can I get a good BC,REG,GAUGE/COMPUTER Package for under 1k?

[eurospeed951]

I will be doing most of my diving in florida and the carribien. I would suspect most of my dives to be shallow warm dives, but I have done deaper wreck dives I will most likely do more in the future. From what I can tell I can eather get great gear, minuse the computer, or less then great gear with a computer. Any help for a newbi?

[wreckchick]

You might be able to get away with A package for that price, but you'll have to shop around a lot. There are some tempting bargains out there, but I would have to recommend buying your gear a little at a time.

Do LOTS of research for the kind of diving that you're doing now and what you plan to do in the future. Pick out your ideal rig and piece it together over time. You'll definitely save money in the long run. If you put together a so-so rig now, you'll be upgrading before you know it.

After the basics (mask, fins, exposure suit), I'd do BC, regs, computer; in that order. That's just me, I'm sure you'll get other opinions in short order.

Rachel

[scubasean]

If you want an online place....

www.leisurepro.com

seems to have some decent deals...Although many of their items do not have the manufacturer warranty, they provide an equivalent warranty themselves.

there are two mares packages that seem nice...Mares #2 is $850US, and Mares #3 is $1099US. (I realize the second one doesn't fit your requirements...[under $1k] but it seems to have some decent gear in the pkg...)

Good luck!

Sean

[RICHinNC]

I have come to believe the saying....you get what you pay for...is so true. If you buy used gear you have no recourse usually when it goes bottoms up.

and, you cannot expect "cheap" gear to last as long and perform as well. I would recommend buying your gear over a period of time rather than all at once. At least then you can have better gear.

Please dont forget.....its is a real female dog to find out at 100ft deep you should not have bought brand "X"

[ElectricZombie]

I would buy everything a piece at a time until I could really get nice gear that I really wanted. Most people end up buying gear 2 or 3 times until they get what they should have bought in the first place.

It is much cheaper to buy quality gear once vs. buying crappy gear multiple times.

If you choose wisely and do it right the first time, your gear should last quite a while.

You get what you pay for and SCUBA gear is not an area in which you want to go for the cheapest gear you can get.

$1000.00 is not a lot of money for gear. You can get a set of VERY nice gear for around $1500.00 - $2000.00. Actually, you can get it for a bit less if you buy the regs online.

[jonnythan]

Transpac + Travel wing: $339
Scubapro MK16/S550: $260
Scubapro R380 Octo: $115
OMS Brass SPG: $75
Aeris Atmos 2: $250

Total: $924

Can't really argue with this stuff, unless you wanna insist on DIR.

No Mares stuff, no packages. High quality BC, high quality regs, high quality SPG, high quality computer.

If you call LP they may even give you a small discount on this personalized "package."

[eurospeed951]

so everyone says you get what you pay for. Well, I don't disagree, but what is the difference between good gear and bad gear. I have only used rental gear so just about everything seems to be good gear to me. I am not going to be diving every weekend, maybe 10-15 times a year. Do I realy need to buy the best stuff out there? Is the lower priced stuff going to fail on me?

[jonnythan]

eurospeed951 once bubbled...
so everyone says you get what you pay for. Well, I don't disagree, but what is the difference between good gear and bad gear. I have only used rental gear so just about everything seems to be good gear to me. I am not going to be diving every weekend, maybe 10-15 times a year. Do I realy need to buy the best stuff out there? Is the lower priced stuff going to fail on me?

Well, the stuff *I* quoted you is not bad gear. It's really, really good gear. You can substitute just about any nitrox computer in that price range, and the other stuff is some of the best in the industry.

The only people who will argue with the Transpac are the ones who insist you pay $500 for a Halcyon BP/wings setup, and I don't think anyone could argue with the Scubapro regs.

[ElectricZombie]

Even with a Halcyon setup the price is still not that bad.

He would still need mask, fins and a wetsuit though.

[jonnythan]

ElectricZombie once bubbled...
Even with a Halcyon setup the price is still not that bad.

He would still need mask, fins and a wetsuit though.

He's apparently certified, so I'm sure he has personal gear.

I dunno if he has exposure protection, but if he's diving in the tropics.. he can buy a good 3 or 5 mm jumpsuit from LP for $150 or less, too.

