Safety or Oversale

[japan-diver]

As an experienced traveler and very experienced guide for divers a computer is a great inexpensive safety item- an inexpensive computer (less than $300) acts a dive timer- no need to remember to start or stop your watch, an accurate measurement of deepest depth and helps to avoid the human error factor in using tables- a small price to pay for a lot of safety. Also on most vacation dives with a few 60+ ft dives in a day diving tables quickly becomes an issue if you are doing longer multilevel dives- an average dive for me is 45 minutes to an hour depending on how good my clients are on air or if its just me and a buddy diving may be even longer, most dives we dip to over 60ft and sometimes as deep as 80 or 90 for short time- by the end of the first dive I would be off the tables but with a dive computer I can safely conduct these dives over many days. I normally suggest to my students that an inexpensive computer would be a very wise investment very early in their career.

 

[tbone1004]

Although some of the high end gear suggested is awesome there is no need for that when unless you want all the bells and whistles. A simple Zoop or Leonardo from Cressi is enough computer for 99% of diving. I am a tech instructor and also dive regularly - my everyday computer cost less than $300- most of my staff also dive inexpensive computers and they work fine. I prefer a rear inflate BC- many BP/Ws are a good deal but if you are going to be traveling a lot you might want to opt for a lighter travel BC- there are numerous ones on the market- one of my favorites is the DiveRite Travel BC. Regulators is where I would spend a little money - a good balanced system is what you will want - again I favor the Dive Rite XTs- great regs, robust and will not break the bank. I would stay away from the gimmicks and stick with good solid stuff- for regs I have had great luck with Aqualungs also along with the DiveRites, Cressi also makes some good regs at a good price.

most travel bc's are no lighter than a properly equipped bp/w btw. Not the SS ones, but if you look at the kydex/aluminum/skeleton/dogbone etc etc backplates, they are no heavier and quite often lighter than the travel bc's.
The travelpac that you mention is almost 6lbs dry, and takes quite a while to get there after a dive. A kydex plate with LCD20 wing is about 5lbs total and dries faster, so you save a pound there if you so choose.

 

[Kharon]

On the advice to "just use tables" - you still need a depth guage and a watch. Those will probably cost nearly as much as an inexpensive computer. I used a Geo 100x (I think) for a lot of years before I upgraded.

And as far as a BC - I used an inexpensive ($150) Tusa for several hundred dives before I switched to a soft backpack and harness. I'm still using a Cressi AC2 1st stage and the XS2 2nd stage on my pony. The set was about $150.

I would not patronize a shop that put their profit so far ahead of reasonable cost to the customer. That is an outrageous upsale.

 

[Caveeagle]

Try to get certified before your trip. I can't imagine wanting to do classroom, pool and training dives while at the resort destination.. but that's just me..

I personally hate most "rental" gear I have seen. So, I have a little bias on that front.. I agree with finding an instructor that has quality loaner gear that you can use. This could make a big difference on comfort and confidence in your gear when underwater. Plus give you a good baseline to compare against for future purchases.

Are you buying gear for kids too? As a dad with kids who dive... Its really hard to snap out of the "Dad" mode and want to help stay on top of your kids gear and dive status. If this fits you, then I suggest trying to streamline gear sets with your kids.. ie: everybody on the same computer and regs. BCs and other stuff can be much more of a personal fit, but they require less maintenance and fiddling with etc.. For me, every time I have to touch an unfamiliar dive computer, I feel like my iq drops by 50%. I solved for this by buying reasonably priced computers (Hollis DG02 in our case) for all of my kids. This way, Its easy to compare profiles, set-up and much less variability.

I can't agree with poster above pushing tables for the first 50 dives.. Sure you need to be able to use them.. but hey, it's 2017. I have been on two boats within the last year that require nitrox and computers. Otherwise, you are slowing down their operation and causing longer surface intervals.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Probably this has been discussed in the past, but after researching the subject I need your help.

I am going to open water training. I am 50+ and want to go scuba with my kids at different resorts, primarily in Mexico.

I had to buy my basic gear at the place where I am training. No problem there. Started looking for my own gear at some other local scuba stores, and I explain what I want to do, and that I want some gear that would be suitable for resort diving within my qualifications and maybe in the future some deep water training, and drift diving.

What I am being offer by two of the stores are $ 1,000.00 + computers, $ 600.00 + BC's and $ 600.00 + regulators. They say my safety is being consider.

Now is it over kill or really base on safety? So all gear under that price is not safe, is my conclusion that I come to based on their presentation.

I have been down that road before and that $ 2,000.00 fly rod does not make me a better fly-fisherman. I do not want to jeopardize safety over a few bucks, but.............

All dive gear is safe ... it's how you use it that determines your safety.

