Package opinion??

[tundraotto]

Howdy people - getting certified next month and need to get my kit - dont want to "borrow for the class" as I will get the equip anyway...
have dived before witha buddy using his octopus...and like it enough to know its something I want to be able to do...

Price is a factor - but am willing to spend enough to get good stuff - 2 choices:

scubatoys package:

Mares Sport Package

The Italian's are known for making high quality items, such as cars, leather goods and great scuba gear like the Mares Sport AT BCD. This BCD was developed to reach a new level of durability and careful selection of materials ensures prolonged resistance to abrasion, UV rays, and wear.

For the regulator is this record setting Mares MR 12 Abyss, this is the choice regulator of the NASA dive team.

On to the octo, we will go with our favorite the Mares Brigade Viper Octo it has side exhaust, you can breath this one upside down or right side up, which means the receiver of air can be on either side of you and still breath comfortably.

Keeping with Mares lets add the Mares MC2 RGBM Console the perfect choice for all levels of divers from the sport diver to the tech diver.

If a wrist computer is for you, then opp for the Mares M2 Nitrox Wrist computer along with the Tusa SCA 240 Gauge at the same price.

***I would propably like to change the regulator to the mares abyss22 - its only a little more

MY ALTERNATE HODGEPODGE PACKAGE (more expensive)

force fin "slim fins"
scubapro crystal VY single window mask
scubapro mk25/g250hp regulator - i propably should go with the 250v second stage???
steel 130 tank
tusa spg
zeagle tech bcd
suunto gekko
suunto sk7 compass



I know that these are not exactly apples to apples - but this is the kind of price range I am working in - I will pay more if absolutely necessary. Now I know a lot of you will think "another equipment dork" - while that maybe true I want the price shock over one time. I dont want to buy new stuff I need every month..I want to buy and go use it. Give me your thoughts please!

 

[halocline]

This is probably not what you want to hear, but I would not buy anything until after you're certified. Once you do start buying stuff, I'd get the wetsuit first, then probably a wrist computer, then reg, then BC. Of the stuff you listed, either reg would be fine, except for the dacor viper octo, which I believe is exactly the same as the Mares brigade octo and I would not recommend it.

If you buy a BC now, before you have the experience to know what style of BC you really want, you're probably going to regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life

 

[tundraotto]

thanks for the heads upo on the octo - what would you recommend as an alternative?

I know like I said this may sound like overkill - but I will buy all of this at once so it does not bother me many times....If I am unhappy with something I will just ebay it or trade it with my buddies....its not a big deal really. As for renting - will not do it - I want full control of servicing of all my stuff - I cant trust stuff that is this important to someone else - i dont know how it has been maintained/used...

BC - all of my buddies recommended the zeagle tech.??? Not the end of the world if its not perfect - I'll trade it...

as far as for the wetsuit thats easy enough...whats a good one?? LOL

 

[Shawley]

You said price is a factor, and by buying stuff and then selling again will only cost you more money. You should give some rentals a try and truly figure out what you want. Instead of wasting hard earned money.

 

[Gale68]

Tundraotto....

Yikes! Big up-front investment! Welcome to the wonderful wet world and I hope you have a blast with it!

One thing you can probably take to the bank is that whatever you buy now, you're going to end up replacing some elements of your kit as you gain experience and learn what you're most comfortable with. I'm assuming the Mares package is something they're marketing to get new divers to go head-to-toe in their brand, but there's really not much point to going that route unless it's a terrific bargain and you actually like all the components. If I were in your shoes, I'm not sure I'd buy everything up front, because it does take some time to learn about different brands and models, etc. As a new diver in training, I'd probably buy:

Mask: Doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, the main thing is getting one that fits, which means you HAVE to try them on before you choose one. It should stay on your face with just a little suction, even without the strap. Nothing more annoying on a dive than a leaky mask, except maybe a full bladder while diving in a drysuit.

Suit: This isn't listed in the kits you're considering, but depending on the water temps you expect to be diving in, you're going to want a wetsuit or drysuit that fits you well and doesn't have the funk of a rental. Drysuits are a godsend in colder water, but expensive and require extra training. Probably a purchase for later, if at all. What wetsuit you buy will depend on how cold the water is where you're going to be diving, and again - FIT is more important than brand, so you'll have to try them on. While you're at it, booties, and maybe a hood and gloves, depending how cold your diving is going to be. Again, fit and comfort over brand.

Fins: There are more opinions on fins than there are divers, I think, and many of them strongly held. Don't expect your first pair of fins to be your last, although if Force Fins had been my first, they would have been my last. I personally am a big fan of Force Fins, but I've never tried the Slim Fin design. If money is no object, I'd get the Tan Deltas or the Excellerating Force fins, but the Originals are good too. Not to say you wouldn't be happy with other brands. Personal preference is the final word in fins, I think. I'd recommend being skeptical of anyone who totally bashes one brand or another, or who claims that the fin that's right for them is right for everyone. That goes for most gear, actually.

