Need advice on new equipment

[LOG-SPLITTER]

I`m new to diving and just love it.
I want to take the big plunge and purchase some very good quality equipmentI have the mask, fins, and snorkel, right now.I don't plan on going ice diving anytime soon.I live up north in canada and will be diving in pretty cool water.

I would like to start off by purchasing a good

1.tank
2.regulator
3.bc
4.computer


not in any order as i`m going to purchase it all.I just need some good advice from from the experienced.

A big thanks! to anyone who would be willing to help me out plz!
Thx

[spectrum]

Lets start with somehting easy, the tank(s) Cold water, single tank diving has steel written all over it. If you're going to be diving with an AL-80 crowd then there's no point spending the $ for 100 CF cylinders. The PST E7-80s will not break the bank, they'll take about 7 pounds off your weight requirement and you'll be 12 pounds lighter walking across the beach compared to an AL-80. The newly released Worthington (sea pearls, x-s scuba) are very comparable to the metioned PST cylinders.

If you think your diving will go beyond average then look further up in these cylinder lines. The 100CF is a darling but the price difference is something like $205 vs $349 for 20 CF more capacity. Check around to make sure you have local shop(s) capable of doing a good 3442 PSI fill. Most but not all can. All $$ are US.


I`m new to diving and just love it.
I want to take the big plunge and purchase some very good quality equipmentI have the mask, fins, and snorkel, right now.I don'tplan on going ice diving anytime soon.I live up north in canada and will be diving in pretty cool water.

I would like to start off by purchasing a good

Computer... I'd say wait until you have more dives and a need for it. I don't believe in ditching your depth and pressure gauges for electronics so IMO it's not money spent twice. Just use a cheap watch that's rated for enough depth and have at it. As a new diver you will end your dives for air, not your NDL so it's really just for personal info. Running in analog for a while will make you learn what you're really doing down there. This will buy you some time to see what other use and like. Exception to waiting.. if you plan to go take that warm water dive trip and dive 3-5 times per day then get your computer (though you can usually rent one) to get the most out of your vacation money! In all likelyhood you will advance to nitrox so buy for that.

BC and Regulator.... Im happy with my Sherwood Blizzard Regulator and Sherewood Avid BCD. You'll get plenty of other opinions.

Regulator, Make sure you can get it serviced locally. Go with a conventional alternate second, not an inflator combo IMO.

BC, Try it, at least in a pool before buying. Weight integrated is nice. You will still want a weight belt but it's nice to have the placement options.

You won't go too far withiout a compass... Console, wrist, retractor or slate mounted it's all up to you.

See the individual gear forums for more info than you can absorb. Make informed decisions.

Pete

1.tank
2.regulator
3.bc
4.computer
5.computer

not in any order as i`m going to purchase it all.I just need some good advice from from the experienced.

A big thanks! to anyone who would be willing to help me out plz!
Thx

[seaboyforever]

Aeris ATmos XT, BC is awesome for cold water spearfishing, so many features I use
Alum 80-all around good
1st and 2nd stage i use aeris trimetal
for a computer, i would stick with Sunnto cobra
for a back up computers i have a citizen watch aqualand, awesome little thing

keep shopping, do your research and the more you know about what your getting the more you will be confident in your dive.

LIVE TO DIVE AND DIVE TO LIVE

[markfm]

I wouldn't stress over steel tanks right off the bat. AL80 is the norm for starting out -- relatively cheap, decent, does the job. An E7-100 is nice if you're burning a lot of air, but often isn't going to help if you're diving with a buddy who either has similar air consumption or doesn't also have the larger capacity tank.
If you do choose to go steel tanks, you need to watch the sizing. E7 series PSTs are the same diameter as AL80s -- fine for boat charters. If you go to the larger diameter E8s, you may have problems on any given boat charter, need to check.
Buying a steel 80 just doesn't make sense to me, personally, but that's because I dive primarily fresh water and when it's warm my weighting is already light. I'd rather spend the steel 80/AL80 price difference on a widget.
I went with a pair of AL80s, absolutely fine all Summer. Just bought an E7-100 set up for Nitrox -- longer dives, moderate depth, things I'll be doing with other similarly-equipped divers.
For regulators, it can be handy to buy things supported/serviced by a local dive shop (LDS). Where I live the Sherwoods are popular -- good cold water performance, decent price, service readily available.
BCDs are another case of a lot of good product, depends on what you want to do. I went with an Aeris Reefrider back bladder type. Comfortable, travels well (compact). If I was staying strictly local I might have bought something else, but the Reefrider does have enough lift for me even in drysuit.
Good luck!

