What is your setup

[MASS-Diver]

DUI TSL 350 Drysuit (w/ DC drygloves and C4 DUI underwear)
Double al80 tanks w/ sea elite manifold
55lbs Halcyon wing w/ halcyon BP
apeks ds4 (ATX 50s) regs - longhose, bugeed backup rig, w/ SP spg
SP bottom timer
18watt Sartek HID light
Halcyon Scout backup lights
Turtle fins
Couple of spools & halcyon SCR

 

[MSilvia]

Single tank:
Halcyon Pioneer 36 with SS backplate and hogarthian harness
Bare ATR HD drysuit
Weezle Extreme undersuit
5mm wet gloves
Scubapro Jet Fins with homemade spring straps
Dacor Integra mask
Bare drysuit hood
Apeks DS4 first stage with 2x TX50 second stages
(primary second stage on 7' hose, backup on 24" hose bungeed around neck)
Princeton Tech c8 primary
2x Photon Torpedo backup lights (not flooded yet Soggy)
OMS wrist mounted bottom timer
pvc wrist slate
Suunto SK-7 wrist-mount compass
Brass SPG
Assorted reels, spools, SMBs, lift bags, wet notes, jon lines, and doohickeys

 

[yak]

Of all the stuff I've got, the only thing I regret is that I didn't buy a BP/wing setup on day one.

 

[oscar_2424]

prettty fancy styff posted here but a little too much for a newbie, my starter package was a mares v1 bcd, mares proton metal reg, aeris atmos 2 wrist comp., tusa xpert zoom fins. good stuff for a newbie

 

[jonnythan]

Yeah I bought newbie stuff at first too, then I sold it all when I realized it was all wrong.

Buy the right stuff the *first* time and you will save tons of money in the long run, trust me. The "newbie gear" vs "fancy tech gear" distinction is a silly marketing ploy to get you to buy everything twice.

Find out what everyone else around you is using and use that.

 

[mstudley]

Yeah I bought newbie stuff at first too, then I sold it all when I realized it was all wrong.

Buy the right stuff the *first* time and you will save tons of money in the long run, trust me. The "newbie gear" vs "fancy tech gear" distinction is a silly marketing ploy to get you to buy everything twice.

Find out what everyone else around you is using and use that.

I -STRONGLY- second this. Also, at least try a BP/W setup when you are testing out gear to buy. Very versatile, streamlined setup and I wish I had started with this instead of a 'traditional' jacket style BC (back inflate or not).

I know a lot of people on this board push the BP/W setup but they do so for a reason. Drink the Kool-Aid... it tastes good

 

[oscar_2424]

i have to say that not aways whats good for you may be good for other people, that is way theres a lot of brands and models for scuba diving. i know people that are really happy with there $ 200 regulators, or friends that are comfortable with there jacket inflation bcds. it all depends on what type of diving you are gonna do and what suits you best HAPPY DIVING

 

[MASS-Diver]

Yeah I bought newbie stuff at first too, then I sold it all when I realized it was all wrong.

Buy the right stuff the *first* time and you will save tons of money in the long run, trust me. The "newbie gear" vs "fancy tech gear" distinction is a silly marketing ploy to get you to buy everything twice.

Find out what everyone else around you is using and use that.

ditto - I wasted so much money on crappy gear (split fins, a SQ Raider BC, a $50 snorkel, lbs and lbs of soft weights, etc.)- most of which cost more $ than my current "tech" rig. Diving in New England is a lot of fun, but you really need to be squared away - lots of that overpriced vacation diver junk is best left for the tourists.

 

[MSilvia]

i have to say that not aways whats good for you may be good for other people, that is way theres a lot of brands and models for scuba diving.

True, and what's good for a boat diving newbie in the warm clear waters of Florida might not be the same as what's good for a beach diving newbie in the cold, dark waters of New England... which is why he asked his question in the regional forum for the area he'll be diving in. As Jonnythan said, dive what the experienced locals are diving, and you'll be ahead of the game.

I'm sure he could get by just fine with the stuff you recommended, but if he decides he'd like to get some additional training and do some ice diving, or do a wreck dive to 130' in 10' vis 38 degree water, he's going to want gear he can rely on. If he gets a reg that'll free-flow in cold water, a BC that can't support doubles or lacks sufficient attachment points for necessary accessories, or fins that won't fit his feet with a drysuit on, he's going to be re-thinking and re-purchasing before he's done with AOW.

It's a popular option though... most of us who dive in this area have gone through several sets of gear before settling on one that worked for us. If I bought what I'm using now in the beginning, I'd have saved myself about $3000.

 

[Soggy]

FWIW, I started with a SeaQuest Pro QD w/ AirSource combo inflator, Mk2/R190 regulator, ScubaPro Twin Jets, and POS used ScubaPro drysuit and a whole wealth of other crappy equipment.

Of that, the R190 is still used. Everything else was sold off in < 1 year at a great loss. The Mk2 has been sitting in a box for a couple years. Maybe it'll become a deco reg or something.