[eurospeed951]

Thanks! I will do some research on that setup. I do have mask, fins, snorkel, shorty. I'm not going to get a wetsuit quite yet

[jonnythan]

eurospeed951 once bubbled...
Thanks! I will do some research on that setup. I do have mask, fins, snorkel, shorty. I'm not going to get a wetsuit quite yet

Do some research on the board, then the web or Google Groups.

There will be a lot of info about all this gear.

There were recently a few threads about how much Transpac owners love their setup, and there are always threads about how Scubapro makes awesome regs. Best of luck.

[eurospeed951]

Ok, I know nothing about the "wings" setup. Could someone pleas explain this more? Also, with the computer, should I be looking for an air intigrated computer? I could put the cost of a pressure gauge twords the computer fund. Thanks again for all your info

[jonnythan]

eurospeed951 once bubbled...
Ok, I know nothing about the "wings" setup. Could someone pleas explain this more?

The concept goes like this:

Instead of your traditional BC, you wear a big metal backplate that has slots all over it. You thread webbing through these slots to make shoulder straps and a waist strap. To this backplate, you attach a wing - basically just the inflatable part of a rear inflation BC. You can see pictures of the setup at http://baue.org/images/galleries/view_album.php?set_albumName=equipment and http://www.dir-diver.com/en/equipment/backplate_adjustment.html and http://www.halcyon.net/mc/pioneer.shtml

There are a couple of big advantages to this type of setup. First, since you have a nice big metal plate on your back (it's not uncomfortable at all) attached by some non-padded webbing, your entire rig is [should be] more stable on your body. Second, if you ever get into tech diving, you're all set. Just get a set of doubles, bolt it onto the rig you already use (with a new wing) and you're off. No new BC to buy or get used to. Third, it's extremely clean and streamlined. There is a lot of water flow along your underside while diving - keeping this area clean of bulky things like big pockets, weight pockets, padded straps, etc, makes you more hydrodynamic. Lastly, I hear it's much easier to get your trim spot on with this setup.


Also, with the computer, should I be looking for an air intigrated computer? I could put the cost of a pressure gauge twords the computer fund. Thanks again for all your info

I would suggest against it. Just buy a good quality SPG, keep it secured to your body (as opposed to hanging freely), and do your gas tracking that way. You'll be able to learn to do real gas management and gas tracking better than your computer, I think.

[cellbiller]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, with the computer, should I be looking for an air intigrated computer? I could put the cost of a pressure gauge twords the computer fund. Thanks again for all your info
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree with jonnythan about not going with an air integrated system. Last summer I was in the middle of a nite dive, and my computer died. Since it was not air integrated, I still had my SPG to let me know how much air I had remaining, and a watch for my bottom time, the only piece missing was depth (which I ended up estimating for that dive from my buddy's computer).

I was able to borrow a depth gage from the resort and continue on with my week of diving (using tables).

[awap]

I think it is a mistake for new diver to buy first set of gear with expectation it last last a lifetime of very active diving. It's not that the gear fail. Rather it is more likely that you will "outgrow" your gear or abandon the activity. I still have my first regulators (that I paid too much for) - they are on the pony now.

If budget is limited it is easy to get perfectly adequate gear for simple recreational diver at very reduced costs. E-bay is a great source for real bargains if you shop smart, carefully, and patiently.

The Budget:

Regulators: Budget $225.00 Used quality HP kits are available on e-bay. How about a Mk10/G250 for little over $100.00 (usually more like $150.00). Or new Mk2/R190/R190octo from LP for around $225.00. (Check LDS first to see he he can compete.)

BCD: Budget: $50.00 to $100.00 Big opportunity for savings here. If you know you just have to have that top of the line new back inflate weight-integrated gizzmo then have at it and forgo that first trip. But the used, perfectly functional older jacket style BCD may not be as slick and cool looking but you will see the same things as the guy on the dive with the $600.00 rig. And you may even have better bouyancy skills as that is more a matter of the wearer than the gear. Ebay is hard to beat for used BCs. Look for something 5 to 10 years old, not the orange or blue models of the 70's. That used BC may make you look like a Cozumel DM.

Gauges: Budget $200.00 and go for the computer. Again e-bay is the most likely source. Shop for computer first and then add SPG & compass if you can't find it all in a single offering.


