Leisure pro's Tusa package #3

[theduckguru]

Depending on you budget, some prefer the wireless wrist computers.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Also, if I was to do this, I am unsure about the BCD sizing. I fit all criteria for a medium size except for the height on their sizing chart...I am about 2" taller. Would that have a big effect on how it is worn or are the waist and chest sizes more important here. Again thanks

I am a skydiver and am pretty familiar with dropping alot of dough on gear so the price wasn't the issue really for me(I'm used to it), it was the purchases practicality. I am actually taking the classes on Wake Island in the Pacific, I'm here on a temp mission so I won't be here for long and wouldn't receive any gear I ordered for another month or so when I get back to Hawaii already certified.

Aloha Will,

I lived 5 years on a Mokuleia beach front property; usually dozed through the first plane takeoffs but the first chutes opening and tandem's screaming was my wake up call. My first certification class with Haleiwa's Deep Ecology Dive Shop included one of the Drop Zone's most infamous camera flyers, Yes Man. There are a number of "scuba" divers hanging out at Dillingham Airfield.

I advise waiting until you get back on Oahu. Both Haleiwa dive shops sell their rental gear at significant discounts, craigslist has lot's of gear for sale, even new gear is pretty reasonable at shops with high volume, and there is Dive Oahu at the NEX. Scuba Drew can help you on the North Shore as well.

scubadrewvideo

I recommend buying mid line reg's, a simple non integrated nitrox computer and spend the real money on boat trips! I also recommend trying a few brands and models of BC before buying; most boat trips are not much more w/ a rental BC. Get the other gear first and test fly some medium BC's.

Yes Man "free falling" on the Corsair Wreck​

 

[Will_Evo]

Halemano-

Thanks for the info, I am planning on waiting until I get back to buy gear, but am pretty sure I'll be going new(I'm a bit weird like that...its just a personal preference)...I did some reading on BCD's and did find a bit of a debate on the jacket vs back fill's and also found that the open water manual seemed to recommend the jacket type but I agree there is nothing like knowing for yourself so maybe I'll get to try each while I am out here on Wake.

Theduckguru-

I did some research on wrist mount vs consoles and talked to a friend and everything (money not an issue) seems to be pointing towards a wrist mount, and through that info I am now swaying towards one as well. I didn't realize that the wrist mounts were capable of so much...actually I had never even considered a watch that could be a dive computer.

With that said, (not buying now, just doing my research and I like to make lists..this one of the dive gear I may buy) I like the Oceanic Atom 2.0 and the Oceanic VT3...both are AI and nitrox capable and seem to posses the same capabilities except one is about 200$ more expensive. Any reasonable explanation for the price difference you may know of?

Again I appreciate the replies...new activity for me and the selection is 5 times that I have in skydiving so it's a bit much.

-Evo

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Will,

Are you able to do any crystal balling on your future interests with regards to diving?

My first love in the ocean was hanging with white tip reef sharks in lava tubes and caverns. I pursued some cave diving training, but found that for me there are not many interesting critters in caves. I have many orthopedic joint traumas, meaning deco diving is not recommended and cold water is not on my wish list. I live here and am not moving to a cold water location, so my wheelhouse is warm non-deco reef and cavern diving.

Are you just stationed on Oahu, and not staying indefinitely? If you will probably end up living near colder water that could be taken into consideration, but if budget is not an issue, when you move you could then get newer, perhaps better gear for your new location. By then you also might have a better crystal ball on your future diving interests.

Scooter diving is also part of my wheelhouse. From my experience, an alternate/inflator has more free flow issues on scooter dives, compared to a typical recreational alternate set up. From my experience, wireless AI computers do not maintain a signal when a scooter motor is running, and take a while to re-acquire signal after shutting down the motor. In my experience, the pockets of a vest BC are a great place for alternate and spg when scootering.

Most of the divers diving in Oahu like conditions find diving to be so easy that internet forums are not necessary, so the advise on internet forums is not very representative of Oahu like diving advise; making some Oahu dives and interacting with some Oahu divers before making Oahu gear decisions might be prudent.

You say budget is not an issue, but Island hopping for the great dives withing less than an hour flight from home is where I think your best money might be spent.

 

[Will_Evo]

All good info and advice. I agree about interacting with Oahu divers and I plan on doing so(it's an island anyway) but that doesn't mean I can't look at gear in the meantime, see whats there, do research, compare things and make a wish list. I started this thread thinking of buying gear and am ending it waiting for a later date.

I'll be on Oahu for about 11 more months before I move back home to Florida so colder than Oahu water definitely will be a topic to address.

