USED Gear - Help me build a used gear shopping list/budget! And I'll get to scouring...

[filmguy123]

Not sure if this is right for the newer D-series Zoop Novo but there's this:

USB cable interface SUUNTO Cobra 3 HelO2 Gekko Vyper Air Vytec Zoop D3 Mosquito.

 

[stuartv]

Thanks guys!!!

A few more quick questions here:

Hoses. I see standard/traditional hoses, and now they have some as well with the braided reinforced exterior. Thoughts on spending the premium for the braided reinforcement on the hoses?

Any thoughts on this compass and this light, compared to what was linked here earlier from Cave Adenturers and DGX? Is there much difference? I ask because if I buy all through one shop, likely to get a better deal VS splitting purchases between lots of avenues. But, fine to drop some things off if these fill in items aren't that useful:

THIS LIGHT? DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

THIS COMPASS? HOG Pro Bungee Mount Compass - Dive Right in Scuba

Also... diver toolkit and/or save a dive kit supplies?

TOOLKIT: Trident Deluxe Divers Toolkit | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
SAVE A DIVE: Save A Dive Kit - Dive Right in Scuba

Thoughts/alternative suggestions?

I have DGX 600 lights. I had one of the SecurityIng lights that Tbone recommends. I recently got an Xtar D26 and it is my new favorite. It's the same LED emitter as the DRiS 1K and the DGX 600. It can be had on eBay for less than $60. I like the beam better than the SecurityIng light. The D26 and the DGX 600 have a tighter beam which I think cuts through better. If you want to know a detailed list of why I like the D26 best, search from an earlier post from me today.

The HOG compass is $80 for what looks like an identical compass to the DGX Tech compass, which is $40. I'm skeptical that including that in a package deal is going to net you $40 savings.

Braided hoses have been a bit controversial. If you search around here for braided or MiFlex hoses, you will find some posts and pictures where the inner, clear, solid tube inside a braided hose started to break down and come apart. This results in pieces of the inner tube getting stuck in the 2nd stage regulator making it gradually harder and harder to breathe through. It's not clear to me whether this was ever confirmed to happen with actual MiFlex hoses versus cheaper knockoffs. What does seem clear is that this is not a concern with rubber hoses. In short, (at least some) braided hoses can degrade and fail in a way that you cannot see from the outside. Regular rubber hoses show visible signs of degradation before they fail. Personally, I have stopped buying braided and only buy rubber now.

DGX sells small o-ring kits that cover just about anything you might need to save a dive. At least, with regard to O-rings. And the kits are cheap, too. However, I don't think (not sure!) those kits include the O-ring you would need to repair a HP spool (the piece that fits inside the HP hose before you attach an SPG). I blew one of those once and was fortunate to have also ordered spool O-rings from DGX and was able to save my dive with one. They're cheap.

 

[filmguy123]

thanks for pointing me in the right direction - think I'll stick with standard hoses.

The DGX o-ring kit looks handy. Great info on the lights.

Anyone know about this cable or ones like it?

Not sure if this is right for the newer D-series Zoop Novo but there's this:

USB cable interface SUUNTO Cobra 3 HelO2 Gekko Vyper Air Vytec Zoop D3 Mosquito.

 

[filmguy123]

To clarify, is a Miflex hose synonymous with a braided hose, and thus should be avoided in favor of standard rubber hose?

Any thoughts on Big Blue Lights?

 

[stuartv]

To clarify, is a Miflex hose synonymous with a braided hose, and thus should be avoided in favor of standard rubber hose?

Any thoughts on Big Blue Lights?

MiFlex is a specific brand of braided hose. It is unclear (to me, at least) whether anyone has experienced the problem where the internal tubing breaks down on an actual MiFlex brand hose. It MAY only have occurred on cheap knock-offs. Some people are clearly very happy with their braided hoses. I have zero complaints with my rubber hoses.

I have never used a Big Blue light. The ones I have looked at seemed more expensive than the alternatives that I have chosen. I keep having an impulse to get a can light. It's what all the cool kids have. But, the lights I'm using are very bright and last way longer than any single dive I have done, so I continue to stick with that I'm using. I.e. lights with a single Cree XM-L2 LED emitter and a single rechargeable battery (an 18650 or a 26650). They're very bright and very compact and last plenty (for me) long. My current favorite is the Xtar D26, with second favorite being the DGX 600.

Also, read the Tek Tip at the bottom of this page:

Diving LED Lights | Dive Gear Express®

I tend to agree with what they say.

There are lights that are brighter than what I use and ones that last a lot longer on a charge. And ones that are both. But, at what point does being brighter or lasting longer cease to be useful or justify the additional expense or bulk?

Even if you buy a fancy expensive primary light, you still need a good backup light (or two). I'd say to buy the good backup light(s) first and use it/them until you find a reason that you need something bigger/better.

 

[randpchi]

Stuart. - sounds like good advise to me. All of my lights would be backups for many divers but they suit me fine.