Order of importance

[Packhorse]

If it was me
suit
BCD
regs
And I would be looking at secondhand BCD and regs of the best quality I could afford.
Get your suit new and then keep your eye on Ebay, you may find a BCD and reg set together for a good price.

 

[jennasnyder1980]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

I will DEFINETELy not buy the Poseidon since it seems to be way too expensive for me. I will probably get a Aqualung one that's cheaper.
I think I will go to the LDS and price out the suits, reg, and BP/W (or BCD) setup and see how I can afford as much of that at once

Hopefully, he will let me try the equipment before I make my final decisions.

Thanks again!!
Jen

 

[CompuDude]

CompuDude,
I am not sure what you mean by bp and wings. Is that backplate??? I have heard this with GUE or something like that but don't know what it looks like. Are these very expensive?
How much would a descent bp and wings cost??? Any suggestions for companies? Do you need special training to use one (like a dry suit)??? More or less than a reg??

Thanks so much?
Jen

Yes, bp and wings (bp/w) is a backplace and a "wing". Essentially a back-inflate BC, but the fabric bits are replaced by a steel plate and 2" nylon webbing. Makes them practically indestructible, and any part can easily be swapped out for another. The steel plate will help your trim, and take weight off your belt (or out of your quick-release pockets. I always dove with a regular BC until this year, but from the first time I strapped a bp/w on, I never wanted to wear another regular BC, because they are so much more comfortable and so much easier to move around in underwater. For me. And quite a few other vocal proponents of the bp/w.

No special training needed... and GUE likes them a lot, but it's by no means just a GUE thing. It's simply BC in a certain configuration, and it's no more omplicated to use than any other BC. It just fits like a glove, it's easier to travel with, centers your weight better, the list goes on. They're not cheap, but I don't think they're all that expensive, either. Some cost more and less than others. One of the best is Deep Sea Supply (http://www.deepseasupply.com/), and you'll see a lot of people around here who thnk quite highly of their gear. The owner, Tobin, hangs out on ScubaBoard a lot and is very responsive. There are other great brands, as well, of course (I use a DiveRite bp/w). Price is comparable to a high end BC. I think the ScubaPro KnightHawk is in the same price range, for instance.

 

[The Kraken]

Just for the sake of reason, here's why I choose the order I do:

Exposure protection:
Having a properly fitting and sufficiently insulation exposure suit keeps one warm and allows one to focus, more clearly, at the new tasks being learned. Secondly, the exposure suit has, by inherent design, more effect upon one's buoyancy. Becoming accustomed to the buoyancy characteristics of one's wet suit will help one "master", more quickly, control of buoyancy.

Renting different wet/dry suits can cause the diver to change, constantly, the amount of weight required to dive and can result in other areas of concern, such as trim.

B/C:
The b/c is an item that, while it has a more exaggerated effecty upon one's buoyancy when operated, has somewhat of a lesser effect while diving at depth. Purchasing the B/C early in the game allows the user to become intimately familiar, sooner, with all of the clamps, clasps, d-rings, pockets, etc., etc., etc. Familiarity with this piece of gear will allow the diver to complete simple tasks without effecting the buoyancy element of the diving equation.

Hereagain, renting a B/C will probably result in the diver using a different make/model of B/C in many cases and leading to confusion when trying to make adjustments.

Regs:
While many posters lambaste the quality of rental regs, they seem to be referring most frequently to those dive regs provided by operators in the warm, fuzzy areas of the world. For the most part, local dive shops do a pretty good job of maintaining rental regs. The LDS's fear of expensive litigation can be a good friend on the part of divers renting gear. The force required to get air from a reg is not a significant factor in buoyancy, and the new diver, without a great deal of experience in using differing regulators, will probably not notice the difference between one rental regulator and another.

the K

 

[SteveFass]

Another option is rent-to-buy. Some dive shops also rent some of their gear. The policy I've seen is, the amount you spend on renting can be applied as store credit to a purchase in the future.