Ebay caution: If you are unsure, stick with larger volume Scuba sellers with good feedback. Many are LDSs who have seen the way of the future and work to avoid negative feedback. Small volume sellers may be better bargain but a bit more risky as they may be trying to dump a problem. Careful, some online discounters like Leisurepro also sell on Ebay - often at a higher price. Research the online guys for a good price baseline befor you hit e-bay or your LDS.

[jonnythan]

awap once bubbled...
E-bay is a great source for real bargains if you shop smart, carefully, and patiently.

I think this is a really not good idea. There really isn't that much cost benefit to buying the basics off eBay to buying off Leisurepro, and for a newbie on a budget having a business behind the product is an especially big benefit.

I really love ebay and I buy a lot of stuff from it, but there are a lot of risks with the gear, and not much selection.

[wreckchick]

I'm with Jonnython on this one. E-bay is a great source, but only when you have the kind of support you need to make sure you're getting something that will work. By this I mean you need a shop or a person where you can have any reg you get overhauled, provided it's not new, or checked, or assembled. Any gear you get you need to make sure works like it's supposed to and unless you can fix it yourself, those bargains aren't such bargains after all. There's something to be said for making sure you have some after-sale support for your first set of gear. I would buy on e-bay now because my dive this weekend doesn't depend on the gear working upon delivery.

I respectfully disagree with getting "starter gear." This diver has already expressed an interest in going into more technical diving in the future, why get something now that wouldn't work in that capacity? Of course he'll get more gear in the future, we all do that, but wouldn't it be nice for that to be a choice, not a necessity? If the gear you're going to buy isn't any better than rental gear, why spend the money?

My $0.02

Rachel

[awap]

jonnythan once bubbled...

I think this is a really not good idea. There really isn't that much cost benefit to buying the basics off eBay to buying off Leisurepro, and for a newbie on a budget having a business behind the product is an especially big benefit.

I really love ebay and I buy a lot of stuff from it, but there are a lot of risks with the gear, and not much selection.

The cost difference between used gear and new gear, even from Leisurepro, is pretty large. E-bay is not very fast and if you do run into a hassle you could get stuck. Their selection is really quite large, it just doesn't all show up a one time. If you are looking for something special, like maybe a Halcyon 27# wing, you probably would have to think in terms of months on e-bay vice less than a week at a dealer.

A co-worker just got into diving. I talked to her about equipment options and she chose new budget regs from LP over used over used HP from e-bay. It's a comfort thing and I understand that, especially with regs. But she did throw a $50.00 bid in on an older SP Classic. When she got it, it leaked a bit. She called the seller who turned out to be an LDS and they sent her a much better replacement. She asked about their address to sent old one back and they told her to keep it. And while she got basic gauges from LP also, she grabbed an new Oceanic data plus on e-bay for about $100.00. With the chance of problems under 5%, it a gamble that should almost always pay off.

And if you are unsatisfied with the goods, one could recycle. Hence the special caution on low volume sellers. In my co-workers case, she plans to use that $50.00 BC for a while while she decides what she really wants and then somebody else may get a good deal on it on e-bay again.

[wreckchick]

Perhaps it's just me... but I always have to take into account that the item I get from ebay will be faulty and in that case I'm not willing to pass that on to the next person. In the case of scuba gear, we're talking about items that can seriously hurt someone if they don't work correctly and I don't ever want to think I'm responsible for someone else's misfortune.

For those that have been following along, you'll know that I don't like my reg right now and someone suggested I ebay it. Nope, it failed on me and it could fail on someone else and I'm not willing to take the risk on the buyer's behalf. For me, the ebay budget includes the thing coming and living me with me on a permanent basis never to see proper use again.

Damn those morals getting in the way of profit.... I'm a bad capitalist.

Rachel

[ERP]

While I agree that EBAY and LP can provide real savings on your starter gear.

You should be careful that you are confident that you can assemble the equipment yourself, or that you have a friend who can.

I've bought a fair amount of stuff from leisure pro, and never had a problem, but I remember buying an SPG, and it didn't come with a HP Spool (not that I knew what one was), luckilly I knew someone who could explain to me what it was I was missing.

I could imagine a beginner diver being pretty daunted by a collection of hoses if the "starter kit" didn't show up assembled.

Just a thought.

