scubafanatic
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Trying to decide on new gear setup...need help
- Thread starter BigAirHarper
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Welcome to the board. As you can see, pretty much everyone has an opinion. The bottom line is pretty much any brand sold today will do nicely for 99% of all divers. Some will say brand X is better while others will say brand Y but fact is within a given model range (i.e. top of the line brand X vs. TOL brand Y) they are so close no one can actually tell the difference. It's 99% personal preference, what they were sold and how good their salesman was. Granted some individual regs work better than others but that is more a function of the tech who set it up than the reg itself. Go with a mid range in whatever brand you choose, they tend to perform as well as the top of the line regs with less "pretty" features that look nice but do nothing. In choosing a brand, find out what a local shop with great customer service and a good tech is selling and buy that. The shop and tech make a lot more difference than the brand. I personally prefer the more well known brands, not because they are better regs but because service and parts are often times easier to find, esp. when traveling.
Pretty much the same goes for BC's. All of them on the market today do a fine job. I personally would avoid the ones with lots of lift, you just don't need that or the ones with tons of D- rings, pockets or flashy features. Go simple. While the much touted BP/wing will do a nice job, there are plenty of inexpensive back inflates that will do nicely for a lot less cost.
Pretty much the same goes for BC's. All of them on the market today do a fine job. I personally would avoid the ones with lots of lift, you just don't need that or the ones with tons of D- rings, pockets or flashy features. Go simple. While the much touted BP/wing will do a nice job, there are plenty of inexpensive back inflates that will do nicely for a lot less cost.
Do you plan on flying a lot with your gear? Do you think you will ever get into tech diving? That may influence your decision on what type of gear to get. I know a lot of people here are into the backplate/wing set up because of its versatility, but steel backplates may be heavy for traveling and you may not ever get into tech diving, so it may be overkill for you, especially if you are just starting out. If you decide against a backplate/wing set up I would look into a back inflate type rather than a jacket style. I just got a Zeagle stiletto because I mostly travel for my diving and wanted something fairly light and easy to pack. Just retired my Seaquest jacket style BC.
For regulators most people will tell you that there really aren't any bad brands. They all seem to work and the decision should come down to price, ease of getting serviced, and maybe features. Do you want an adjustable 2nd stage? Do you want an environmentally sealed 1st stage?
Computer, probably have to do some research to see what you like. I have always had Oceanics. Seem to work pretty well and be easy to use. some are more conservative than others. I dive with an Oceanic and a Suunto. The Suunto is way more conservative.
Mask, fins, snorkel? Mask you need to try out in the store to make sure it fits you right. Snorkel does not matter. get the simplest and cheapest because you don't really need it after your certification unless you plan to do a lot of snorkeling. Fins, i dunno. lots of folks like split fins, lots of folks like paddles. Again probably depends on what type of diving you plan on doing.
For regulators most people will tell you that there really aren't any bad brands. They all seem to work and the decision should come down to price, ease of getting serviced, and maybe features. Do you want an adjustable 2nd stage? Do you want an environmentally sealed 1st stage?
Computer, probably have to do some research to see what you like. I have always had Oceanics. Seem to work pretty well and be easy to use. some are more conservative than others. I dive with an Oceanic and a Suunto. The Suunto is way more conservative.
Mask, fins, snorkel? Mask you need to try out in the store to make sure it fits you right. Snorkel does not matter. get the simplest and cheapest because you don't really need it after your certification unless you plan to do a lot of snorkeling. Fins, i dunno. lots of folks like split fins, lots of folks like paddles. Again probably depends on what type of diving you plan on doing.
I
idocsteve
Guest
Dive a back inflate BC before you decide to buy a jacket style.
My 2 cents.
My 2 cents.
OP
BigAirHarper
Registered
Wow, thanks for the great responses. As indicated, there are a lot of opinions out there. I'm going to look into maybe trying out the back inflate before I buy a jacket style. As far as the BP/w go, I doubt I ever will get into tech diving mainly because I don't have the guts or desire to go super deep or into a cave, etc. Secondly, I agree with the service/warranty issue and plan on buying from a LDS that I can trust will still be around if I need my gear fixed. I have looked into buying individual components but I am finding that I can save a couple hundred bucks if I buy at one location (college budget). I already have mask, fins, snorkel, wetsuit, and I am just looking at the dive system. To give you guys an idea of some of the setups I've been considering here are 3 options I've priced out from LDS, so let me know what you think:
Oceanic: Cruz BC, GT3 reg with CDX-5, Alpha 8 octo, VEO 100nx= $1000
ProbeLX BC, Alpha 8 reg with SP-5, Alpha 8 octo, VEO 100nx= $1180
ScubaPro: Glide Pro BC, R295/MK2+, R295 octo, press guage w/ wrist Aladin Prime=$1150
The price points are all around the same so the big issue is gear. I would just love to hear some reviews of those that have maybe used this gear, or could point me in an even better direction. Thanks in advance for helping me be less confused at the plethora of options offered.
