New equipment help

[jbichsel]

Hello, I was looking for some newbie advice and somehow i came up with this forum. Great site, lots of good info here. I will be getting certified in about 2 weeks after toying with the idea for about a year and trying to get a few friends together to get it done. I have been freediving and spearfishing for a while now, and getting certified has been delayed many times… Well I have been looking at some equipment to get and I wanted to find out what you guys thought about this. I want to get some equipment so that I could just dive or spearfish once in a while. I am not the kind of person who likes to go too cheap because when I do so I end up spending twice the money, because eventually I end up buying better stuff. I have set myself a limit of $1000 to $1250. I will be diving about 2-4 times a month. I have been asking around and I have been pointed towards 3 brands Aqualung, Sea Quest and Scubapro. I was told by several shops that these brands are very good, have good warranties and parts for them are not as expensive as others. I have gotten some quotes and I was pointed to some equipment which I found it was very good.

I went to an lds and got a quote for this equipment, and ended up going to leisurepro and got a better price, this is the equipment and price.

This is one of the quotes I got that I am cool with

SeaQuest Pro XLT BCD with SureLock weight system - $424.95
AquaLung Legend Supreme Regulator - $309.95
AquaLung Legend Octopus, Yellow - $149.95
Suunto "Gekko" Air/Nitrox 2 Gauge Computer Console – $324.95

That’s a total of $ 1209.80

The BC and the computer I would like to get some recommendations and see if for the money I could get better, or the same for less. The reg I saw and from what they told me I fell in love with it, so that I would most probably like to keep.

Could you guys make some suggestions.

I won't fault you on the choices of gear at all. Now let me show you my bias (ok, laugh away).

I dive:

SeaQuest Pro QD+ Sure Lock
Aqualung Legend LX (I have two of these)
Aqualung Titan Micra ADJ ( for my daughters, smaller 2nd satge is less fatiguing on there jaws)

I have tried many other brands and models within brands but my personal choices keep me coming back to Aqualung/SeaQuest. Again, that is my personal opinion, choice and bias. You may decide otherwise.

Now the advice.

Get certified, rent some gear configurations you're interested in. Find what fits, works, is easily serviced near you and where you may travel, meets YOUR diving needs, possible future needs.

Ask if the rental fee can be applied to the purchase price. Ask for package discounts. Don't be afraid to make them work for your business.

Thoughtfully consider the issue of buying regulators online vs. LDS. Chances are you are going to visit your LDS somewhat regularly, whether for air fills, further instruction, miscellanious purchases. Some LDS take issue with students that don't buy equipment from them and, unfortunately, service can sometimes suffer.

If you buy gear online that does not come with the manufacturers warranty, what you save on the initial purchase can soon be lost in additional cost of service. There is also the issue of having warranty work performed if you have to ship the reg to Leisure Pro or somewhere else, of having it lost in transit, delay of shipping and their schedule.

Most shops I've dealt with and the shop I was partners in, would provide a regulator if your was in for service and it doesn't get completed in time for your dive/trip.

Bottom line, find a shop that is customer service oriented, wants to build a long term relationship. They should work with you to come close to online pricing. Even dealers for products that have manufacturer controlled pricing, can figure ways to save you significant $$$.
I have never paid anywhere near MSRP for Aqualung gear and it comes from a nearly 20 year authorized dealer.

Aqualung Titan is a great reg. Probably the only difference you might notice would be at depths below 100'. Now below 100' supporting yourself, an Out of Air (OoA) diver and under stress, I'd probably opt for the Legend series. But that's not what we're talking about. Titan will make you happy for year and save some $$.