Old Diver New Diver Equipment Reality Check

[WVRICK]

I quit diving about 9 years ago because of care giving to my parents and the lack of a dependable dive buddy. I now have people who dive in the area and I am no longer the care giver so I am going to take up diving again. I have never done anything that brought as much pleasure as diving.

The first thing I am going to do is buy new equipment to practice in my nieces pool and clean it for her while I practice. Next I am going to take a refresher course to make sure I am a safe diver again.

I know everyone says to not buy expensive equipment and I tend to agree, expensive is not necessarily better. I would rather buy high quality used equipment than new inferior equipment. If you are on a tight budget buy one piece at a time. I firmly believe that familiarity and confidence in your equipment increases your safety and pleasure.

I have been out of the loop for a long time and am just starting to learn about the new equipment and here are the items I have been looking at as a possible purchase. I tend to like dives in the 40' range although I do an occasional wreck dive at more depth. I am thinking about the following equipment. Thoughts, suggestions, pros and cons, or other equipment to look at will be appreciated.

Regs - Aqualung Titan LX or Legend LX
BC - Zeagle Stiletto, Aqualung Dimension i3 or Aqualung Balance
Computer Suunto Zoop wrist model with Apeks SPG
I still have my wetsuit, fins, mask, etc.

Thanks in advance for the opinions.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I think your plan for re-engaging scuba is excellent and you equipment choice appropriate for the diving you plan to do. I dive an aqualung legend am am familiar with the other gear you list. welcome back!
DivemasterDennis

 

[WVRICK]

Thanks for the input and it will be great to dive again. Do you have an opinion on the regs I listed? Is the Legend LX worth the extra bucks over the Titan LX? I would rather spend the money and be happy in the long term than save a couple of hundred and regret it in the long term. Once I purchase I will have to live with the equipment a long time.

 

[BVickery]

I did notice you listed all back inflate BCD's, you think of trying out a BP/W as well? The reason I suggest is with the ones you did mention you are gonna have to carry more lead on the belt to compensate for the positive buoyancy of the BCDs (anywhere from 2-4lbs sometimes). With a BP you not only lose that 2-4lbs positive but can get up to 8lbs negative just from the BP. There are lots of good packages out there from Hog, Dive Rite, DSS, Halycon, Apeks, and even Scubapro is getting into it. You can sometimes find used Backplates used here, on fleabay or craigslist. I once got a DR BP w/ a slightly used Apeks Wing w/ webbing for about $275 total shipped to me from 2 separate sellers.

As far as the regulators go, have heard nothing but praise about the AQ line of regs, so don't think you can go wrong there. Other options are the Epic (which got a best value for under $500 in a magazine review and they were confirmed to not being a paid advertiser) to Atomic Aqautics (I dive the Z2x and love them).

Dive Computer - It's a zoop, very popular PDC out there. You may want to just think on what your going to be doing and what features you want. The zoop is popular but one feature I like is a Min:Sec countdown on my safety stop, Zoop only does Minutes. I like the opportunity to be able to use my PDC in gauge mode, Zoop doesn't have that feature. Don't get me wrong, Zoop is a GREAT computer, but something like the PDS its best to do some thinking on what you want the PDC to do instead of buying it and later finding out it doesn't.

 

[WVRICK]

I did notice you listed all back inflate BCD's, you think of trying out a BP/W as well? The reason I suggest is with the ones you did mention you are gonna have to carry more lead on the belt to compensate for the positive buoyancy of the BCDs (anywhere from 2-4lbs sometimes). With a BP you not only lose that 2-4lbs positive but can get up to 8lbs negative just from the BP. There are lots of good packages out there from Hog, Dive Rite, DSS, Halycon, Apeks, and even Scubapro is getting into it. You can sometimes find used Backplates used here, on fleabay or craigslist. I once got a DR BP w/ a slightly used Apeks Wing w/ webbing for about $275 total shipped to me from 2 separate sellers.

As far as the regulators go, have heard nothing but praise about the AQ line of regs, so don't think you can go wrong there. Other options are the Epic (which got a best value for under $500 in a magazine review and they were confirmed to not being a paid advertiser) to Atomic Aqautics (I dive the Z2x and love them).

