Equipment Choices for Spouses/S.O.s

[NJDiveGirl]

nope - but then again we were both diving before we met. He's got the backplate/wings set up - dives doubles - is a lot more technical than me. Even though I dive in cold water, I still dive singles - a regular BC (a womans BC at that!).

He did get the s.p. split fins that I have cause he liked them but thats about it!

 

[wwunder]

In my experience, less technically minded divers prefer fewer adjustments and complications with their gear.

I would recommend picking up something like the apeks atx40 for her. If she is anything like my girlfriend and most of my students, she'll just want something that always works well and requires no fuss.

An apeks atx200 is a very high performance reg and is capable of technical diving; however, it is not cheap and it is likely that your wife will not use the cracking resistance adjustment nor make use of its performance in extreme conditions. The atx40 will perform very well even beyond recreational limits so don't feel as though it is skimping.

sticking with one brand may be a good idea to simplify servicing and compatibility.

 

[sylvester]

My wife and I dive the same reg mk25/s600 oct g250 and computer. Wetsuits same thickness etc she uses a BCD back inflate, I use a BP and wing.

My rational for same gear was logistics, and if she thinks my gear is better then hers for what ever reason then, I end up using her gear, so solve that by buying 2 sets of the same gear, the real differance is in BCDs and tanks she uses an Al 72, while I use a steel 100.

 

[amc717]

My wife and I have different regs. I got her a Aqualung Legend Lx while I use an Apeks ATX 200.
It was more practical that she also has one of the best regs than to buy an upgrade later.

 

[chris z]

DH (Hi, Greg ut: ) and I dive almost the same gear.

BC's - his is the Seaquest Balance, mine the Diva LX (my "build" didn't agree with the Libra or I would have that ).
We dive the same regs Apex ATX 50s/40's and computers (Cobras)
But I dive a different configuration. I like my donor octo on my left and my computer on my right.
Our fins are different and so are our masks, but everthing else is pretty much the same - just his and hers versions.

-Chris

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

GoBlue! once bubbled...
Do you & your spouse have identical gear (particularly, regulator/computer...BC/mask/fins, etc. really doesn't matter)?
Jim

THE COMPUTER is the main thing that you want to be exactly the same. Particularly when you are NDL nitrox diving together. We both use the Suunto Vyper, except mine is black and hers is teal (our favorite colors, respectively).

Mask -- definitely not! Hers is a TUSA in teal and mine is an Ocean Master in black.

B/C -- color and size is the main difference, otherwise we both sport the same brand (Zeagle) and style (back-inflation).

Regs -- We both use ScubaPro Mk 20 / S600s. Her gear is actually 1/2 of my tech gear. I get the left post reg, she gets the right post reg. The octo 2nd stages come off my deco bottles. The long hose goes into the gear footlocker, replaced by a short 27 inch hose that is perfect for her to wear on a necklace as a backup. We both donate our primary in an emergency, and then go to our own necklace-d backup. That's how I taught her, like a noveau tech diver.

Suits -- she likes her wetsuit, and she feels that a drysuit is just one more thing to worry about (suit inflation / suit squeeze) that she doesnt want to worry about. When she is ready, I will get her exactly the same drysuit as mine, however, except different size of course.

Tanks -- she loves the white Fabers; I prefer the silvery PSTs. Thats perfect however, because in low vis I can see her white tank more easily that way. My RMV is 0.75 and hers is 0.70, so there is no reason to wear different sized tanks. She is tall, same height as me. Even so, her lungs are still smaller. She calls me The Crocodile. I call her The Kitty. I am a very happy crocodile whenever I am diving with her.

Fins -- I got her a set of short fins, forgot the brand name. Something akin to my ScubaPro jets, but not as rigid and stiff as the ScubaPros.

Color and size seem to be the primary differences, other than her reluctance to try a drysuit yet, and the TUSA mask, which fit her better than the Ocean Master did. Ocean Master does not come in teal, whereas TUSA has a beautiful low displacement wide vision teal colored mask with matching snorkel. The color made her fall in love with it. Im just glad it fit her slender face perfectly as well.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Why do they have to have the same computer?

Couldn't they buy different models from the same manufacturer?

If your SO has to have the same, then shouldn't your buddy? Why not buy different computers and then go by the most conservative?

The only reason I could see for mandating that they have the same computer is so they will know how to work the others, but nothing says you can't learn how to use two computers.

Ben

 

[Damselfish]

Regs: same - easier servicing and no reason for us to have different. I'd "round up" on this choice. Our regs are oldish Scubapro (Mk10/200?) and I'm starting to think about new toys, but we'd get the same whatever the choice.

Computers - Vypers with our old Solutions as backup. Same is good not only for algorithm but for operation purposes. (I'm the one who gets to fix them when we change time zones, I don't want to figure out 2!) Also good not to worry about 2 different types of replacement batteries.

BCs - we both started with Scubapro classics, we've both moved to other and different things. Fit and preference for features on BCs is very personal.

Fins - we both used to have Scubapro fins (not jetfins, but something with a wierd octagonal shape) that our LDS was big on at the time. We both wanted replacement and happened into a good deal on USD Blades which we both liked. So we still have the same fins but it just happened that way

Masks - much different - faces and preferences vary, no advantage to being the same.

Knifes - NOT the same, he seems to have a fondness for a pigsticker strapped to his leg, I've got something small attached to my BC.

We dive basically the same config, but all the little stuff tends to diverge over time. (For lights it's useful to make choices so as to deal with fewer types of spare bulbs and batteries.)

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

Damselfish once bubbled...
Computers - Vypers with our old Solutions as backup. Same is good not only for algorithm but for operation purposes. (I'm the one who gets to fix them when we change time zones, I don't want to figure out 2!) Also good not to worry about 2 different types of replacement batteries.

I completely agree.

Additionally, my fiancee feels peace and one-ness when our computers give the same exact results. And she takes it as a bad omen when there are differences.

Harkens back to the old expression, a man with two watches never knows exactly what time it is. Two different brands or styles of computers is just as bad, if not worse.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

Damselfish once bubbled...

Knifes - NOT the same, he seems to have a fondness for a pigsticker strapped to his leg, I've got something small attached to my BC.

This is too funny. I learned something about myself today.

Maybe this is just a guy thing, after all.

I have mounted a small square-tipped knife on each of our SPGs. These knives are so small that they are quite unobtrusive, yet if you need to cut line, they are there.

I then mount my own additional pig-sticker on my left shoulder strap, since I generally believe in 2 of everything.

The Kitty has never expressed an interest in a pig-sticker of her own. Only The Crocodile is into stuff like that!