Rate my First Setup

[RowingMunkeyCU]

Hey guys! So I'm finally ready to bite the bullet and buy my own gear. Need your advice on recommendations.

Some general information about me:
* Mostly cold water diving (Western NY)
* Fairly athletic, thin build.
* Intending to keep training through tech levels (caves, wrecks, etc)

This is what my LDS recommended:

Reg: Apeks XTX50 Regulator
Oct: Apeks XTX40 Octopus
Comp: Suunto Cobra AI
BC: Dive Rite SS BP w/Trek Wing and Basic Harness
Weights: Weight pockets that attach to BP (I forget exactly which model)
Wetsuit: Waterproof Aries 7mm Men's Jumpsuit (Looks like something out of "Tron")

Unfortunately, I don't have enough $$$ to go dry (yet).

Thought's and opinions?

 

[BdiveO]

I like my Suunto Cobra AI, its a great computer.It seems pretty bulletproof so far.
The rest of the stuff im not familiar with... so I'll leave that to others.

Brendan

 

[astrofunk]

In general, that's a good set-up for the diving you intend to do. Those are good regs, and the BP+wings with a basic harness will be the configuration you'll want if you end up pursing technical training down the road. It's also a great configuration for your recreational diving in the meantime.

I do have suggestion about your exposure protection: I dive cold waters, and the single most significant contributor to my comfort has been my drysuit. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely get my drysuit sooner rather than later in my diving career. Two reasons: It used to take a lot of convincing to get me to climb into my soggy wetsuit for dive number 2 on some cold day -- and forget about dive number 3. If you're like me, you'll get more dives under your belt sooner if you're dry, because you'll be more comfortable on all your dives and therefore more eager to go diving again, no matter what the season. (And it sounds like you're at least a little like me -- my "fairly athletic, thin build" means I get pretty damn cold.) In addition, switching from wet to dry means getting back on the learning curve regarding buoyancy control. That's also something I wish I'd gotten out of the way sooner rather than later.

So how can you free up the scratch necessary for the drysuit? You could skip the computer and go for a cheap, no-nonsense bottom timer. (Depending on the agency, that's likely the way your technical training will take you, anyway.) That could be a $600 savings right there. I've also come full circle on weight configurations, and now vastly prefer a simple weight belt to anything else -- which will be an additional savings. Between those two items and the $400 you'll save by not getting the wetsuit, you're already most of the way to a drysuit.

One last, incidental thing: if you do intend to pursue technical or overhead training, you'll almost certainly want your gauges on your wrists, rather than in a console mount.

My two cents -- your mileage may vary. Good luck!

 

[mig_diver]

I like my Suunto Cobra AI, its a great computer.It seems pretty bulletproof so far.
The rest of the stuff im not familiar with... so I'll leave that to others.

Brendan

ditto on all accounts

 

[spectrum]

I would not integrate all weights to the BC

Weights: Weight pockets that attach to BP (I forget exactly which model)

A belt or weight harness puts you in a much better situation if you need to get out of your rig. It also keeps your rig from being a heavy pig if it needs to be passed up or down.

Pete

 

[Colliam7]

I do have suggestion about your exposure protection: I dive cold waters, and the single most significant contributor to my comfort has been my drysuit. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely get my drysuit sooner rather than later in my diving career.

I'll add a vote for the DS over a wetsuit at the start. I bought my DS a year after I certified, and it was by far my best choice in a gear purchase. It allowes me to dive in cold water quarries during the winter, spring, summer, fall, etc. Lynne (TSandM) recently started a thread about which piece of equipment divers regretted waiting to buy, and the DS was up there at the top of the list.

You could skip the computer and go for a cheap, no-nonsense bottom timer. ... if you do intend to pursue technical or overhead training, you'll almost certainly want your gauges on your wrists, rather than in a console mount

Good advice both from a cost perspective and a gauge perspective. Computers are great. But, I suspect you would benefit more from diving, and a drysuit will help you do that. If cost considerations dictate one OR the other, go for the suit first. Definitely think about wrist-mounted instead of console. And, think long and hard before investing in AI, if $$$ are an issue. I have a Vytec, and a transmitter installed on my singles reg. Yes, it is nice. But, I still keep a SPG on that reg. I don't use the transmitter when diving doubles, and don't miss AI at all.

I've also come full circle on weight configurations, and now vastly prefer a simple weight belt to anything else.

I had a similar experience. Tried a weight belt, then went to integrated weights, then tried a DUI Weight and Trim harness, now use a weight belt (and some ankle weights linked around my tank when diving singles). While not perfect, the weight belt is probably the simplest and best option.