 

[Divedoggie]

You don't have to buy from online stores, but it is worth looking at the regs, bcs, and wetsuits. There are some packages that they will put together for a discount.

My LDS has a special on an Aeris computer console, Aeris regulator, Aeris safe second, and Aeris BC for less than $1000.00

Get good gear the first time around, otherwise you will find yourself upgrading and spending a lot more money than you would have if you went with the good stuff in the first place.

Your choice of Apeks or Aqualung regs will be great!

BP/W is nice, but (no disrespect) many people on this board think its the only way to go. In the real world, you don't see that setup too often unless you are cold water and drysuit diving. Its very heavy for travel, and most airlines will not allow bags over 50 lbs.
Get a wetsuit that fits well, and you will be happy!

 

[PerroneFord]

BP/W is nice, but (no disrespect) many people on this board think its the only way to go. In the real world, you don't see that setup too often unless you are cold water and drysuit diving. Its very heavy for travel, and most airlines will not allow bags over 50 lbs.
Get a wetsuit that fits well, and you will be happy!

BP/W is certainly not the only way to go, but please stop spreading this misinformation about them being "heavy to travel with". If the user so desires, a full BP/W system can be made under 3 pounds. Lighter than ANY Jacket style BCD I've ever seen.

As for not seeing them anywhere but cold/drysuit territory, I live in Florida, and I see them every time I dive.. in LARGE numbers.

Oh, and that wetsuit recommendation? She'll be cursing as the weather turns cooler. Drysuit will keep her comfy year-round.

 

[CompuDude]

BP/W is nice, but (no disrespect) many people on this board think its the only way to go. In the real world, you don't see that setup too often unless you are cold water and drysuit diving. Its very heavy for travel, and most airlines will not allow bags over 50 lbs.
Get a wetsuit that fits well, and you will be happy!

I respectfully disagree with part of your statement.

I agree that more traditional BCs will work just fine. They have for years now. I just feel that for general diving, while it may SEEM overkill, the vast improvement in comfort makes bp/w's the way to go, for me. I highly recommend anyone try both before buying, so they can make their own decision based on what feels most comfortable to them, and their needs. If that's regular BC, that's fine by me... it's not going to stop me from getting wet.

Second, I think you missed the fact that the OP was from upstate NY. That means she's looking at doing the very cold water and drysuit diving you so casually dismissed.

Finally, for travel, the heavy steel backplate that is so helpful for cold water diving (it takes a lot to sink a thick wetsuit or a drysuit) can easily be changed for a lightweight aluminum or delrin (plastic) plate, making it super light and great for tropical (minimal or no wetsuit) diving as well. As M. Perrone points out, a light plate (non-SS) on a bp/w rig usually makes for a rig that packs smaller and weighs less than darn near any traditional BC out there.

Oh, and last point: A good wetsuit is a great thing, but upstate NY is not the best suited for wet diving. A drysuit will make her much happier in the long run.

 

[donooo]

Hey guys, remember females have some different problems with dry suits. She might not like trying to solve that problem. If she can, go Dry Suit, being cold and miserable can ruin a great dive.

In 33 weeks of diving on Cozumel I only saw two BP/W's and that was on a tech boat. But I can see the merit with a dry suit as I am currently trying to figure out how to carry 35lb's.

Hit the BC forum for the endless discussions of back inflation and jacket pros and cons. Some women do not like the jacket "squeeze" at the surface. I bought my wife a TPII and she loves it. I think a good fitting BC can make you a better diver in a hurry.

I love my Poseidon regs, but I don't think I would try and talk anybody into one. Service can be hard to find if you are going to travel so sticking with one of the more common makes sense.

adios don O

 

[PerroneFord]

Hey guys, remember females have some different problems with dry suits. She might not like trying to solve that problem. If she can, go Dry Suit, being cold and miserable can ruin a great dive.

I think I'd rather figure out how to relieve myself in a drysuit than to be cold and miserable every time I went for a dive. But that's just me, and I'm not a woman...