[jonnythan]

ERP once bubbled...
While I agree that EBAY and LP can provide real savings on your starter gear.

You should be careful that you are confident that you can assemble the equipment yourself, or that you have a friend who can.

I've bought a fair amount of stuff from leisure pro, and never had a problem, but I remember buying an SPG, and it didn't come with a HP Spool (not that I knew what one was), luckilly I knew someone who could explain to me what it was I was missing.

I could imagine a beginner diver being pretty daunted by a collection of hoses if the "starter kit" didn't show up assembled.

Just a thought.

People make this stuff sound much harder than it is. It's not rocket science, don't underestimate newbies just because they're new.

[awap]

Biscuit7

I doubt if Mares or any other major mfgr are producing inherently defective systems. If something is really wrong with yours, a good tech or the mfgr service folks should be able to correct it. Finding that good tech may be a bit harder than finding a good buy on e-bay. It would be silly to relegate your rig to the junk pile without seeking a clear understanding of what happened. There are reasons for freeflows, and by process of elimination, you should determine what happened to yours.

But there is liable to be some real problem regs on e-bay. service induced problems like damaged thread and o-ring seats are a risk you take every time you turn your reg over to some "tech". Regs that are corroded so badly that they can't be serviced are a possibility, although a good tech might be able to perform a miracle. You need to be smart about your bidding and adjust for the risks. I'm really happy with the $25.00 Scubapro Mk5 I picked up.

If you really feel you have to replace your Mares because you just cant trust it again, then put it on e-bay. Describe what you are offering. Provide a link to the incident. I doubt that there is anything wrong with that reg that can't be fixed. The risk is that some sellers might be concealing known defects. I don't really believe it is a large risk but it exist to some extent. The off-setting consideration is seller volume & feedback.

I'd gladly bet you $50.00 that your reg would bring you at least $100.00 on e-bay even if you advertised its history. I guess the worst that could happen is I would have a $50.00 Mares kit.

[Juls64]

a couple of months ago. It was an article on this exact thing. They had about 6 or 8 different manufacturers, including ScubaPro and Mares, and the article was something like "Get Geared up for under a Grand". They had a set up for each manufacturer and it was pretty interesting. I couldn't find the article on the website, but you could check and see if your LDS or other diver friends have the issue. It was very recent.

Julie

[ERP]

jonnythan once bubbled...


People make this stuff sound much harder than it is. It's not rocket science, don't underestimate newbies just because they're new.


While I agree the assembly is actually very simple, and pretty much anyone could do it.
I'm not sure that I would have been confident to do it myself when I started, without someone I could do a sanity check with when I had questions.

[jonnythan]

ERP once bubbled...



While I agree the assembly is actually very simple, and pretty much anyone could do it.
I'm not sure that I would have been confident to do it myself when I started, without someone I could do a sanity check with when I had questions.

That's what the board is good for :)

[eurospeed951]

wow, thanks all. I am very glad I came across this board. I spend a good bit of time on www.rennlist.com (porsche forum) and it has provided me with a great amount of info. this looks to be the case with this board.
I agree with a lot of what people are saying. My first chice would be to buy from a LDS, but I'm not quite willing to pay more for the same thing I could get online for less. I'm also not sure if I'm ready for used gear. If this was a high preformance part for my porsche I would have no problem getting it used off ebay. I know a great deal about those things and have many friends and shops to help me. I don't knoe Jack about scuba gear. As I said I have only used rental gear. I have been looking over the iteams on LP as well as the setup that was sugested. Since I have never used or seen a wings setup I think I would like to save some money and go with something like the "Mares syncro power tech ". My heart is not set on it, but ut seems like it would work for me. I also don't see a need in getting such an expensive octo. Most of the ones on the LP site are in the $80 rang. as for gauges/computer, other than knowing I want a computer I still need to do A LOT of research on these. I don't know even where to begin with them. One last thing. Though I have never done it, I think with the help of something like this board I should be able to put together my setup. I didn't know how to rebuild a Porsche engine the first time I did that. Thanks again for all your help.

[eurospeed951]

Any thoughts on the stuff I last posted?

[scubasean]

I bought the Suunto Vyper computer and the DiveRite Transpac with rec wings...all from LP.

All three items should arrive this coming Tuesday...

I'll let you know my thoughts once I've dived with them.

