Please rate my gears...

[Shooter26]

If you are getting the gear for free, then don't worry about it. If you are buying it . . .

I'm with Nemrod. Except for the regulator, there is nothing there that I would buy. I don't like console computers, because I like having my depth gauge on my wrist, where I can easily see it all the time, especially during ascent. The SK-7 compass is an excellent compass with great tilt tolerance, but we went through a I lot of them, because the plastic case develops a leak and then the face sticks when you get to enough depth. We are using the Uwatech ones now, which are annoyingly tilt-intolerant, but we have yet to have one fail.

I played with the Xstreams. They're pretty -- very pretty -- but I didn't like them at all. They're too floppy for good precision kicking and too stiff to be easy on the legs. They are also expensive. You could do just as well with a set of simple paddle fins, and choose some that come with a spring or stretch strap.

Masks just have to fit. You pay what you have to, or as little as you need to, to get one that fits well and doesn't leak. Similarly, wetsuits have to fit to work well. Pay attention to the neck of the suit -- if it doesn't sit close to your skin, the suit will serve as a scoop to pour water down the front of your body, and it won't be warm. AquaLung makes good quality suits, if they fit you.

The Black Ice is at least a back-inflate BC, but it's also weight-integrated, which I honestly don't like. Like Nemrod, I'm a backplate fan, but it may well be that the shop with which you are working doesn't carry any gear of that sort, unless they support technical diving. You might want to check out Island Divers and look at some of the equipment they have. I've never been there, but they are the shop through which the Oahu GUE classes are done, so I suspect they would have the type of equipment I would recommend.

Finally, I want to echo some other comments: Why do you want to go directly from non-diver to professional status? Do you think that, at the end of an 11 week class, you will have very much to offer as a divemaster? If you are considering doing this for a living, have you researched job availability and pay on Oahu? I realize you are using GI bill benefits to do it, but is this the best use of those funds, in terms of preparing you for the future? The reality of working as a dive professional is rarely what people envision when they think about doing it.

The thing is, I already have my MS in Engineering Systems Management from Texas A&M, I am just taking the Dive Master Course due to the fact that I like to set challenges that I could strive to achieve, and since I live in a place with an abundance of dive sites, why not? I never mentioned anything about instructing, if I did, I'd go even higher than just Divemaster.

 

[divad]

I am just taking the Dive Master Course due to the fact that I like to set challenges that I could strive to achieve

You might look into GUE or UTD for a reference point.

 

[supergaijin]

I see nothing wrong with the gear. Everything you have listed there is solid.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

There are much better ways to get an education in diving than a zero to hero DM course.

 

[diversteve]

Mask needs to fit, it is the single most important aspect, regardless of brand names.

Couldn't agree more..

Everything else is acceptable - especially for free...

X Shots don't have the power bands that wear out. Even Aqualung got smart about that after the Slingshot.
I believe TSandM is confusing the XStream fins made by Mares with the Aqualung X Shot fins you're considering.

What are your upgrade/downgrade options - only within the Aqualung line or are there others? If it's "free" I wouldn't downgrade anything.

If you can upgrade, I'd go for a Suunto D4I Novo with the wireless transmitter instead of the Cobra. Nicer to have info on your wrist instead of always reaching for a console. Less likely to drag a watch along the bottom also...lol. Most people I know find pointing a console mounted compass awkward. Except one of my buddies who also has a Cobra.

The Novo comes with the d/l cable, the regular D4I doesn't.

If you're not paying anything to upgrade - go for the D6I w/transmitter - it has a compass also. If the gubmint will pop for a CB One SPG, get one of those also as a backup in case your computer fails at depth. That way you at least know how much air you have left while aborting the dive.

If you are paying some of the cost, you don't need a Legend Octo - their ABS Octo works fine. And is easier to deploy since it's universal. Even Aqualung says so:

Unique 120° angle between hose and mouthpiece: This Aqua Lung innovation is ideal for giving your octopus to a buddy - will work in either right hand or left hand positions. No more sharp bends in the hose or upside down octopuses in the mouth.

