Purchasing 1st/2nd and renting octo/console?

[PnL]

My wife and I are taking our OW class right now and should be done at the end of the month. We are considering purchasing regulators instead of renting them but we haven't the money to purchase the octo and consoles at the same time. Would it be wiser to save the money and get everything at the same time or is it easy enough to have your own first/second stage and rent the console and octo (do rental places rent them separately??)?

TIA

 

[Scubaroo]

Definitely wait until you can buy everything at the same time - its *extremely* unlikely you could find a shop that will rent you these seperately.

Also read up on the pros/cons of using wrist mounted instruments over a console before you buy a console - many people just use a pressure gauge, and put depth gauge/bottom timer/compass on their wrists.

 

[PnL]

The computers sound great and we'd love to do that but that drives up the cost so much. I guess we were hoping that we could slowly purchase these items instead of purchasing them at the same time.

 

[Scubaroo]

ScubaKims once bubbled...
The computers sound great and we'd love to do that but that drives up the cost so much. I guess we were hoping that we could slowly purchase these items instead of purchasing them at the same time.

You don't have to buy a computer if you use wrist mounted instruments - a simple bottom timer or watch, and a depth gauge is all that is required. Use them in conjunction with diving tables (eg PADI's RDP).

If affordability is a major issue, consider purchasing online. Substantial savings can be had - you might be surprised to find you can purchase regulators, octopus and instruments (either console or wrist) online, for the same price you would pay for just the first and second stage in a retail dive store. www.leisurepro.com, www.simplyscuba.com, and www.diveinn.com are good places to start - these are based in the US, UK and Spain respectively, but I have ordered stuff from all 3 without problem.

The pros and cons of purchasing online have been *extensively* discussed elsewhere on this board.

Good luck!

 

[PnL]

bengiddins once bubbled...
The pros and cons of purchasing online have been *extensively* discussed elsewhere on this board.

LOL ... I wasn't going to go there but I've certainly looked at the prices online as well as the shops out here.

 

[Genesis]

that overseas online shops will likely ship you instruments calibrated in meters, bar and celcius instead of feet, psi, and fahrenheit!

This can be a REAL surprise if you're not ready for it!

SOME computers (Suunto for one) can be changed in their preferences to either english or metric units, but not all, and hard gauges are (of course) not able to be changed at all.

 

[Scubaroo]

Shhhhhhh! You're ruining my plans for metric domination! :upset:

 

[raviepoo]

You might be surprised at what you can afford depending on the source you buy from. You can get two full set ups from Leisurepro for about the price of one at an LDS. Yes you will pay more for service, but it might be easier to afford it if you spread the cost out instead of paying up front.

 

[dgangi]

raviepoo once bubbled...
You might be surprised at what you can afford depending on the source you buy from. You can get two full set ups from Leisurepro for about the price of one at an LDS. Yes you will pay more for service, but it might be easier to afford it if you spread the cost out instead of paying up front.

Great point. You don't need to blow a wad of cash as long as you are a prudent shopper.

Here's what I spent on my gear, mostly from Leisure Pro:

Oceanic Delta 3 regulator (PX2 piston 1st stage): $230
Oceanic slimline octo: $60
Sherwood Logic console computer w/compass: $180 (used on ebay)

All told, my reg, octo, and computer cost me $470 plus shipping costs (<$500 in total). That's not much more than my LDS wanted for the Oceanic Delta 3 alone ($450). I could have saved even more by going with a cheaper reg, but I wanted a really good one that would not need upgrading.

Of course, the dive computer is used, but who cares. It's only an entry level computer anyway. But it's new enough (2002) that it will have the important safety features and a good dive algorithm. I figured I could wait until next year to get a good air integrated computer (and I can probably sell the Sherwood for what I paid for it).

I think Leisure Pro also sells packages at good prices. Also check Dive Inn, as their prices can be as good or better than LP in come cases.

Thx...Doug