Finally Buying Diving Gear, which is best?

[christinefaye]

Hello,

I had just recently gotten OW certified and now I want to move onto AOW and wreck diving. The training is SDI/TDI and I was told I would need my own gear (BC/Reg/Computer) to continue on with the AOW courses (is this normal?). The dive shop had packages that were already put together and I just wanted to know what everyone thought about some of these brands/prices.

BC- I could choose from a ScubaPro Ladyhawk or a Seahawk (I would end up going with the lady hawk with AIR II)- $780
Regulator- ScubaPro MK11/S360 -$424
Computer- Wisdom3 W/ Q/D Hose and Compass (CG1225) computer (air integrated and can be used with nitrox)-$805

Total (w/ student discount)-$1700

I've seen posts where people have said ladyhawk is just "expensive junk", and if anyone knows some about the regulator that would be great! As of now I'm only diving in Florida (Keys and east coast), but i'm thinking of expanding my diving into cold water at some point. So buying 1 reg that will work with both environments is best for me.

I've also seen posts that go both ways about Air II, i personally enjoy it because its compact and out of the way vs. and octo. But I read that Air II is not acceptable for cave diving. But perhaps, by the time I get to cave diving I will want/need a new regulator or a different BC anyways?

Is it worth buying the best of the best to start with, or to wait until I have gone on more dives and have more certifications?

Thank you,

Christine

 

[runsongas]

i think the shop is just trying to sell you a set of gear. there is no requirement that you need to own all your own equipment just to take an AOW class.

just for the class, renting gear should be fine. if the shop does a hard sell, find somewhere else to take the course.

with your current budget, you can fit in a DSS bpw and a shearwater perdix or petrel easily instead of the wisdom 3 and scubapro bc. could probably find a bpw, good regs, and a dive computer for 800 or less if willing to go used.

 

[decompression]

Is it normal? No. Does it happen? Yes. If they are firm on you "buying from them" then find a new shop. If they just want you to have gear (rental or bought elsewhere) that's fine.

$1700 for a BCD/reg/PDC is high, especially if that gear doesn't fit your needs. As you are new, you have to decide what your near/far goals are. There is gear that will meet short term and long term goals without having to buy completely new gear every time you take a course.

You will see a backplate and wing recommended here often for many reasons and certainly because they are modular and can change with your skills as you progress. If you are thinking about wrecks and caves then it is almost a must.

I always recommend start to with the end in mind, if you want to cave/wreck dive, why not have the fundamentals from day one so when you are ready those skills are second nature, this could save your life.

So, ballpark;

A backplate and wing.....$300-500
A dive computer.......$300-$800
Regulators.....$500-$800

So, on the low end but still far better than gear you'll sell at a huge loss is around $1100.

My recommendations for both comparison and for buying are;

1. Divegearexpress
2. Diverightinscuba
3. DeepseaSupply

There are others but the above will be lots for you to look into.

Checkout those websites, email and ask questions...it'll be worth it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dmaziuk]

You will see a backplate and wing recommended here often for many reasons and certainly because they are modular and can change with your skills as you progress. If you are thinking about wrecks and caves then it is almost a must.

Should also probably be looking at "long hose/streamlined OW" regulator setups (https://www.divegearexpress.com/regulator-packages) and slim SPGs instead of air 2 and bigger consoles.

 

[JohnnyC]

Ignore the Scubapro/AirII combo and head to Dive Gear Express and pick up one of their regulator packages from either the streamlined OW or long hose. It will have the added benefit of being consistent with what you will use when you eventually look into diving in overhead environments.

https://www.divegearexpress.com/streamlined-ow

https://www.divegearexpress.com/long-hose

I'd recommend going with an Oceanic Geo 2.0 as a first computer instead of the Wisdom. It's inexpensive, dual algorithm, everything you need and nothing you don't while you're early in your diving career. You can step up to a Shearwater when you get to the point where you need a good mixed gas technical computer. Avoid consoles, especially if you have a mind to start doing cave diving eventually as virtually all of your choices are completely counter to the best practices for that type of diving. A dive shop that is trying to sell you on an air integrated computer sans SPG isn't helping direct you towards gear that suits your diving goals.

