I have about $600 to spend and I need help.

[Devils_advocate]

My wife just got certified and needs to be outfitted. However, I'm working on a very limited budget. She's already got fins, mask snorkle and wetsuit. But what she needs is a BCD and a regulator (octopus and gauges are optional but perferable). I have a spare Dacor XP Pacer first, second and octo with gauges. But of course I can't convince her to use these. She thinks they are old :upset: considering that I bought them in 94' (I suppose she's right). SO....what do you think.

[awap]

I just went thru this with a friend who just started diving.

Budget:

Regulator: $200.00 (Mk2/R190/R190 octo from leisure pro)

BCD: $150.00 (used from e-bay - ended up with old scubapro bcd for only $50.00)

Guages: $100.00 (Leisure pro has a couple choices)

So, shop smart & take your time with e-bay, and you should have enough left over for neoprene, computer and/or incidentals. Another option on the regulator/guage is to go with a used higher performance kit from e-bay. In that price range you should consider something like a Mk10/G200 or 250 with octo and guage. But the new budget kit may be perfectly adequate and more comforting.

Good luck

[SA Boy]

Devils_advocate once bubbled...
I have a spare Dacor XP Pacer first, second and octo with gauges. But of course I can't convince her to use these. She thinks they are old :upset: considering that I bought them in 94' (I suppose she's right). SO....what do you think.

First...
I'm very surprised that you are willing to let your wife get wet without guages or an octopus. I certainly would let my wife dive like that, and I wouldn't get in the water with anyone similarly under equippped.

I would agree with your wife - lose the Dacor Pacer regs. I'm sure that they are perfectly usable, but they are now obsolete since Mares took over Dacor. You won't be able to get service parts for them. Your old guages on the Dacor kit will be fine to use.

Slightly more important, I think, is that your wife should be making the decisions not you. After all, she's the one going to be using the stuff.

She should try out as many different items as she can before making her decision.

And as regs are your life support sytem whilst you're down below, I'd probably go for new kit from the budget end of the market than the used higher end stuff. After all you never know where those old regs have been and what abuse they've suffered.

One possible exception, is after having decided what she wants, you could look around for some "nearly new" kit bought by someone with more dollars than sense who's decided that they don't actually like diving after all.

[runvus4]

I would reccomend checking your local dive stores and finding out what they sell and service. If their prices are acceptable and their service good, then try to work out an arrangement where your rental fees apply 100% to an eventual purchase and let her go wild trying out everything they have in stock. When she finds a set she likes, plunk down the difference and buy up.

[Texass]

Try looking here (http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webapp/commerce/command/CategoryDisplay?cgrfnbr=964&cgmenbr=946) for the BC. That about half of your allowance.

The reg set (less gauges) will pretty much eat up the rest. If you can convince her to use your backup set - or express your absolute adoration by giving her your primary set - the gauges/computer will take care of the remaining cash.

[Devils_advocate]

SA Boy once bubbled...


First...
I'm very surprised that you are willing to let your wife get wet without guages or an octopus. I certainly would let my wife dive like that, and I wouldn't get in the water with anyone similarly under equippped.


That's not what I ment at all. I ment that as a last resort I could take the gauges and octo off the Dacor set. I know that the Dacor set works and it is currently getting it's annual checkup/service right now.

As far as letting her use my primary..... I already offered that. She doesn't want to use 'my equipment'. She knows how much I love to dive and how much research went into my (for the budget that we had of course) set. So she wants to make sure that I use it.

;-0

[SA Boy]

Devils_advocate once bubbled...
That's not what I ment at all. I ment that as a last resort I could take the gauges and octo off the Dacor set. I know that the Dacor set works and it is currently getting it's annual checkup/service right now.

Sorry Devils_advocate! Got the wrong end of the stick.:dunce: :sheepish:

Anyhow, as I said before - IMO reuse your old guages.

You may be able to get your Dacor Pacer reg serviced this year, but there haven't been new service packs available for some time. This means that your Pacer reg will only become harder to service in the future.

I don't know who's doing the service for you but I'd want to know that he isn't using an old service pack that's been lying around for years or borrowing the bits from another manufacturers service pack and getting them to fit in your reg. I don't know anything about servicing regs but I'm sure that some bits like o=rings must be pretty interchangeable. I've always given mine to someone I trust.

Last year I had to replace my old Dacor regs (XLE960 and Pacer XLE360) bacause Mares no longer supply service packs. When I asked about my old Dacor guages (pressure & depth console), the Dacor agent here (UK) told me to keep using them. There's nothing wrong with them and they're over 18 years old.

By reusing the old guages, you'll have a little extra cash to spare on the regs and BC.

When you've decided what to do, yu might want to have alook at the prices at Scuba Store online (http://www.scubastore.com) I haven't used them but this Spain-based website with a global customer base has some seriously good deals, their customers in the US seem very happy and the delivery is quick.

Happy shopping and safe diving.

[Devils_advocate]

I think that we decided on she want's. I like the plan anyways. I think that I have her convinced on the Mk2/r380/r190 and waiting on the BCD. I'm going to get her to dive with a lot of different styles and this will also enable us to possibly have a larger budget when she decides.

Thanks for the help all!!!

[Aardal]

My wife is currently in this dilemma. She wants a whole new set-up to go deep and an air integrated computer. She first approached me into doing all the research and wanted me to do the buying for her. So for the first 2 weeks I did what any good husband would do :rolleyes: and researched different features and benefits. After doing this a board member here brought it to my attention that maybe she should do the research so it would help educate her on different set-ups, features and benefits. This way she gets what she really wants and gains knowledge on scuba equipment at the same time. Making her a better diver. :scuba:

Sorry for the long winded story.. :type:

[DivingDoc]

Just checked out ScubaToys.com and saw this package -- looks like a pretty good price:

"Mares Axis with Tusa BC, Octo & Gauges

Here is a great package at an unbeatable price. This is not no name "Scuba Swamp", or "Compost Scuba"... This is Mares and Tusa!!

We have taken our very popular One Hell of a Deal Reg Pak and added in the Tusa Charter BCD to give you a top quality package well below $500.00.

Price: Reduced to $464.95"

Also -- if you're anywhere near FL, I'd suggest stopping in at DiversDirect -- they have several stores in various places in FL.

The deals in the store are even better than their website and more importantly, your wife could try things on and see how she liked them.

[cstreu1026]

okm here goes my opinion. Get an Apeks ATX40 primary and octo from diveinn.com They are $330 and use the gauges from your Dacor regs. As someone mentioned early I would start shopping ebay. I managed to pick up a very slightly used Sea Quest Raider with an Air Source for $330, which is about a 1/3 of the asking price in most LDS's. You can usually pick up a good deal on Trans Pac II's. If she is like my fiance and set up using a stnadard jacket I always see Dacor BC's going cheap or you could also check out leisure pro. From my own searching I did find that if you have any interest in scuba pro regs you are probably better off buying them locally and getting the full manufacturer's warranty because there was little difference in the prices I found online and what I paid for my Mk25/S600.

[cstreu1026]

After checking out Leisure Pro I think you should definitely consider checking out their BC selection, they have some very nice prices on BC's with a number of them priced below $300 including the Mares Juilee whcih is a very nice piece of equipment and several women's models. And doing a little more browsing, LP's prices seem to be inline with Dive Inn's, they seemed to ahve changed that recently.

[sailnj]

My suggestion is order from Leisure Pro - Mares Axis Reg and Octo - $200, Gauge - $100, and Sherwood Avid BCD - $315 or go with the Aqualung Maverick BCD for $250