Just get an Aqualung/Apeks Octo so the same dealer can service all the components of your reg. They make almost a dozen.

While I'm a fan of back-inflated BCD's should you want more of a hybrid Backplate/Wing there's the whole Apeks WTX line to consider. Properly configured they'll be more expensive than the Black Ice. Which I personally don't see anything wrong with except it's a lot of BC for warm water Hawaii diving. You probably need 1/2 that lift (52#) to function well. It's a compromise because Apeks sells the same configuration for cold water doubles diving - it's why the wing ins bungeed - an attempt to keep it streamlined.

You might look at a Balance also, it does 95% of what the Black Ice does with a 40# wing.

If you know you're only going to be warm water diving in Hawaii for a while a Zuma is really all you need. Add the weight system - it already comes with a pocket. Should you be re-deployed somewhere it's a travel BC that folds up into it's own bag.

You don't want anything with I3 in the name - trust me on this - they're non-standard. Fine if you always have an AL dealer nearby - if not you're shipping it to one for maintenance/repairs. Somebody just posted looking for one here today since there are non nearby.

And always having to teach your insta-buddy how it works and where the emergency inflator is gets old fast.

If you never plan to teach, Master Diver is the recreational equivalent of DM. DM indicates you're wanting some pro affiliation. They're also the guys that get to mop the shop and haul the tanks...

 

[Shooter26]

There are much better ways to get an education in diving than a zero to hero DM course.

Such as?

 

[fire_diver]

A little bit of a background, I am going through the certification due to the fact that I am going to be using my GI Bill as an Active Duty Soldier. The school are providing the gears listed above as the ones that they are giving use to keep to help us get in the water after the course is complete. After the 11 weeks are done, but we still do not have all the PADI Dive requirements, the Dive shop/School will still have their fleet of boats available for us to hitch a ride to if we desire. The reason I am asking for feedbacks on my gears are due to the fact that we have the option to upgrade or downgrade the gears before they get wet. Hope this clears things up.

Chris

OK, I understand better now. The DM course is going to be paid by GI bill, so why not use it for something you are interested in, right? Just keep in mind that OVERALL, the DM course isn't going to teach you a whole lot. You will be like a 3-jump chump (if you are familiar with airborne corps). But if you keep an open mind and open ears, it will be enough to get you a crew job on a dive boat somewhere if you like. Then you can dive your heart out and learn how to heard cats, errr customers.

Like others said, if the gear is free, it's good enough! If you want to change gear, let us know what other brands are options and we might be able to suggest something better (cough-BP/W-cough)

 

[toddville393]

All I'm going to say is buy a BP/W (backplate and wing) BCD. That's what 90% of everyone on here dives from what I can tell, so there must be something to it. That's why I went with a BP/W for my first BCD. Plus with a BP/W it's easily modifiable so if you feel like your straps are uncomfortable, you start tec diving, you want to change anything with your BCD you just change that part out instead of buying a whole new BCD.

 

[fire_diver]

All I'm going to say is buy a BP/W (backplate and wing) BCD. That's what 90% of everyone on here dives from what I can tell, so there must be something to it. .

To be honest, we are still a vast minority even on scubaboard. The difference is that we are much more vocal and 99% of BP/W users started as jacket divers. We have seen both sides of the coin and almost all prefer the BP/W. Yes a few have gone back to a jacket but not many.

 

[Nemrod]

To be honest, we are still a vast minority even on scubaboard. The difference is that we are much more vocal and 99% of BP/W users started as jacket divers. We have seen both sides of the coin and almost all prefer the BP/W. Yes a few have gone back to a jacket but not many.

Well, I am a 1%er. I started with none and skipped the whole life jacket thing. I continued to use nothing (and still do) or a horse collar (and still do) until circa 1976 when modular wings first showed up from Scubapro, Sportsways, SeaQuest and Seatec. While we called them back inflates they were actually a wing/BP with a single piece webbing. Nothing like what is called a back inflate now. The plastic plate was held to the wing only by the tank and the plastic plates could be weighted, some with lead shot, others had a molded in slot for a weight.

N <-- poodle jacket free zone.