BCD: If I were in your shoes, I'd train on a rental and experiment with various configurations before choosing the one you're going to buy. I don't know that the Mares is any better than their competitors' products. Your main decision will be between "jacket style" and the more techie backpack configuration. Both have merits. It's a personal choice. How hard will it be on your wallet if you buy one now and end up deciding you'd rather have something else six months from now?

Regs: Other than reading published reviews, I don't have much advice. I recently bought Apeks regs, and they worked well on their maiden voyage. I've used Scubapro and Oceanic in the past, and they were fine too. You might want to check reviews before you buy, because you want to make sure you know if there's anything iffy about the one you're considering, but I imagine either Mares or Scubapro would meet your needs. This is an item that could easily be deferred until after your training, if you were so inclined.

Computer: As far as I know, Mares computers haven't really distinguished themselves, but I'm sure they're fine. I use a Suunto, Cobra, now about 7 years old, and I like it better than any other I've tried (Oceanic, Cochrane, and a couple others). Check reviews, and think about what features matter to you. Ease of use is a must. Some computers are more conservative than others, and most have features you'll never use. I wouldn't buy the Mares if my only reason was that it comes as part of a package, but if you like it well enough, then by all means.... I'd be reluctant to buy any computer sight-unseen though. At least check some reviews.

Not knowing what kind of diving you expect to be doing makes it a little hard to offer advice on some points, but I assume the friend who introduced you to diving knows the ropes. It's debatable whether you really need to buy a tank, and if so whether the steel 130 is the best option. I assume you chose it because of its high capacity, but other things to consider include buoyancy characteristics, high vs low pressure, how much weight you'll have to schlep, etc. Tanks are easy to rent, so you might consider postponing this purchase.

Hope this helps!

 

[Damselfish]

yes, you really do want to borrow for the class, even though you know you're going to get the equipment anyway. You won't know enough about gear and what you would prefer, until after you learn to dive and have tried some stuff. Even after that you're bound to make a few little gear mistakes, but right now you're likely to make a lot of big gear mistakes.

You will learn a lot even from trying stuff you don't like so much - actually might learn more from that.

Buying everything one brand is usually not the best strategy, as different companies are better at making different things. Mares makes perfectly good stuff, but it's unlikely that all the best choices for you all happen to be Mares, or any one brand.

Tanks are the last thing to buy - and I do mean tanks plural. If it turns out to make sense for you to own tanks, you'll probably want more than one. There's no way anyone here can know from the info given if a steel 130 is a good tank for you - can you explain why you picked that? (Or any of your choices, really?)

 

[medic001918]

I'm going to echo the other's and say to wait to buy your gear. Get a mask snorkel, fins and boots to go through class with. I can tell you that the only part of my original rig that I kept was my regs (Mares MR22 Abyss). Everything else got changed at one point or another...even the regs recently when I bought a set for my doubles. You don't know what you want out of gear having never been in the water. Get through class and rent or borrow gear to see what you like and don't like. Don't just assume that what you're getting is going to work for you. You said you'd just ebay it or trade it if it's not for you...what if you don't get what you want for it. Or even worse, noone wants it? It's not too much of a stretch. At least get the experience of class and then make some educated decisions based on a minimum of experience.

Shane

 

[tundraotto]

first of all thanks for all the help - especially Gale68 - thanks for spending the time!

did any of you read about my alternate package that was more expensive but overall "more commonly recommended"????

yes money is a factor - but it pales in comparison to other factors that are more important to me - as I will be diving with friends that use the stuff from the second package - I have tried the fins & mask....I thought it may be useful to learn from the real pros who give the class about the features of the equipment I will purchase...

as far as taking a hit on getting rid of something I dont count on it being that big of a deal - call it getting to about even to buying the limited range of products a dive shop may have at their prices...JMHO

the 130 steel tank I thought was good because its the biggest and has allows for less weight on the belt....and of course more air seems like a winner to me?! Everyone seems to agree air is very important!!!

I am 34yo, 6' 220# and in pretty good shape and have 7.4L lung capacity - I just think I use a lot of air (hopefully the exhaust is not all hot air...LOL....1 tank will do for now - I live on a lake and can get the cylinder(s) filled after I figure out whether I was wrong or right about the tank size/material - if not my additional one will be different....

I live in Arkansas so its hot here - water temps 55°F and above - although I may not get in when its that cold....so wetsuit is going to be a cheap little one from the local dive store...

Thanks in advance fellas & sheilas - its all fun!!!

 

[tundraotto]

just another note - the mares package is just under 1K at scubatoys and the alternative I described is probably double that...I just wonder If you wanted to get your ideal package would you be replacing more parts on option 1 or option 2....

 

[medic001918]

For $2000, you could put together a nice "package" of gear selected by you to meet your needs. Personally, I'm a backplate and wing kind of guy. I like high quality regulators with a DIR setup. I prefer wrist computers (non air-integrated). No split fins for me. For tanks, I use LP108's for singles...and AL80's for doubles.

Gear is such a personal choice...only you know what you'll really be happy with and what that happiness is worth to you.

Shane