Something like a Mares Puck is all the dive computer you will need for recreational diving. That, and a few similar models by other manufacturers are available in the $200-250 range. Unless you're planning to dive regularly, I would recommend renting your BCD/regulator locally. If you want your own gear a simple, lightweight BCD is all you'll need. A backplate/wing is the ultimate in simple (and lightweight, if you choose aluminum or kydex plate), but they come with the drawback that a lot of places that insist on setting your gear up for you won't be familiar with them. If you really want your own regulator, I'd recommend HOG or Deep Six ... quality gear without the price that usually comes with the bigger brands (most of which are owned by investment firms anymore).

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Bubblesong]

The moment you said "Deep Diving" you opened the door to the expensive stuff. Is there a computer under $1,000 that is going to do multiple gases for Trimix, nitrox, air and pure oxygen? Regulator has to adapt to DRYSUIT, possibly argon. Plus that basic bcd for vacation, won't take you to technical deep dives. If you buy warm vacation equipment, it is cheaper, but you have to buy another, expensive set to go deep.

 

[Hoag]

The moment you said "Deep Diving" you opened the door to the expensive stuff. Is there a computer under $1,000 that is going to do multiple gases for Trimix, nitrox, air and pure oxygen? Regulator has to adapt to DRYSUIT, possibly argon. Plus that basic bcd for vacation, won't take you to technical deep dives. If you buy warm vacation equipment, it is cheaper, but you have to buy another, expensive set to go deep.

I think that the recommendations that you made may be a little overkill given that the limits of recreational diving are generally considered to be 130 feet. Based on the op's original question, I think that it is safe to assume he is looking at recreational diving and that a "deep dive" would be one at or near the 130 foot depth. Trimix etc are not required for this type of diving and there are many computers that can handle NITROX for considerably less than $1k.

 

[Subcooled]

Given that your goal is to dive in the balmy waters of Mexico, and not too deep (less than 120ft), you will need

• a basic dive computer No need for trimix. Trimix is for 120ft+ dives (or 100ft+ cave dives) Nitrox support is recommended, though. Great for 90ft dives. Expensive $1000 computers have wonderful screens but less wonderful pricing. Hence, I have found a $300 computer to be good enough for ice dives and cave dives. I'm sure it is good enough for your resort dives too. Just pay attention to the numbers on screen and you'll be OK. The possibility of transferring data to a computer is a very nice thing too. Some of us love logging and graphical dive profiles for learning.
  
• Instead of that big screen, what you really need is a mask (or two) of your own and prescription lenses for you dive mask, e.g. Hydrotac stick on lenses. Probably +1.5..+2? Prescription lenses are VERY important. You want the see how much air you have, don't you?
  
• a basic regulator set No need for cold water approval. You buy these only once, so get serviceable ones. There are many many different makes of regulators, and people say that they breathe differently (feel different). Which one you prefer is a matter of taste. I prefer those that deliver air. Things change if you aim at mindless depths or go for arctic diving. No, I don't think "deep diving at a holiday resort" falls into this category. My regs (for a single cylinder) would cost $600. You could get cheaper ones. But then again, it is a one-time investment.
  
• BCD:s can be expensive. If you travel by air, you will want to invest in a BCD that is light weight. It might be easier though, to rent the BCD at the resort. I would. If you are unsure about the condition of the vest, then just fill it until the over pressure valves open. If it doesn't fail then, it is unlikely to fail half full under water. If the vest fails nevertheless, then drop the weights and up you go. Given the open water and moderate depths and moderate amount of gear (single cylinder) I would not call the BCD the most critical piece of equipment. If it fails, you are safe, provided that you stay calm and know what to do. This means that you need to practice dropping the weights regularly.
• At sea you might want to have a 6ft Surface Marker Buoy (size does matter at sea), a whistle, a good light, and such things would an ocean current carry you away. Some people even have emergency radio transmitters. A blunt tipped short dive knife (no, it does not need to be titanium) or surgical scissors can be nice if there are nets in the sea.

"So all gear under that price is not safe, is my conclusion that I come to based on their presentation."
That is a wrong conclusion. The cheap gear is fine. Although the huge bright colorful $1000 computers are more fine

 

[Subcooled]

I would recommend you not buy anything, except for a mask, snorkel, and maybe fins/boots, until you are finished with your OW training

This is very good advice (the whole post) but consider those prescription lenses for the dive mask, if you need them at home too.

 

[diversteve]

You're about 30 min. away from one of the best dive retailers in the US. They have both a physical store and an extensive online website. And won't oversell you. www.scubatoys.com I suggest you go there and talk to them.

I don't consider $600 overkill for a regulator if that includes an octo plus gauges. A good/very good 1st/2nd alone starts around $400. Personally it's one area I don't cheap out on.

Also consider servicing for some of the previous suggestions. Some people in this thread do their own regulator servicing so their suggestions reflect this.

Aqualung/Apeks, Scubapro, Mares, Cressi, to a lesser extent Oceanic have the largest coverage typically. So the likelihood of trained technicians - and more importantly parts availability are better esp. outside the US.

i agree with some of the other suggestions, don't drop big $$ on gear until you're certified. People do occasionally fail - or medical or other reasons keep them from diving. Brand new gear is worth 1/2 used once it's wet/marked with your name.