[doole]

Sounds like the folks have got you covered, but one more thing: do NOT select the reg by price. Get the best quality you can afford in that department.

There actually aren't all that many good ones. Especially look for sturdiness, serviceability, reliability and ease of breathing at depth. As an example, I particularly like Apeks or Zeagle. If there's any plastic on the first stage, I'd keep walking. You might also want to consider staying away from upstream valve designs and weird port sizes.

You might want to check into parts availability, too.

I would also avoid any that seem gimmicky - like the plague. Consider getting a DIN mount, too. Much easier to convert that to a yoke than vice versa. If it isn't available in a DIN mount - again, keep walking.

[spectrum]

I don't plan on going ice diving anytime soon

Ice diving or not you will need a cold water regulator to dive at home. Due to the cooling effect of decompressing gas in the regulator ice problems can occur in the low 40F range and of course below. These temperatures are easy to find a thermocline or 2 down in lakes in the mid summer here in Maine. I'm sure the same is true in your neck of the woods.

Pete

[ProfessorAronnax]

Scuba Labs can help narrow down your choices:

http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/regulators/best_new_regs/

DISCLAIMER: rapidiver.com sells ZEAGLE Products

[Tassie_Rohan]

You've forgotten:

5. A drysuit....

Keep in mind that if you really want to enjoy diving in your neck of the woods, doing multiple dives per day, then dry is the only way to go: it completely changes a persons attitude to cold water diving. I'd buy the gear you list but I thought I'd warn you of an ever bigger purchase thats waiting down the road for you. Better start saving now... :)

With that in mind I'd go with a steel 85 or 100: probably the 100 - as a new diver you will be using up more air than others, and as you become experienced you may need the extra air for deep dives: try both an 85 and 100 out and see which one you like.

Most top of the line regs from majors are fine. Make sure both the occy and main 2nd stages are metal, and if you are planning to dive in waters below 5C, that the 1st stage has been environmental sealed for cold water. Apeks, Scubapro, Posidion and Mares all have their supporters: look in the regulator forum for lots of info.

BCs: do a search in the BC forum for jacket vs backplate-wing. Its a subject that’s been beaten to death. I started with a jacket (Mares vector 1000 - a hard wearing no gimmick BC which I still use and love - probably the last no gimmick one Mares ever made. Remember all bcs are the same - they are just a harness and an airbladder: ignore the manufacturers hype and acronyms) but wear a backplate-wing when diving dry, poking through wreaks and soon, diving doubles.

As for computers - most people love suunto, and their stinger is a classic dive watch/dive computer that you can wear between dives. If I started out again I would of gotten a stringer.

Cheers,
Rohan.

[BigWhiteSquare]

1.tank
2.regulator
3.bc
4.computer



1. Two al 80s
2. Mares Proton Ice w/ octo
3. Zeagle Brigade
4. Aeris Atmos AI

$1720.00 (US) at Scubatoys.com. Can't beat 'em.

___

[Zero]

1. Apeks series primary & secondary regs with a decent SPG console
2. Drysuit
3. Compass
4. BP/W or Rear inflation BC - You decide which to choose
5. Suunto Vyper Computer

I would rent your tanks. Save some cash until you decide to purchase a single or double tank configuration.

[theskull]

. . .

I would rent your tanks. Save some cash until you decide to purchase a single or double tank configuration.

I'll second that one. You have to go to the shop for fills anyway, and a rental doesn't cost much more than a fill most places. Buy and you also have to pay for yearly visual inspection and 5-year hydro. Plus, many boat dives have the tanks included in the price anyway.

theskull

[Doc Harry]

I recommend that you delay your purchase for as long as possible and do a lot of reading on this board and elsewhere. It's an expensive investment and you want to try to get it right the first time.

You might try reading about the Hogarthian philosophy of diving and equipment. If nothing more it will give you some food for thought.

The computer issue is fairly complex and you don't need one right away. Put off that purchase and play a while with everyone else's computer. Eventually it will become obvious to you which computer you'll need/want.

Oh yeah, and don't bother with any regulator except Apeks. :05:

[waynne fowler]

Here's my 2cents.

Don't spend your money twice. I heard some talk about steal vs aluminium tanks. AL makes no sense where you are at. Unless $$ is your motivating factor. And unfortunately if it is you will buy everything at least twice or you'll out grow your equipment and just suffer through with it anyway.

Buy once, buy it right and be done. It's cheaper and in two years you can celibrate a your intelligence by taking a $2500.00 trip somewhere for some really awesome diving.