Dive Computer - It's a zoop, very popular PDC out there. You may want to just think on what your going to be doing and what features you want. The zoop is popular but one feature I like is a Min:Sec countdown on my safety stop, Zoop only does Minutes. I like the opportunity to be able to use my PDC in gauge mode, Zoop doesn't have that feature. Don't get me wrong, Zoop is a GREAT computer, but something like the PDS its best to do some thinking on what you want the PDC to do instead of buying it and later finding out it doesn't.

Great suggestion on the BP/W since less weight is a better idea. Do you prefer one company over the other or are they all pretty much the same? Any hints on what I should look for in a BP/W? What is a good dollar value computer that does Min:Sec countdown. I would prefer that myself.

Sorry for all of the questions but I'd rather make the right first choice since it will be a long term purchase.

 

[BVickery]

Great suggestion on the BP/W since less weight is a better idea. Do you prefer one company over the other or are they all pretty much the same? Any hints on what I should look for in a BP/W? What is a good dollar value computer that does Min:Sec countdown. I would prefer that myself.

Sorry for all of the questions but I'd rather make the right first choice since it will be a long term purchase.

Any really, find out which ones you like. The design is all the same, but it is the materials. I'm currently saving up for new gear after having to sell my stuff off to pay for medical bills. Deep Sea Supply is a good brand, Tobin can be brash but wants to have you buy right the first time. Halycon has some good quality gear, but it is expensive and I personally view it as overpriced, and Scubapro even more so. Hog has a lot of lovers here and you can contact Jim Lapenta on here to actually set you up with a rig. I've only heard good things about them, and the one vocal detractor it appears had reasons other than the gear quality for slamming the company. Dive Rite is another known brand is pretty much middle of the road, I had a DR Transpac system and though I liked it, wanted to streamline more and lose the buoyancy in the system.

I've yet to hear anything about Scubapro's CS in regards to their Tech line I have heard numerous times of excellent Customer Service from the big players (HOG, Halyson, Dive Rite, Deep Sea Supply).

Something that was suggested to me was to hook up with an experienced BP/W person and have them help you out. All my knowledge comes from just reading and then asking questions of those who have it. Though, the Back Inflate is from personal experience, I SO much prefer it over normal Jacket. I also hate the idea of carrying extra weight, I got enough lead as is now, and the less the better. I'm still learning but the thing you need to remember about what sized wing is that to much lift is just as bad as to little. You want enough lift in the wing to support all the weight you carry (Regs, BP, Lead, Tanks etc).

One thing is don't think spending extra money on a piece of equipment means it is better. I do remember a thread a few years ago with someone adamant about buying the Scubapro Harness that was something like $80 when he could have gotten very much the same thing for 1/4 to 1/2 the price. So don't think you have to buy everything new, you can easily get away with a used Backplate with a new wing and webbing.

 

[WVRICK]

Thanks, I am all about saving money and looking at a used plate is a great idea. I am finally nearing the end of my medical expenses having beat cancer 4 years ago so I understand the necessity of being a good shopper. I off to look at some manufacturer websites to see what I can learn.

 

[divingpyrate]

i dive a stiletto and love it. Dove jacket bcds too
the back inflate is an easy diving bcd, see no reason to go to a backplate


Why is the rum always gone

 

[WVRICK]

I lucked out and have a Stiletto, a AL Dimension 13 and a BP/W to try from some friends who have them. I find the BP/W interesting but tend to think I would like a back inflate since it would be less of a learning curve for me. The one thing I do know is that I hated being squeezed by my old jacket BC.

 

[diversteve]

I also had a Stiletto. It was rock solid. I have a Ranger now. If your friend has a newer Stiletto (or he's upgraded) ask him to show you how the BX inflator works. It unscrews at the inflator end so you can flush the BC with a standard garden hose.

I personally would buy the Balance over the Dimension i3 - IMO the i3 mechanism is a repair bill waiting to happen. Worst case scenario with a standard inflator failure, $25-50 buys a new one and two ty-wraps later you're diving again. Also they're "user serviceable" - once I had salt crystal build-up in Bonaire causing it to stick open. Five minutes of rinsing/tapping it against the side of the rinse tank and I was able to dive the rest of the week without any other problems.

The issue with borrowing the backplate is you need to be the same size or smaller than the borrowee. Otherwise the straps will be too short and you won't be able to get a real sense of the fit. New they tend to cost more than many back-inflate models when fully configured, IDK about the resale market. Webbing is cheap if you find the right one in the wrong size. Just make sure you get the right plate for your height - it's important for tank positioning and balance.