Funny - we seem to have a lot of common passions. I think we're on the same page with the analogies.
SeaLawyer:
I'll certainly call your friend about gear for Ginnie Springs!
Definitely do that. An interesting point about Extreme Exposure:
Extreme Exposure, or "EE" as it's commonly called, is owned by the owner of Halcyon gear - Jarrod Jablonski. Jarrod's roots and many of his affiliates' roots go back into custom motorcycle parts for Harleys and similars - like Iron Horses and stuff. The bottom line is that a lot of the stuff he makes at Halcyon looks and feels very much like "custom bike" stuff. More function than form, it's designed to be performance-driven with durability and simplicity as it's watchwords. In fact, many have criticized Halcyon - and ultimately EE - for having too much "homemade-looking" gear. I suspect that it will appeal to you if you're a Fatboy/custom rider. Like a Harley, though, it finds it's strengths in tradition and "what works" rather than technology and "latest and greatest." It makes for a pure, simple kind of diving that feels more Harley than Suzuki, if you get my drift.
Here's the counter to your analogy... My parents' car is crap. And my friends all have crap cars. The only cars you can rent for reasonable rates are crap too (relatively speaking).
I understand - and I know how you feel - and you're right... There's going to be little that can compare to the way a BP/wing feels when you're "dialed in."
I see your justification - and you're right about it... So I can't say that I blame you a bit. I still say that the best is to rent 'til you can rent no more, but none of us took that route either. Lol... We all did the same thing - immediately go out and blow a bunch of money on gear that looks great at first.
...my dive in USVI would have been INFINITELY more enjoyable had I had a better mouthpiece that didn't POUR seawater into my mouth...
Yes, there is that about rental gear... While it's nice not to have to worry about maintaining it (or breaking it), the flip side is that you don't know where it's been or what sort of state of (dis)repair it's in. At least with your gear, you'll know that you're due for a $150 scheduled maintenance.
If I pay thousands of dollars for a nice trip to the Caymans, I don't want the diving to be ruined by inferior equipment... Have I just had bad luck thus far with rentals? Are there alot of shops out there that rent the GOOD STUFF?
"A lot?" No... But there are a few. EE's one of them, and probably the closest to you. They won't steer you wrong, and Douglas is the best there is.
Here's another analogy for you (one that's entirely true in my case) -- I just looked at your profile and see that your into motorcycles. I don't know what kind you have, so please don't be offended, nor should anyone else be.
I rode a piped, chipped, stroked, ported, turboed Honda CBR1100XX around in the deserts of Arizona/Nevada/California/New Mexico for a few years. I love the big GT bike - like a grown-up version of a sportbike. I am a speed junkie and loved to get on and find the twisties in the mountains and open 'er up in the deserts. She had a top speed of 207 mph, and she was often there. I love to ride long (my longest was 1200 miles in one weekend) and fast - and hunt across the deserts for the twisty high country.
...Not that I was passionate about it, mind you. Lol... 110,000 miles in three years.
Ugh! (Just kidding...)
South Carolina (where I am now) isn't condusive to my XX... So I sold it. I'm considering a Hardley - uh, sorry - "Harley" now.
The certainly are pretty bikes - and the Fatboy is my favorite, too.
Prior to purchasing it, I'd never ridden or owned a motorcycle other than in the MSF course.
Hey! Another MSF taker! I think you and I are the only ones, bud. Lol...
In fact, BAR NONE, every metric cruiser owner I've ever met while riding my bike feels compelled to tell me why they're not riding a Harley...
Well, they're confused why you'd spend $30k and wait two years for a noisy, oil-dripping pig when "the good stuff" is available to you immediately at less than half the price.
Okay, okay... I'll stop bustin' on you now. Lol... I'm just playin'.
I like Harleys - they look good in my rearview mirror.
(Sorry - I'll quit. I'm just teasin')
I've loved the Fatboy ever since Terminator 2, and dreamed of owning one for many years.
Me too, but don't tell my squid buddies.
When I got the chance, I bought one, having never ridden anything but the Suzuki GZ250 from the course. Was I happy with the Fatboy? IMMENSELY!! I'll never forget the day I picked it up, and rode it for the first time as a pulled out of the dealership - one of the greatest thrills of my life, outranked only by my wedding day, and the day my son was born.