-Evo

 

[cuyler]

Good luck in your research...there's so much out there and it's all so tempting. Different configurations, types of diving, etc... I never thought I'd get to the point where golf was my cheap hobby but here I am. As long as I don't get into tech diving I'll be fine..... ;-)

 

[theduckguru]

If you could get to the mainland for a major city scuba show it helps. You can see all the gear and ask reps all the questions you have.

Halemano-

Thanks for the info, I am planning on waiting until I get back to buy gear, but am pretty sure I'll be going new(I'm a bit weird like that...its just a personal preference)...I did some reading on BCD's and did find a bit of a debate on the jacket vs back fill's and also found that the open water manual seemed to recommend the jacket type but I agree there is nothing like knowing for yourself so maybe I'll get to try each while I am out here on Wake.

Theduckguru-

I did some research on wrist mount vs consoles and talked to a friend and everything (money not an issue) seems to be pointing towards a wrist mount, and through that info I am now swaying towards one as well. I didn't realize that the wrist mounts were capable of so much...actually I had never even considered a watch that could be a dive computer.

With that said, (not buying now, just doing my research and I like to make lists..this one of the dive gear I may buy) I like the Oceanic Atom 2.0 and the Oceanic VT3...both are AI and nitrox capable and seem to posses the same capabilities except one is about 200$ more expensive. Any reasonable explanation for the price difference you may know of?

Again I appreciate the replies...new activity for me and the selection is 5 times that I have in skydiving so it's a bit much.

-Evo

 

[diversteve]

With that said, (not buying now, just doing my research and I like to make lists..this one of the dive gear I may buy) I like the Oceanic Atom 2.0 and the Oceanic VT3...both are AI and nitrox capable and seem to posses the same capabilities except one is about 200$ more expensive. Any reasonable explanation for the price difference you may know of?

I believe it's that the Atom also functions as a wristwatch - so has time functions and is smaller. Ask about it here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/oceanic/ - I'm sure [user]Doug Krause[/user] will respond.

 

[Will_Evo]

I believe it's that the Atom also functions as a wristwatch - so has time functions and is smaller. Ask about it here: Oceanic - ScubaBoard - I'm sure [user]Doug Krause[/user] will respond.

Hmm, well I believe its the VT3 thats more expensive and if that is why then I'd just opt for the Atom 2.0(or 3.0 as I've seen it rumored to be coming out soon) because everything I read about the VT3 says its huge and wouldn't function well as a wrist watch for daily wear(and or maybe that is why it's more expensive because it is bigger). I will post in that forum the question to find out for sure and follow up here regardless.

I also have another concern (again I have no crystal ball for sure saying I will be doing this I'm just curious), I was doing some research on nitrox gear and came across many posts saying that 40% or less oxygen doesn't require oxy clean equipment specifically. Is that true, or do you require a regulator that is nitrox certified as specified by some manufacturers. And if this is the case, I assume you'd just use a main reg as your octopus considering I can't find any octopus specific regs that are nitrox rated. To the same degree, (I havn't read the entire nitrox manual yet) it would seem the only reason a tank needs to sometimes be oxy clean is because of how some dive shops fill the tank(putting oxygen in first followed by nitrogen) putting all gear after the tank in no immediate risk of the harmful effects of oxygen under 40%. Also would the hoses and such on your BCD need to be nitrox rated? Haha sorry for all the questions, I'm just curious and have alot of time on my hands on this tiny island. At this point if you're not just wasting time don't worry about replying...I'm just asking to learn some, its nothing I can't learn as I go.

-Evo

 

[diversteve]

Understand that the Atom for $689 MSRP does not include the wireless transmitter. It's $419 more unless you bundle it for $999.

Oceanic Worldwide - Personal Dive Computers - Atom 2.0 Wristwatch

Same with the VT3 - MSRP on it is $639 or $949 bundled.

Oceanic Worldwide - Personal Dive Computers - VT3

I'm just going off list - not sure what street prices are.

I was doing some research on nitrox gear and came across many posts saying that 40% or less oxygen doesn't require oxy clean equipment

I believe that's true but since I'm not Nitrox certified, I'll leave that for someone else to answer definitively.

I dive an Atomic T2 and at one time there was a restriction for it since it's Titanium, however the new T2x doesn't seem to have it.

# Nitrox ready for dedicated EAN use with mixtures up to 40%
# New T2x for non-dedicated EAN use with mixtures up to 40%

I'm not sure what the difference ^ is...

My buddy is Nitrox certified and for rec. use I've never seen him use anything above 32% - often closer to 28/29%.