Another.. if you will.... investment.

[Kray_Z]

yeah i make my self sound poor, but then again I am a college student the only real reason i dont like renting is that it is by the day and not by the use and i have a house out on the river and one on the beach so sometimes i like to just go and hang out for a week... $12*5days... and so forth... basicaly i am just trying to figure out whats best for my wallet in the long run.. i think i have a good idea of what i am going to do though. I still have a lot of training i want to complete so im just going to keep renting for a bit until i finish up some of the classes and see whats new on the market then.

-Thanks all!

 

[SangP]

Kray_Z,

I started diving when I was real new at a job so I can understand how you feel. A regulator is a very important piece of equipment but getting a really good regulator at a cheap price is a no no.

As such I would say get a good wetsuit. Something like a Bare, Scubapro or a any decent brands.

First with a wetsuit you get to do more than just scuba and with some snorkeling under your belt with maybe some free diving you'll enjoy scuba more. Furthermore, a good comfortable wetsuit would make your dive more enjoyable.

Borrow, beg, steal... (forget the steal) as many regs as you can and see which one you like best in terms of breathing.

Cheers,

SangP

Ps, I have a spare reg if you are interested.

 

[victor]

How about doing a deal with your local dive shop
Maybe for help at the weekend, on the boat etc, you could have your chance to test various different regs, etc. Possibly at the end of the season you could buy some of his gear second hand when you know it is working properly and suits you. It's worth a try.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Don't go cheap on regs !!

 

[Kray_Z]

I think i will be going with the wetsuit because as suggested above i do enjoy freediving(havnt been doing that long but it is still fun) and i found some pretty cheap ones online for about 100 bucs... no big deal compared to the 400 i would need for a full set up on even a cheap reg. thanks for the input

 

[kidspot]

just to help with your research a bit:

2 nice wetsuits under $80
http://www.diversdirect.com/item/Evo 3mm Mens Jumpsuit_ID32804 $79 (nice suit)

http://www.scubal.com/content/index.php?proid=1015&catid=209&procatid=167 $64 (well made, but not as nice imho as the evo above)

for a regulator, you can put together a pretty nice reg set for $500 from http://www.salvodiving.com/regs__gauges__hoses (DIN first stage, 2 matching second stages and a brass spg with hoses) Then pick up an analog depth gauge ($50) .

or you can get an inexpensive reg set from leisurepro for about $285 (plus $50 for an analog depth gauge)

Just some numbers to help in your research...

Aloha, Tim

 

[Kray_Z]

thanks for the input Tim, i have decided to go with a wetsuit so i can perfect my trim and not be surprised by a rental. i have seen the scubal one before and was considering it and the evo on diversdirect looks nice too. im thinking i should go with a 5mm because i do a lot of spring diving and im not sure the 3mm would be enough.. although if i could find a 5 for about the same price i might just get both

thanks again

 

[Damselfish]

if you're thinking of both, instead of a 3 and a 5 you might consider the 3mm fullsuit and then a 3-5mm shorty or hooded vest, which you could layer. More options that way.

 

[Kray_Z]

not a bad idea damselfish, what about ease of movement? is it more resticting when you double layer?

 

[kidspot]

For movement concerns look at the 5/4/3/ Evo - it's a 5mil suit with 3 mil for legs and arms halfway up to allow for ease of flexibility. (4mil for upper arms and legs) kind of the best of both worlds.

Personally I'd just wear the thicker wetsuit all the time, and if I found it was too warm pick up a thinner suit later (unlikely to be the case imho)

I agree with you on waiting for the reg set - Easier to rent a reg that fits, than a wetsuit that fits properly. Either way have fun diving

Aloha, Tim