I know how you felt.
But the Harley was the perfect bike for me for quite a while. I'll lose a little money on the sale of the bike, but it's certainly held its value better than a metric cruiser would have. And as I said, I would not have had near the joy out of owning and riding a Honda Aero (for example)... Again, I'm not trying to offend anyone here.
Yeah - I rode the Aero, too... Cool looking bike... I wasn't a fan, though, probably for the same reasons.
I guess my point is this: a few years from now, I'll be able to afford the Paul Yaffe show-stopping custom motorcycle equivalent in dive gear. And then, I'll know EXACTLY what I want down to the last miniscule detail. In the interim, I'd much rather enjoy my own VERY nice black and ALL Chrome Fatboy equivalent dive gear, than ride a rented Kawasaki Vulcan.
Gotcha.
Okay - take notes.
Halcyon stainless steel backplate with 30 pound Eclipse wings if you're diving a wetsuit. Get Doug to set it up and custom fit it to you (fit is VITALLY important). Any good wetsuit will do - the Scubapro Steamers that Doug has in his shop are an excellent choice, assuming that your body fits in them well. These are the "Fatboys" of the diving world. Later, you can really get into customizing your rig (like you want to do now), but Doug's custom fit on a Halcyon rig will set you up nicely. Take his advice on the ditchable weights - you'll see when you get there.
DIR Fundamentals is a course that's like the "Emergency Evasive Maneuver" courses listed in the back of the Robb Report. Take it - it's expensive, but the skills - which are designed for special situations - can be used even in everyday driving and will enhance your ability to control your car (dive). Really, really good stuff. By comparison, the MSF course is Advanced Open water - not required, but unless you take it, your growth in the sport is really stunted. Open Water is like the Driver's Ed course you had in high school - more about taking it "because it's required" than "because it taught you something big," but hey, at least it got you behind the wheel (diving).
Regs: Apeks probably has the best reputation in the world with those divers who push themselves to an extreme. They're rock solid, well made, standard, and are excellent performers. Mares is like Moto Guzzi - cool because it's different, but most people look at it and say, "What the heck is that?" Lol... Scubapro makes some great stuff too - and are also standardized. Apeks = Honda and Scubapro = Yamaha - both well known for reliability, with possibly a nudge (IMHO) to the Apeks. Apeks tends to do better in salty, muddy, cold water than Scubapro generally does.
Submersible pressure gauge: Halcyon. Very nice. Worth the extra couple of bucks. See Doug.
Mask: Nice choice already. Frameless = simplicity and low volume, Scubapro = good quality.
Computer: Suunto Vyper - trust me on this, you'll thank me. Don't do the Stinger or the Mosquito - their batteries don't last long and need to be replaced by the manufacturer. The Vyper's batteries you can replace yourself when they go bad in a couple of years. Take the big, unecessary plastic piece and the face guard off - they're worthless and only add bulk/something else to have to look through. With a recessed face, it's hard to scratch the "real" face of the Vyper anyway.
Get a hood that fits and is comfortable - you'll be really happy you did when the water temperature falls into the 60's. Avoid thick suits if you can. In Jacksonville, 3 mil suits pretty much allow you to dive year 'round. Don the hood if you get chilly. Avoid the 5 or 7 mil if you can dive warm in a 3 mil. Wetsuits are buoyant, and get to be a pain when they get thick. I'm a fan of one-piece suits for the same reason that I like my masks frameless. Simplicity = good, and no, you'll never really dive the "bottoms only" of your two-piece wetsuit because it "scoops" water when you swim forward.
Tanks: Don't just yet. Renting them costs $10, filling them costs $5 or $8. Not worth it. A pain to carry. Only get them after you're Nitrox certified. You'll see why when you get there. Oh yeah - Nitrox = good. Very, very good.
Good luck on only diving 25-30 times a year. With the right rig and the right skill set (Doug) - not to mention the right area (you're already in it) - you'll be doing 4 dives a weekend - every other weekend. That's three or four times your estimate.
After 100 dives, I'll bet you love this more than motorcycling. Imagine riding your bike 25-30 times a year... NOT!
,
