Time to invest!

[Slym]

So today was my first local dive, I now have a total of 15 dives logged 12 of which are in Mexico. Where I dove today was the Welland, Ontario Scuba park. It was pretty decent I saw the sunken boat all three times, one of those times was on a DPV (which was awesome by the way!!!)

Since I learned how to scuba dive I always said I wouldn't invest in real gear until I found out how I like diving locally... the verdict is that I like it... I like it a lot. I am pretty exhausted today but it was well worth it. Made a new dive buddy as well!

After a lot of research the gear I am going with will be:

DSS BPW: they have a good reputation, don't have integrated weight pockets like the halcyon I have been using which I find too bulky. It is very simple and few failure points. For weight I will attach it to my tank bands as I don't need much since I plan on diving with steel tanks after learning how great they are today. I was a bit overweight with the HP130 but the rental BCD has a fixed weight on the backplate that is 10 pounds... I need 16 to sink.

Zeagle Reg set: Which one is TBD as my dive shop has some sales on for the Onyx and the envoy so I will have to decide which best suits me and my future in diving.

Computer: I will probably go with the zoop but I quite like the hollis dg2 as it has 1 button. The computer will suit me well for now as I plan on staying recreational for the foreseeable future.

Exposure gear: Well this doesn't matter as much as long as it fits me well! One thing I will want is a pair of pocketed shorts to wear over my wetsuit, so I can store things in them. As I don't like bulk on my BCD these shorts see okay (plus I keep on losing either my smb or spool... atleast I find them again).

I'll probably get all this at once, I'll get a tank used from my dive shop eventually I want something like the Worthington I used today, I hear they are no longer made

This should be quite a fun summer with many dives more!

 

[redacted]

Good choices but the zoop is somewhat conservative and will limit your bottom time more that other options.

 

[Slym]

Okay I didn't know that, I keep on hearing great things about it. The dg2 Is the rental I have been using so I have a bit of familiarity with it. Another diver let me borrow his spare today and it was a Zeagle, I kinda liked it. So I think I will have to go to the dive shop and try a few more on. However safe isn't a bad thing with the zoop

 

[redacted]

One might assume that a conservative computer is safer than a liberal computer but there does not seem to be any evidence supporting that.

 

[KevinNM]

The scubapro pocket shorts are not bad. Diving wet in Canada seems chilly, but if it works for you it works for you.

 

[rongoodman]

I would stay away from Suunto and their proprietary version of RGBM. They're notoriously conservative and difficult to predict.

 

[gcarter]

You could consider a pocket like this Dive Rite DC Thigh Pocket XT, Velcro Closure | Dive Gear Express® rather than shorts. I like it. It generally carries my dsmb, a spool, slate, and a spare light with this Dive Rite Trauma Shears, w/DC Sheath | Dive Gear Express® attached to the side.

Ignore the nay-sayers. Chilly our waters may be, but the diving is worth it. There are many wreck diving opportunities, and some pretty cool drift dives.

Zoop biggest issue (to me) is lack of back lighting. My son had one and this was his major complaint. Now we both have Petrels ( ) but you don't need to spend that much. Conservatism on his Zoop was never an issue matching with my Veo 2.0 on multiple / multi day dives.

 

[KevinNM]

I would stay away from Suunto and their proprietary version of RGBM. They're notoriously conservative and difficult to predict.

People say that, but I done one for years and never had any real issues.

 

[Slym]

today I logged between 55-58 degrees at 36 feet wearing only a 7mm with hood and gloves, it was great, gcarter!

And does anybody know what the service intervals are like on the Zeagle Regs? are they 1 year or 2? Any advantage to buying Zeagle in terms of parts for like kinda thing like scubapro?

And the pockets I'll go with are the scubapro pocket shorts I believe that is what my shop sells that and the XS scuba ones.

Now with the steel tank I will be overweight, I am thinking of doing some wetsuit layering with maybe a 3mm to 5mm vest ontop of my 7mm full suit, do you think that would even me out with either a hp100 or hp130 tank? (I weigh 160 most of the time and am a tall guy)

 

[gcarter]

Overweight with a steel plate, or with a steel plate + weighted STA? If the latter and you are warm enough with the single layer, just lose the weighted STA. Adding neoprene you don't need to keep warm just increases the buoyancy swing. If the former look at an aluminum plate.