lamont
Contributor
I've been reading this board for probably the past month, and I thought I'd post an intro, and to say thanks for all of the really useful information.
I'm a newly minted PADI OW diver. Right now the only equipment that I've gotten other than my OW class gear is a sunnto vyper wrist computer (recommended by many on this board). I'm spending a lot of time trying to slog through all of the different opinions about gear and come up with what I want to buy, and also when I want to buy it. My equipment wish list is currently looking something like:
- Apeks ATX-200+DIN DS4+Yoke Adaptor+AT-40 octo+brass SPG+hoses+divealert+hoses.
- Suunto SK7 compass, Halcyon scout backup light, knife, slate
- either a UK Light Cannon or one of the Halcyon HID lights (the issue here is mostly cost)
- Halcyon Pioneer or Eclipse Wings (plus backplate, yadda, yadda)
- Some kinda DrySuit TBD (right now I'm leaning towards the ones from www.fifthd.com, which is local to me).
- Pressed Steel E8-130 or E7-100 tank (or both? two of each?)
I'm thinking that is roughly the order that I want to get it in as well. I'd really like to have my own reg setup. My last two open water dives for my cert were on a reg that didn't breathe very well and I'd like to get a really good one (along with considering all the comments on this board about rental regs not being trustworthy and such). The compass, light, knife and slate are also required for the AOW cert which is next on my list (and the primary light is a big cost question so I separated that out). Once I've got that equipment I can rent a BCD+suit+tank and go diving! I'm not sure when I should pull the trigger and buy the BCD+suit -- there is a part of me that just wants to buy it all right now, but I feel a bit overloaded with trying to make decisions about it. And the tanks will come last after I figure out what kind of diving I really want to do and what my needs are -- the choice is based on the E8-130 being really big and good to double up for a lot of air if I wind up going that route, or the E7-100 will hold 80 cf of air on 3000 psi in a small light tank (I'm 5'10" and 195lbs, which doesn't make me much of a delicate flower, so I'm leaning towards the E8-130s...)
One thing about the equipment config you may notice is that I'm giving in to the dark side of the force (DIR). Generally the DIR equipment config (and yes, i know that's just one part of DIR) makes a lot of sense and it seems like it'd be better than me wasting a lot of time and money experimenting for myself (the training and best practices also look like a really good a way to get better and safer at scuba much faster).
I've also been thinking about classes that I want to take. I think right now my plan is to take the PADI AOW class, followed by the SSI AOW and GUE DIR-F courses from fifthd. My plan right now is to take the PADI AOW course on rental suit+bcd and then to have my own equipment by the time I take the SSI AOW and DIR-F courses. I also think I want to take the DAN DEMP+BLSpro courses, followed up by a rescue course. I dont know where to go from there, other than I want to do some diving with some friends from work - outside of having any instructor overview - so I want to get to the level of competency where I feel comfortable doing that. I've even got one friend at work who has a boat and he'd be okay with taking a bunch of us out diving, although he doesn't dive himself. Of course all the various "specialty" c-courses are just about all interesting to me, so I'll probably try some of those out -- maybe after i get enough experience I'll even try some tech diving...
Another good thing about diving is that its helping me get serious about my excersize program again. I want to get my air consumption down, so I'm getting back on my running program again, and now I have a really good reason to push myself to go faster to push my lungs harder...
Right now I'm kind of stuck fantasizing about gear though for a little while longer because the friend of mine I'm planning on doing the AOW course with has some ear problems, and everyone at work is too busy right now...
I'm a newly minted PADI OW diver. Right now the only equipment that I've gotten other than my OW class gear is a sunnto vyper wrist computer (recommended by many on this board). I'm spending a lot of time trying to slog through all of the different opinions about gear and come up with what I want to buy, and also when I want to buy it. My equipment wish list is currently looking something like:
- Apeks ATX-200+DIN DS4+Yoke Adaptor+AT-40 octo+brass SPG+hoses+divealert+hoses.
- Suunto SK7 compass, Halcyon scout backup light, knife, slate
- either a UK Light Cannon or one of the Halcyon HID lights (the issue here is mostly cost)
- Halcyon Pioneer or Eclipse Wings (plus backplate, yadda, yadda)
- Some kinda DrySuit TBD (right now I'm leaning towards the ones from www.fifthd.com, which is local to me).
- Pressed Steel E8-130 or E7-100 tank (or both? two of each?)
I'm thinking that is roughly the order that I want to get it in as well. I'd really like to have my own reg setup. My last two open water dives for my cert were on a reg that didn't breathe very well and I'd like to get a really good one (along with considering all the comments on this board about rental regs not being trustworthy and such). The compass, light, knife and slate are also required for the AOW cert which is next on my list (and the primary light is a big cost question so I separated that out). Once I've got that equipment I can rent a BCD+suit+tank and go diving! I'm not sure when I should pull the trigger and buy the BCD+suit -- there is a part of me that just wants to buy it all right now, but I feel a bit overloaded with trying to make decisions about it. And the tanks will come last after I figure out what kind of diving I really want to do and what my needs are -- the choice is based on the E8-130 being really big and good to double up for a lot of air if I wind up going that route, or the E7-100 will hold 80 cf of air on 3000 psi in a small light tank (I'm 5'10" and 195lbs, which doesn't make me much of a delicate flower, so I'm leaning towards the E8-130s...)
One thing about the equipment config you may notice is that I'm giving in to the dark side of the force (DIR). Generally the DIR equipment config (and yes, i know that's just one part of DIR) makes a lot of sense and it seems like it'd be better than me wasting a lot of time and money experimenting for myself (the training and best practices also look like a really good a way to get better and safer at scuba much faster).
I've also been thinking about classes that I want to take. I think right now my plan is to take the PADI AOW class, followed by the SSI AOW and GUE DIR-F courses from fifthd. My plan right now is to take the PADI AOW course on rental suit+bcd and then to have my own equipment by the time I take the SSI AOW and DIR-F courses. I also think I want to take the DAN DEMP+BLSpro courses, followed up by a rescue course. I dont know where to go from there, other than I want to do some diving with some friends from work - outside of having any instructor overview - so I want to get to the level of competency where I feel comfortable doing that. I've even got one friend at work who has a boat and he'd be okay with taking a bunch of us out diving, although he doesn't dive himself. Of course all the various "specialty" c-courses are just about all interesting to me, so I'll probably try some of those out -- maybe after i get enough experience I'll even try some tech diving...
Another good thing about diving is that its helping me get serious about my excersize program again. I want to get my air consumption down, so I'm getting back on my running program again, and now I have a really good reason to push myself to go faster to push my lungs harder...
Right now I'm kind of stuck fantasizing about gear though for a little while longer because the friend of mine I'm planning on doing the AOW course with has some ear problems, and everyone at work is too busy right now...