Get Steal, where you live you'll be drysuiting it in REAL short order, and the bouyancy charactoristics will be greatly appreciated. If you have the $$ get 100cf or better. Who cares if your buddies dive 80's and you have extra gas, can you really have too much as long as it's a good fit? IMO NO!... I dive with buddies all the time who suck about 2x the amount of gas I do, they come up with 1000psi I come up with 2000... so. The problem isn't that I have too much... the real problem is that they don't have enough... They all bought bigger tanks so that they could match me.. So they all went and spent $150.00 on AL80's, I spent $325.00 on steal. Less than a year later they are buying the steal 95's, 119's etc at that 325$ or better... So they all have about 500$ wrapped up in tanks... who saved $$

Don't buy a computer unless it will attempt to track free phase gas's. There are a few out on the market. IMHO the Suunto Vytec is the best choice. The Vyper will work well, it just doesn't have some of the features you may want in the near/far future. However you will never outgrow them, you will only grow into them. They uses an RGBM math model (do some research via the web to find out more about that) they are fully Nitrox capable from 21 - 40% (Vytec 21 - 100%)... This will be nice in the future... the Vytec will let you use 3 gas's and change between them during the dive...This too may come in handy in the future.. if not who cares.. but odd's are in favor of you using it in the future as you guy's in BC have some FUN wrecks and deep walls so DECO could become something you do in the future.... Though you can do all this same stuff with a Vyper it will not keep track of it as the Vytec will.. If you really need to save $$ do the Vyper and learn to do DECO using tables right away. The Vytec has a nice stopwatch function that is real nice when doing DECO via tables (which is the best way anyway,... but thats another story!)

UWATEC is another good computer that use's micro-bubble technology. Nitrox ready etc..etc... Check them out also.

Do yourself a favor and get a weight integrated BC, go back inflation and stay away from anything that has pocket on it. You'll not like it in a few years. Less is more. Subscribe to the minimulistic principles and you'll love your gear FOREVER and there will be NO REASON TO BUY AGAIN... If you choose to reef dive you'll love it. If you choose to stay at 30' for the rest of your life... you'll love it... if you travel... you'll love it.... if you choose to head off to Mexico and happen to do some cenote diving and want to try some caverns... you'll love it... cave's... you'll love it... wrecks, what ever you want to do you can. Buy a jacketstyle bc, there are places you cannot go, and things you cannot do. Yes you will spend more upfront no question... and if you can say for sure "I'll never do wrecks, caves, deep stuff with twins" then a jacket style will work but you probably won't love it 3-5 years from now. Buy a back inflation, backplate and harness system and you'll love it forever and if you choose to do some of the deeper stuff with twins, caves, wrecks etc... you won't buy another BC... Buy a jacket style and then start doing this stuff and you'll be back shopping for a new backplate and harness system.

Reg's... there are no cheep regs... anything cheap should be used in a pool only and you'll hate them in short order then go and buy the good stuff anyway. Stick with the best of the best Scubapro and Apex (with the Atomics pushing pretty hard at the threshold). Scubapro and Apex both have a free parts for life program when bought from an authorized dealer. You can go and buy a cheap regulator for 350.00 it'll be alright. But the best reg's will only cost you 550 - 600... AND you'll never pay for parts if you follow the maintainence program. that could potentially save you the cost of the reg's over the lifetime of the unit.. (Yes, it would be a LONG time) But we see reg's all the time that are 20years old. 30$ a yr for 20 yrs... 600bucks.. I think I'll replace mine before 20years but many people do not... just an example.


Like anything in life you get what you pay for and this is stuff our life depends on DON'T,,, DON'T be cheap and try to pinch pennies here. This is when you want to over budget. If you spend it now you will save at least 2x the $$ differece between the right stuff and the cheaper stuff over the long haul.

The last thing I'd say to you is to find yourself a local dive store that you like and trust, I'd ask you why you don't trust the folks that trained you?... If they were smart enough to teach you the skills that your life will depend on underwater I wonder why the shouldn't be able to help you make some equipment choices? Perhaps you didn't learn through a shop, or you didn't feel comfortable with them. If however you did learn through a shop and you do feel comfortable with them I'd urge you to give them your business. They go through alot of work to stay in business and provide education. They spend alot of $$ to have equipment in the shop for customers so they don't have to wait. Not to mention pay employees so that you have someone to come and get information from, they plan dives to local areas. It may seem like all they do is sit around getting fat.But heres the real deal. Without diveshops, no one learns to dive except by trial and error. No new divers and the MFG's go out of business. No MFG's = no equipment... Support you locals, keep you $$'s in your town, help the people who you trust to train you stay in business so that you have a place to go for further education, travel, local dives etc.

Just my 2 cents.... I'll go now it's late and I'm mumbling....blah,blah,blah,blablablba

Waynne Fowler