[o2dive]

Bad leisure Pro experience. I would never buy anything from them but non essentaial gear. My buddy bought his computer from them at a great price but it was acting screwy so he took it to his LDS. The dealer said all computers go back to the manufacturer and when he went to get an RA number and needed the serial number from the back of the computer it was filed down and we couldn't read it. He fessed up, said it came from Leisure Pro and Aeris told him it was probably off a stolen lot and they would not honor the warranty since it was not from an authorized dealer. So he called LeisurePro and they are out of stock on this computer but they claim they will send him a new one when they come in. That was last November and still no computer. Also know another guy with a similiar story with a regulator.I'm still researching where my benjamins are going for scubagear but I would never buy any gray market gear from them!

[scubasean]

I have heard that you need to turn in the waranty card, and things work out just fine....Many folks have said that, except perhaps for the folks who haven't turned them in. :)

[eurospeed951]

hmmmmm, well was planning on flying up to there shop and having them help me pick out a setup. Is this not a good idea? I was hopeing to be able to see and try out all of the grear befor I decide. Should I just hold out till I can afford the crazy prices of my LDS that try and talk me into the top of the line scuba pro stuff?

[Scrappy Doo]

I bought the following for $1000.00

Dive Rite TransPac II with Rec wings and weight pockets
Dive Rite RG-2000 regulator/combo
DIN/Yoke 1st stage
Adjustable 2nd stage
Non-Adjustable Octopus
3-gauge console

I am tremendously happy with this purchase and the dive shop I bought it from. They are a full Dive Rite facility so I get all my warrantees.

They, of course, are out of Washington as that is where I live.

Company is Northwest Spots Divers, and NO I do not work for them in anyway, I am just a VERY happy and satisfied customer. Talk to Chris he is the owner and a one of the most professional people I have meet and a fantastic instructor.


Dan... :)

[o2dive]

What I've heard about Leisure Pro is this,
They get their gear from either overseas from questionable sources,rejects from manufacturers that were supposed to be destroyed (their's an OMS story I know about for this one),buying out other shops or from falling off a back of a truck and accidentlly landing in their shop :). Anyone in NYC ever buy a Rolex watch off the street :D . Our LDS dealer told us that the reason my buddy is still computer less is because they can't get a replacement for him since they are not dealers and he'll have to wait for another one to "fall off a truck". If they were dealers he could of had a replacement in a week but now LeisurePro is actually out the $ for the computer since they can't return it either so we can bet they are in no hurry to replace it. I have nothing against buying online and I plan on in the near future but you can be sure its going to be from a shop thats actually a dealer.
"Let the buyer beware"

[jonnythan]

o2dive once bubbled...
What I've heard about Leisure Pro is this,
They get their gear from either overseas from questionable sources,rejects from manufacturers that were supposed to be destroyed (their's an OMS story I know about for this one),buying out other shops or from falling off a back of a truck and accidentlly landing in their shop :). Anyone in NYC ever buy a Rolex watch off the street :D .
I bet your LDS guy told you that one.

[o2dive]

Heard it from both a manufacturer and the LDS.

Heres a test to try at home if you have any Leisure Pro gear that they are Not dealers for:

Call up the manufacturers direct. Most of them have phone numbers listed at their websites. Tell them you just realized that LP is not a dealer and are wondering how they were able to obtain that reg or computer etc if they're not dealers and what happens to your warranty (its void!). Some of them can even trace your gear to where it was sent to by the serial numbers if you have it and LP didn't remove them on you.

Post back and let us know what the manufacturers said.
Tim

[jonnythan]

o2dive once bubbled...
Heard it from both a manufacturer and the LDS.

Heres a test to try at home if you have any Leisure Pro gear that they are Not dealers for:

Call up the manufacturers direct. Most of them have phone numbers listed at their websites. Tell them you just realized that LP is not a dealer and are wondering how they were able to obtain that reg or computer etc if they're not dealers and what happens to your warranty (its void!). Some of them can even trace your gear to where it was sent to by the serial numbers if you have it and LP didn't remove them on you.

Post back and let us know what the manufacturers said.
Tim

Unfortunately, I don't have any gear with serial numbers from LP. I have a knife, mask, safety sausage, and backup light from LP. I have two BC's , a drysuit, and a regulator set all bought from authorized dealers.

Online.