Oceanic: Cruz BC, GT3 reg with CDX-5, Alpha 8 octo, VEO 100nx= $1000
ProbeLX BC, Alpha 8 reg with SP-5, Alpha 8 octo, VEO 100nx= $1180
ScubaPro: Glide Pro BC, R295/MK2+, R295 octo, press guage w/ wrist Aladin Prime=$1150
The price points are all around the same so the big issue is gear. I would just love to hear some reviews of those that have maybe used this gear, or could point me in an even better direction. Thanks in advance for helping me be less confused at the plethora of options offered.
a22shady
Contributor
BigAirHarper,
Thats i think is a misconcecption that BP/w are for technical divers. I am in way a tech diver. in fact as of right now i am only OW. I will go further eventually but Do yourself a favor before you buy a BC dive one. To me they are more comfortable you will have the ability to wear less lead on your waist or in pockets. People in BP/w setups alot of times find it easier to get horizantal and maintain trim/buoyancy. Here is a link to Halcyon They even have a new setup that comes with a quick adjust feature.
Halcyon Infinity | Halcyon Dive Systems
Halcyon Eclipse | Halcyon Dive Systems
Thats i think is a misconcecption that BP/w are for technical divers. I am in way a tech diver. in fact as of right now i am only OW. I will go further eventually but Do yourself a favor before you buy a BC dive one. To me they are more comfortable you will have the ability to wear less lead on your waist or in pockets. People in BP/w setups alot of times find it easier to get horizantal and maintain trim/buoyancy. Here is a link to Halcyon They even have a new setup that comes with a quick adjust feature.
Halcyon Infinity | Halcyon Dive Systems
Halcyon Eclipse | Halcyon Dive Systems
Don't overlook the used market, esp being in Fla. Dive gear is really pretty tough and will last a long time, regs will likely outlast the diver if taken a little care of. Anyone who gives you the "it's life support gear, only buy new" is just plain full of BS.
BC's tend to get a little faded and frayed but are still quite servicable. Inflate and deflate valves are the only servicable parts. They rarely fail and when they do, the repair is simple. So what if you only get 3 or 4 years out of a $50 BC you bought. After you finally do wear it out you have gained the experience (and hopefully a job
) to buy what you really want.Regs are almost industructable are long as you don't abuse them and have them serviced every couple of years. I am diving regs that range in age from a 52 year old DA Aquamaster (1958 model) to a late 90's Zeagle and a bunch in between. Any of the old workhorse regs from the last 20 years or so like the USD/Aqualung Conshelfs, Scubapro MK-2 and MK-5s and Sherwood Bruts and Maximus can be had for very little, are still easy to get serviced and if tuned by a good tech do a perfectly acceptable job for most divers.
Instead of a computer, stick to the tables and a watch, early in your diving, you should not be needing to push the tables anyway so a computer is not really that much help.
The only caution I have about used gear is to buy a well know brand and model like those above and then have it serviced. It's going to cost you a little but will ensure you have a safe, ready to dive reg. I really suggest you buy local, from the paper or Craigslist so you can do a hands on inspection before handing over the cash. Ebay is a gamble and best left to the experienced diver. With some careful shopping and bargin hunting you can put together a good BC/reg/gauges for $200-300 including your first service. Buy one of the workhorse regs above and your kids can learn to dive with it.
DiveGear4Less
Guest
You don't have to get brand specific gear. Most dive gear is manufactured in the same factories. For example, Sherwood and Genesis are the same gear with different names. Hollis, Oceanic, and Aeris are the same gear with different names. Aqualung and Apeks. The list goes on and on. Compare the product lines and you'll see. Find gear that works for you and go for it. Be careful, if you truly plan on visiting the springs, you may decide to alter your plans on the type of diving you end up doing. In that case, the back plate and wing set up will be the best set up to go with. It will save you money in the long run.
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