Returning after 30 years!

[scubadada]

They have the same buoyancy shift per CF drop. The difference is the weight of the steel tank material being inherently more negative than AL. You still use ~8 lbs of air but the steel tank remains neg where the AL gets floaty.
Faber steel 100 weighs 35lb empty
Catalina AL 80 weighs 31lb empty

It's buoyancy rather than weight. A full HP100 is about -8.4 lbs and at 500 psi it is -0.6 lbs. A full AL80 is about -1.8 lbs and at 500 psi it is about +3.2 lbs. That approximate 4 lb difference can be taken off your weight.

 

[BAP diver]

Do you dive in a dry suit or wet suit?

 

[Boarderguy]

Do you dive in a dry suit or wet suit?

Currently a semi-dry, but I have a made to measure dry suit on order. A lot of us on scubaboard have Seaskin dry suits and swear by them. They're 1/3 the cost of the big brands but perform equally well.

Read through this if you're interested in a dry suit.

Review - Seaskin Nova drysuit

I ordered a new Seaskin Nova (trilam) drysuit at the beginning of June. It arrived last week. I took it up to the Saint Lawrence River and did 7 wreck dives from Fri to Mon (yesterday), as part of an Advanced Wreck Penetration class with @Trace Malinowski. I am VERY pleased with how it worked...

scubaboard.com

Seaskin Drysuits | Custom-Made Drysuits Direct from the Factory

A made to measure drysuit direct from the factory, tailored 100% to your sizing and diving needs.

seaskin.co.uk

 

[Tripp]

Welcome to ScubaBoard and Howdy! from Texas. Please let us know all about the Maui trip!

 

[BAP diver]

Will do

 

[NYCrecdiver]

Thank you! I see your in Puget Sound. Definitely cold water. I have a question for you. I'm looking in to getting my own kit and am leaning towards BP/W and considering dive rites XT1/XT4 regs. Any experience or recommendations? Thanks

I dive an XT1/XT4 regulator. Very pleased with it. Dive Rite and HOG make great gear at affordable price point. I can recommend divegearexpress.com and diverightinscuba.com for online purchases. Good outfits.

 

[tep]

Welcome back! I did the exact same thing with my kid - re-certed with the kid in 2007. I've dove more since then, then I did the first time around.

And man, did gear and practices change a lot. I'm glad I started over.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If you go drysuit (and I highly recommend it), I think you should also invest in the number 1 add-on for dry suits: the p-valve. Oh it is a wonderful and necessary addition. I'd recommend Halcyon, then Light Monkey. I had multiple bad experiences with Si Tech. Don't go with those unless you like washing your undergarment and destroying it.

 

[ACHiPo]

Name is Brett, 50 y/o and I just got recertified in May with my 14 y/o son who got certified for the first time. Needless to say we are both beginners and all of our dives have been at Breakwater cove Monterey CA. Cold water diving for sure but we are enjoying it. We have several dive dates planned in the next several months getting us prepared for Maui. So far we are having a blast!

Welcome back! I’m getting up the nerve to dip my toe into the cold Monterey Bay, maybe in late Feb.