Please help with some gear options...

I have done a few searches but haven't quite found what I am looking for. I want to get my own gear and am looking for some recommendations. I am AOW, plan to do some diving in the quarries in NC, as well as NC wrecks and the Carribean. I am relatively new so I don't think I'll get into tech diving in the near future and would not be opposed to buying new gear when I did and keep my first set for a buddy, travel, save-a-dive, etc.

That being said, I don't think I need a BP/W set-up not do I need a top-of-line (in terms of features, not quality) set-up for my first set. My primary concern is reliability at depth, packable for travel, and general quality of components. I am looking for recommendations for a reg set-up (first, second, and octo), BC, and computer.

For the reg, I have been told to look for a balanced diaphram primary because it breathes the best and does not expose the primary to the elements. I have also been told that a piston first stage is more reliable because there are less moving parts. Any insight here?

For the second, I have been told to get one with a metal body because they trap the moisture when you exhale which helps to moisturize the air as you inhale and prevents cotton mouth. I have never had a problem with cotton mouth with a plastic body second but am looking for

For the BC I have looked at trasitional vest and back-inflate units. Outside of personal preference are there any practical differences between the two?

I plan to dive as often as possible. At least a couple times a month in the quarries and every couple of months in the ocean.

For computers, I am not Nitrox certified at the moment but I plan to take that course so I think it would make sense to buy a nitrox computer to start with. Any pros/cons for the air/non-air integrated, wrist vs. console?

Any personal recommendations would be greatly appreciated. If you could include pros/cons of specific set-ups that would be helpful as well.

Thanks in advance!

Before you purchase try out as many different pieces you can
from friends or your LDS. That will give you any idea of what
you like. There are many great products out there and usually
once you have narrowed down your choices, it usually comes
to personal preferance. I have an Apek ATX 50, Seaquest BC
and am happy with it.

For a BC, a good back inflate like a Zeagle Stiletto or Brigade or Scubapro Knighthawk will work fine. As a bonus, the back inflate will be good experience for when you move to a BP/W (you will end up wanting one ). I do 90% of my diving on NC wrecks, and the other 10% at the quarries. Like you, I started out thinking I didn't want a BP/W. Once you try one though, it's hard to go back to a conventional BC.

In regulators, either piston or diaphragm style is fine. More important is to go with a good quality brand. Among these I would count Apex, Aqualung, Atomic, Scubapro, Zeagle. Some others may chime in with their favorite brands, and that's fine. You'll rarely hear anything bad about the brands I have mentioned here though. Also, be sure that whatever reg you choose you can get serviced by one of you local dive shops. I recently switched to a Zeagle Flathead VI with ZX octo and have been very pleased with the performance. As far as metal body vs plastic body, it's not really an issue.

A wrist mounted computer is usually more convenient. That said, there are some very nice air-integrated console computers, such as the Suunto Cobra or Aeris Atmos ai. Whether you choose air integration or not is a matter of personal preference. I chose an air integrated computer (Aeris Atmos Elite) and have been quite pleased. If you don't want to spend that much money on a computer just yet, a computer without air integration such as the Aeris XR-2 or Oceanic Veo 250 will also do the job.

Hope this helps.

Frank