scuba today?

[Larry H PA]

Thanks for the replys. I live around Harveys Lake area,that is dallas pa. Will take a look at the jet fins. Does anybody know if they rent gear at dutch springs? Im looking forward to diving again,but will wait till spring.I sent a e-mail to dutch springs but have not heard from them yet. I did a few ice dives years ago,but now just want to dive in good weather.

 

[Paladin]

Most of us have abandoned the j-valve.

Speak for yerself, Pilgrim!:gun: I still use 'em!

 

[DiveNav]

What is new or different in scuba equipment? I last used scuba when I was 25 years old ,Im 50 now. So what has changed, .......

Our modest contributions: 1) simulator and related online classes for a lot of dive computers; from entry level to CCR capable and 2) virtual representations of real dive sites; check them out in 3D from home.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[Akimbo]

In addition to things mentioned, wetsuits are much different. The currently available material is a blended Neoprene that is more supple, stretchy, lighter weight, and less expensive than the Rubatex based suits available then. Unfortunately, they also compress a good deal more so you will be much colder at depth, though warmer at the surface. I estimate that my new 7mm suit at 50' is about as warm as my old ¼" Rubatex suit was at 150'. This is one of the reasons that drysuits have gained so much market share and people are willing to pay so much for them.

Compared to 1985, BCs are more evolved. There are a lot of wing style units in use now, though jacket BCs still dominate. You may also notice a tendency towards steel tanks larger than 80 Ft³. It is becoming increasingly rare to find people who can read decompression tables and depend entirely on their computers.

 

[diver 85]

No more CO2 cartridges in BCs :dance2:

My wife & I's 1st BCs had them---both finally played out about 3 yrs ago(but I 'popped' the cartridges about '87 just to get them outta play....)

 

[spdemt]

Dutch only rents tanks, weights and belts.

 

[Mike Boswell]

I returned to diving two years ago after a 25-year hiatus, and went through the whole set of courses from OW through MD with my wife. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot, and I highly recommend it.

There have been too many changes to list here. Much of the basic equipment is similar, but there are a lot more choices and there is a lot of new stuff. Diving has changed, with tec diving, liveaboards, DIR, rebreathers, new decompression theories, and last but not least, the Scuba Police! You can learn an awful lot about all of that, right here on SB.

Oh, and before you buy anything, I would start by reading a thread on SB http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/114279-what-did-you-buy-you-regret.html That thread will save you a thousand bucks and a lot of grief, IMHO

 

[novicediver]

I took a long hiatus as well, but I have no intention of retaking the OW class. I can accomplish the same goal by paying a pool fee. I do need to be taught how to use the computer, however I don't see myself doing repetitive dives anytime soon. As others have said, don't fall for gimmick items.

 

[knowone]

I am still using twenty year old computers that I have no idea how to work
water activated, and yet I understand exactly what they say and my
pocket
is happy.

 

[vladimir]

I took a long hiatus as well, but I have no intention of retaking the OW class. I can accomplish the same goal by paying a pool fee. I do need to be taught how to use the computer, however I don't see myself doing repetitive dives anytime soon. As others have said, don't fall for gimmick items.

I enjoyed my open water class and even enjoyed re-taking it with my wife when she got certified, but I don't think you need to re-take it, assuming you had competent instruction the first time around. The idea of spending some time in the pool is a good one, in my opinion, and some easy dives after that; sort of a self-directed certification course. There is nothing about the operation of a dive computer that you can't learn from the manual, but Scubaboard user DiveNav offers simulators for most models.

I am still using twenty year old computers that I have no idea how to work water activated, and yet I understand exactly what they say and my pocket is happy.

Water activation is the single most important feature, and the big improvement that computers and bottom-timers offer over dive watches. Most of the rest of it is just bells and whistles, in my opinion.