Start Up

[MrBlueLakes]

I'm looking to start up to teach and wanna start with new cheaper gear, which is reliable for OW dives only. What best should i look at as far as BCD and reg combos on the less expensive side. Keep in mind, as business grows I will invest in better gear.

 

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If you're buying gear for your business, I would think that the priority is two fold - it needs to be affordable and reliable. The last thing you want is to have gear that is in a constant state of disrepair, making it more difficult for you to focus on training your students.

Will you be servicing your own gear or using another shop to do that for you? Depending on the answer to that question (and which brands you or your preferred shop are able to service), you can narrow your choices down quite a bit.

 

[Still Kicking]

I'm looking to start up to teach and wanna start with new cheaper gear, which is reliable for OW dives only. What best should i look at as far as BCD and reg combos on the less expensive side. Keep in mind, as business grows I will invest in better gear.

Reliable gear is reliable under any conditions, not just for OW. You can buy lower-end gear from any of the reputable manufacturers, which will work for years with proper care and maintenance.

Spending more on equipment may get you more "features" or "enhancements" erc. but it will not make it more reliable. Any gear that is not reliable is junk and should not be used.

 

[MrBlueLakes]

Reliable gear is reliable under any conditions, not just for OW. You can buy lower-end gear from any of the reputable manufacturers, which will work for years with proper care and maintenance.

Spending more on equipment may get you more "features" or "enhancements" erc. but it will not make it more reliable. Any gear that is not reliable is junk and should not be used.

Right, Im just looking for a recommandation. I was thinking about scuba pro's lowest end stuff or Cressi

 

[Boarderguy]

Inexpensive and reliable...

Get a fleet of back plate and wings (BP/W) with adjustable webbing combos. They fit everyone and are fantastic for almost all types of diving. Your students will require less lead since they went be trying to sink all the floaty material of a classic BCD jacket. You'll maybe need to replace webbing at under $20 every few years with heavy use.

HOG Total Buoyancy Control Scuba System Package for Sale | Divers Supply

HOG Total Buoyancy Control System Package

www.divers-supply.com

BackPlate and Wing Package - BackPlates & Wings - Scubatoys.com

BackPlate and Wing Package

www.scubatoys.com

 

[VikingDives]

I'm looking to start up to teach and wanna start with new cheaper gear, which is reliable for OW dives only. What best should i look at as far as BCD and reg combos on the less expensive side. Keep in mind, as business grows I will invest in better gear.

See @Boarderguy's post. When I started, I was independent and the guys at Edge-Hog are about the only business that will work with independents.

Get a couple of BP/W with hogarthian harnesses and you can fit anyone (pretty much). I'd recommend getting one XS back inflate BCD (or a soft plate TBCS) for females. Now you don't have to have one of every size... The same goes for the Edge regs. I don't think I could have done anything without Edge, it just would have been too expensive... Oh, and it's better quality than the Cressi stuff.

If you can't find the contact info for Edge, DM me, but it's pretty easy to find IIRC.

 

[Kenshyi]

I set mine up last year and used Yourcompanyformations.co.uk to register the business, super quick and didn’t cost much. I was a bit unsure about how to go about some of the paperwork, but their site had clear steps, and I liked that I didn’t need to chase anyone for updates. Made the whole thing way less of a hassle than I expected.

 

[eelpout]

A couple of people have suggested BP/Wings, but does the OP dive with a BP/Wing? If not, do you have time to learn how to dive a BP/wing? Are you gong more independent or are you going to be affiliated with a dive store? I started teaching when we were using Horse collar BC's. That meant you had to have a weight belt, weights and a backpack. When I started teaching I was an independent instructor with affiliation with a dive store. We were given a choice of different packages from the dive store and given a line of credit and a payment schedule for a year. I went cheap because I wasn't making any money yet and I had to get going. I had 10 sets to start with. I had BC's (no power inflators), regs (started with regs and spg only , no alt Air source) . Tanks I had 50 cubic foot tanks. They were easier to carry and they had enough air for teaching in a pool that had the max depth of eight feet. This was 1980 in Minnesota. In 1985 I opened my own store by then I already converted all by BCs to Jackets w/ power inflators, and Alt Air sources for the regs.

If I would start teaching today, I would have BP/wing systems and long hose regs. I would also redesign the class to accommodate the equipment and the adjustment time for it. I know that they have glide systems on the BP's now but back then you had to manually thread the webbing through the plate to adjust them. That would take too much time just for one piece of equipment. If you are going to be teaching alone to start with, it would take a bit of time to get your student set up for gear if you go BP/wing and the cost will be a bit more. You are in a business now, don't bury yourself in debt before you start making money.

 

[VikingDives]

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If I would start teaching today, I would have BP/wing systems and long hose regs. I would also redesign the class to accommodate the equipment and the adjustment time for it. I know that they have glide systems on the BP's now but back then you had to manually thread the webbing through the plate to adjust them. That would take too much time just for one piece of equipment. If you are going to be teaching alone to start with, it would take a bit of time to get your student set up for gear if you go BP/wing and the cost will be a bit more. You are in a business now, don't bury yourself in debt before you start making money.

Actually, the cost is signifcantly less with BP/Ws because you don't need to have extras. If I have a class of 4, I only need 4 BP/Ws. . . The time isn't much different on a BP/W. I get them 95% of the way when we issue equipment, and then tweak in the pool. I've also found that starting out, it's easier to have a soft or plastic backplate for female students. Differences in body fat seem to make starting women out with a plate more challanging. It's still much more cost effective than BCDs.

Timewise, I just incorporate the wing adjustments with the time I spend weighting the students. The long hose is the area where it takes longer, TBH.