scuba Haven, not Calypso) and am on my way back to Tampa in a couple of weeks after a year+ in Tucson. Looking forward to being close to the water and so many dive opportunities again. You're going to have fun. I don't know the regs, so can't comment there. I'm a bit surprised that your cave diving buddy didn't grump at the BC -- looks like a pretty bulky piece of gear to me -- most cave divers are pretty religious about BP/W. As for the lever inflator/deflator, well, it may indeed be a 'better mousetrap', but when everyone else in the world is using a button at the end of a corrugated hose, it means you'll have to educate every new dive buddy on your non-standard BC inflator. If it fails, you're stuck with going to an AquaLung service place and paying whatever they charge to fix it, whereas replacement parts for a standard inflator are relatively interchangeable, not too expensive, and easy to find. I was momentarily intrigued by the "i3" 'lever' when I was shopping for my first BC, but I took my time, talked to some folks, and made a different decision (BP/W with a traditional inflator on the wing).

 

[TampaScuba]

P, I will for sure have everything checked out by my LDS before anything is used. Thanks for the heads up! The gear does seem to be in great shape and the guy I got it from has been diving for 35 years, and said he got them inspected in March and they are Nitrox ready...Still going to have them inspected... Speaking of, I want to get my Nitrox cert ASAP.

USF, I went to USF as well! Go bulls! Actually, my cave dive buddy DID gripe about the i3 system lol, he suggested Zeagle of course and swears by Scubapro as well. He had the back-inflation one, but I had no issues with the wrap around I used at my OW dive and we were drift diving too. The BCs we used were much larger than the i3 BC I might pickup tonight.

Any suggestions on were to find a tank for a good price? Also USF since you are local, maybe some good beginners dives I could get into?

---------- Post added July 31st, 2013 at 12:20 PM ----------

Also, any good reqs for a women's reg?

 

[mselenaous]

Congrats! Got gear...Time to go diving!

 

[Gunrock]

This thread could easily explode to 20+ pages. Let's hope it doesn't. The gear you have is perfectly adequate. When I started diving I bought my own gear. The only thing I got right was my Halcyon mask which lasted about 10 years. I went through several BCDs: HUB (big mistake), Oceanic Probe, Dive Rite, a used lightweight BCD for warm water diving, a Seaquest Balance, and a Halcyon backplate/wing. The Halcyon is still in storage and has never been used. The Probe and Dive Rite did not fit me properly and I knew I would have issues reaching and ditching the weights if I ever needed to. The Seaquest is my favorite BCD and the only one I've used for several years. It has all the features I need and most importantly if fits well, is comfortable, and I can easily reach the weight pocket handles.
Any computer that does Nitrox and has an audible alarm should be fine for your purposes. I have the Pro Plus 2 and I love it. I've had it since 2005. It must have around 400 dives. I recently had the chance to replace/upgrade but I realized that this computer is virtually identical to even very recent versions so I decided to stick with it.
As for regs, I have two sets, one with the S600 and the other with a G250. I like them both. "Flow" should not be a concern. I'm not familiar with the i380 but generally speaking diving a modern reg, on air, recreationally it's not an issue. Any regulator of decent quality will more than meet the demands of the average recreational diver.

 

[toddthecat]

---------- Post added July 31st, 2013 at 12:20 PM ----------

Also, any good reqs for a women's reg?

Besides the Mares "She Dives" line, which is the exact same regs but with light baby blue accents (which never made sense to me), there is no such thing as gender specific regulators.

---------- Post added July 31st, 2013 at 12:18 PM ----------

In my opinion. I'm sure someone will say otherwise. Lighter weight regs, reduced jaw fatigue, etc., that are geared toward women make no sense. Men want lighter regs and reduced jaw fatigue just as much...

 

[TampaScuba]

^Ok cool, I think I might try to find a G250 for her too then. From what I've heard, those regs are bulletproof.

Gunrock,

GREAT news to hear you like your SeaQuest the best! I think I'll pick it up tonight as it is a pretty good price (the guy selling it is actually on this board) $275. It's like $500 at my LDS.

 

[doctormike]

.... Halcyon backplate/wing. The Halcyon is still in storage and has never been used.

I'll give you 50 bucks for it. That will free up some storage space for you!

 

[Gunrock]

I'll give you 50 bucks for it. That will free up some storage space for you!

How very generous of you.

I bought it right before I left CA for HI, thinking I'd be returning shortly. Also left various tanks, a drysuit, 42" TV, stereo system, and bed. The last three were all practically brand new.
It's now been three years, maybe I'll finally go back and at least retrieve the Halcyon.