As for the BCD, again with a mind to cave diving in the future, you might as well start off on the right foot by going with a backplate and wing (the DSS recommendation is good, DGX and DRIS also offer good packages). I understand if you're not comfortable with that as you are a beginner diver. However, the benefits are clear if you're looking to travel down a technical path in the future. If you're insistent on remaining with a jacket BCD, realize you will have to buy a BP/W in the future. Regardless, the biggest variable is making sure that whatever you get fits correctly. An ill-fitting BCD, regardless of type, will do you no favors.

None of what you listed in your post is the best of the best (especially in light of your desire to cave and wreck dive in the future), so if your dive shop is telling you that, I would find a new dive shop. Honestly, I don't think you should be buying anything right now. You've got a very small number of dives, and are very inexperienced, realistically at this point you don't know what you'll be needing. Really it's too early in your diving career to seriously be considering diving in the overhead environment anyway, so any advice may or may not even be valid once you hit 100-200 dives or so.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Not necessarily on the AOW gear requirement. I do not furnish gear for AOW students. Other than the stage bottle and reg and the reel. Students must supply their own gear. They don't necessarily have to own it, but doing the class in gear you know well makes it easier.

If they have to rent gear they have to rent gear. However if they do not seem familiar enough with it to suit my standards the class may get postponed. Of course they know this in advance and it's in writing.

The Advanced class I offer IS NOT five more "experience" dives with an instructor. Students are expected to have good buoyancy and trim, good buddy skills, and be able to perform all basic skills neutral and horizontal. There are A LOT of new skills introduced and if they don't have the basics down they will not have a good time.

As for gear I agree. 1700 bucks is way overpriced. I have put divers in BPW's with technical level reg sets for under a grand. A computer is not required in my classes as all dives are done with tables. Any recreational computer, with the ability to put it in gauge mode, works. Or they can dive it not in gauge mode and compare it with the tables we cut on V Planner software.

A BPW for 400 or less is going to offer much more versatility and be a better all round BC than the ones noted by the original poster. It will hold it's value better, last longer, and grow with the diver. When and if you get to cave you won't need to buy another BC. Just another wing. Buy your second BC first.

An environmentally sealed reg is never a bad investment. The Mk11 is a good reg. I don't like the non adjustable 2nd. Your octo should be equal in performance to your primary and use the same service kit. I don't allow AIR 2's in my AOW class unless the student has a standard octo as well. Or we'll put on one. The AIR 2 is not streamlined, hangs down too low, and is not suited to air shares in all positions. It's going to require you to have a 36 inch or 40 inch on the primary. Or you'll be right up in someone's face in an air share. Not where I want to be with a stressed diver.

I'd get something like a Veo 180 or DG02 or DG03 that's 250 bucks or less to start with. Any of those will do anything the average recreational diver needs to do and later be an excellent back up bottom timer to a tech computer like a Petrel or the new Perdix should they get into tech diving. My Veo 200 worked for 7 years just fine with an OMS bottom timer for back up until I got my Predator.

Shoot me your email and I'll send you my article on BPW's and reg configurations that are common with them. It's too big to post here.

 

[Caveeagle]

Listen to Jim on this... Good advice

Not necessarily on the AOW gear requirement. I do not furnish gear for AOW students. Other than the stage bottle and reg and the reel. Students must supply their own gear. They don't necessarily have to own it, but doing the class in gear you know well makes it easier.

If they have to rent gear they have to rent gear. However if they do not seem familiar enough with it to suit my standards the class may get postponed. Of course they know this in advance and it's in writing.

The Advanced class I offer IS NOT five more "experience" dives with an instructor. Students are expected to have good buoyancy and trim, good buddy skills, and be able to perform all basic skills neutral and horizontal. There are A LOT of new skills introduced and if they don't have the basics down they will not have a good time.

