Recreational BC?

[ucladiver]

Hey all,
I am a newly certified diver with only 5 dives under my belt. I'm looking to begin my journey into gear purchasing. I hate dealing with having to rent... its a PITA! I have my reg setup (Mares MR12 Epos and a Scubapro Octo). I still need a BC. In my class we used the Scubapro Classic which seemed to work well for my needs. It's way out of my budget. I am a poor college student. Anyone have any suggestions? I'd prefer one that did not have integrated weights (call me a purist). If it matters I'll probably picking up a AL80 (price is right) and a 5-7mm wetsuit. Any suggestions/warnings would be very helpful. I know the group around here loves the bp/wings setup. Again, cost makes the vest approach more appealing to me. Thanks all.

Take care,
ucladiver

 

[TexasMike]

First question I got for you is how intensive do you see your diving getting? How many dives do you think you might complete this year and what kind? Do you see yourself ever getting into tekkie stuff?

The answers to this really help us steer you into the right setup.

As far as finances go, some of the better LDS's have a nice layaway plan that will allow you to order and obtain gear that is a bit out of budget at this time.

For example, my favorite LDS will allow me to order an item with 25% down, and then I must pay 25% within 2-weeks of it arriving. But with this 50%, I am able to use the equipment as long as I return it to the shop after my dives. And I have 2 more months to pay it off.

Soooo.....if you have your eye on a nice piece of kit, you might ask your LDS if they would agree to this plan.

 

[herman]

There is another route for you to consider, used gear. I can just hear a couple of people out there having a fit but in reality we are all diving "used" gear, just a matter of who used it last. Good quality dive gear,(and by all means buy good quality gear no matter what you buy), will last many years if taken care of. My feelings are that you are much better off with good used (and serviced) equipment than purchasing new but much lower quality gear. I have a 80's vintage BC right now that is in good condition that I no longer dive. It was the BC I used until I just "had to have" a new one (a Ranger), it's now my backup and I would have no hesitation to put it on and dive. I am not saying buy some one elses junk but there is a lot of good used gear out there to be had at half or less the cost of new. There are a lot of people who get into diving, buy a lot of new gear and dive it once or twice then give up the sport. Others buy one brand/style only to decide they really want something else (Mike might have a good used Ranger for sale shortly- just kidding Mike). Having said that, if you do go the used route, as part of the deal and at your expence, have it serviced/checked by a good dive shop before you hand over cash. You will either end up with a good, freshly serviced BC ready to dive at a cost savings or avoid buying someones junk.

 

[TexasMike]

Originally posted by herman
(Mike might have a good used Ranger for sale shortly- just kidding Mike)

At least someone around here is paying attention!

Actually, as soon as I get settled into my OMS, I probably will offer up the Ranger for sale. I also plan to make sure the BC is serviced prior to shipping it out to it's new owner. I've already talked to my LDS and that's just $20.00.

And the next trick is to figure out a fair market value for a used Ranger. But I promise to keep the price less than $1Mil.

 

[scubabunny]

Did you dive with a Classic Plus (integrated weights) or Classic sport (no weight system)? If it was the Classic Plus, you may want to check out the Sport. It is the same BC but no bells and whistles (integrated weights, padded back pak, etc) and about half the price.

Also, see if your dive shop has any older model BCs laying around. They may be willing to sell them for a much cheaper price.

 

[Rick L]

Hi check out ebay! I bought a XL scubapro finseal with the Inflator
for 88 dollars last year. It was a display model and looked brand new!!!
Good luck Rick L

 

[CAMPER]

I bought sme gear from ebay and was very happy with it. I would suggest buying from individuals, the dive stores tend to sell stuff they no longer can use or can't sell thru store.

Talk to your LDS about checking out the gear. He should realize that everyone can't afford his prices and he should be concerned about keeping you alive long enough to buy stuff from him.

Ed B

 

[herman]

Another thought UCLA, don't write off intergrated weights too soon. I have dove both and would not consider another BC without them. My wife will not dive without them. Having the weights and floatation in mechanical contact with each other has a lot of advantages, not the least of which is never having to search for a weight belt buckle that had slid around behind you. You always have the option of using the weight belt instead of the intergrated if you choose and the weights fit in either.

Mike, I am usually hiding in the backround but I try to keep up with the regulars. You going to bring that OMS to NC?

 

[TexasMike]

Most likely......Still firming up my dive calendar, so I'll let you know when I set stuff in permafrost.

 

[ucladiver]

Some of you may have heard of the LDS in redondo beach, CA called Dive-n-Surf. Apparently they are having a huge sale in less than a month. I think I'll shop around and maybe rent a few different BC's (some with integrated weight per Herman's suggestion). Hopefully by doing that I will have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for and can pick up a model that has been rented out by the shop or something on sale.

While we're on the subject of Weight integration, does anyone find that the wieghts fall out easily or that the BC is too cumbersome to carry around? Also as far as winsgs are concerned, what are the major advantages over a vest type? Thanks again.

-ucladiver.