As for gear I agree. 1700 bucks is way overpriced. I have put divers in BPW's with technical level reg sets for under a grand. A computer is not required in my classes as all dives are done with tables. Any recreational computer, with the ability to put it in gauge mode, works. Or they can dive it not in gauge mode and compare it with the tables we cut on V Planner software.

A BPW for 400 or less is going to offer much more versatility and be a better all round BC than the ones noted by the original poster. It will hold it's value better, last longer, and grow with the diver. When and if you get to cave you won't need to buy another BC. Just another wing. Buy your second BC first.

An environmentally sealed reg is never a bad investment. The Mk11 is a good reg. I don't like the non adjustable 2nd. Your octo should be equal in performance to your primary and use the same service kit. I don't allow AIR 2's in my AOW class unless the student has a standard octo as well. Or we'll put on one. The AIR 2 is not streamlined, hangs down too low, and is not suited to air shares in all positions. It's going to require you to have a 36 inch or 40 inch on the primary. Or you'll be right up in someone's face in an air share. Not where I want to be with a stressed diver.

I'd get something like a Veo 180 or DG02 or DG03 that's 250 bucks or less to start with. Any of those will do anything the average recreational diver needs to do and later be an excellent back up bottom timer to a tech computer like a Petrel or the new Perdix should they get into tech diving. My Veo 200 worked for 7 years just fine with an OMS bottom timer for back up until I got my Predator.

Shoot me your email and I'll send you my article on BPW's and reg configurations that are common with them. It's too big to post here.

 

[Kairoos]

The price for the ladyhawk is ridiculous. I bought my significant other a Scubapro Litehawk for Christmas. Very nice BC, and only $250 on Leisurepro. She only dives shallow recreational dives, so it's perfect for her, but I think it would be a nice BC for more "advanced" dives. A traditional BP/W is certainly a good, flexible option.

Some advice? Just dive. Don't worry about certs, don't worry about future cave diving. Buy some decent equipment and get out there and dive. You don't need an $805 dive computer or a $780 BCD.

 

[diversteve]

Are you in some unusual place in Florida where there aren't 20 dive shops within 20 miles? I'm just wondering because most shops teaching AOW don't require you to buy gear - many will suggest it but all you'll be doing in AOW is more advanced dives but not any that require specific gear to be purchased. It seems a common practice recently in some dive destinations to rent gear, get certified then later in the week do AOW so they're likely not buying gear on vacation that week.

I've always considered a Seahawk to be a man's instructor BC - the bigger pockets are to stow stuff used in class. IMO it has way too much lift for single tank use also - 54#....

So in the Scubapro line - the Ladyhawk. It's also $740 - not $780 so ask them to pricematch. Scubapro Ladyhawk BCD with Air 2 Alternate Inflator If their response is that LP is not an authorized Scubapro dealer - they're simply wrong. See the dealer locator on the Scubapro site and type in New York - LP should be the first listed. I agree with Kairoos - the price is ridiculous - nonetheless it is the list price.

If you like the Wisdom 3 they're currently $599 on sale. Sherwood Wisdom 3 Computer with Compass and QD CG1225Most (all) of the other computers mentioned ^ are not air integrated if that is something you want. So you'll still need some sort of pressure gauge on a hose.

All Scubapro regs are mix/match. See if they can give you a package deal on a G260 or S560 2nd (both adjustable and good in cold) for a little extra. Otherwise $424 is the exact price for that set. It's a diaphragm which is better in cold/silty conditions but it's likely you'll purchase completely new regs b4 going full cave - maybe use the Mk11 on a slung stage later.

 

[rongoodman]

Way too much to spend for the computer and BC! Consider the https://www.divegearexpress.com/dg03-w-free-dry-box and https://www.divegearexpress.com/dgx-custom-singles-harness-backplate-wing-package. Whatever regulator package you go with, ignore Air2s and octos and just get a pair of matching second stages. (If you're thinking about the caverns/caves, check and make sure the first stage will route nicely with doubles. A fifth LP port on the bottom makes things much more tidy.)