Getting gear in what order?

[Gill]

I've been certified for five years now. And because I've been renting gear I have not dove as much as I wanted to. So I'm finally going to get the rest of my gear. I already have the basics and low ticket items.

So I was at my LDS talking about regulators and my current situation. He says that the first big ticket item purchase should be a computer before the regulator. Is this the current trend right now??

When I got the certs the regulator was the first big ticket item to get. Besides, in my current situation, a regulator is a need and the computer is a luxury item to have. I can stick with dive tables and careful planning for now.

What are your opinions on this?

[MechDiver]

Gill once bubbled...

Besides, in my current situation, a regulator is a need and the computer is a luxury item to have. I can stick with dive tables and careful planning for now.

What are your opinions on this?

So, you answered your own question. If the regulator is importand to you, buy it first. What difference does it make in what order you buy equipment. Get the reg and then get something else.

[O-ring]

MechDiver once bubbled...


So, you answered your own question. If the regulator is importand to you, buy it first. What difference does it make in what order you buy equipment. Get the reg and then get something else.
Get the reg...a computer is not a necessity, but you may be hard pressed to dive without a regulator..

[Wendy]

I feel that having your own regs and BCD are the 2 most important (aside from the basics, mask, fins, weight belt, snorkel, wetsuit). You can always rent tanks for awhile, and save up to buy them. I don't own a computer and probably never will.

[diverlady]

Regs and BC first. Life-Spport Equipment.

I had rental regs crap out on me twice at 80ft. I bought my own right after that. Rentals are used in the pool as well as freshwater and maybe even saltwater depending on where you're diving. And who knows how well it's been maintained, how many people have used it and how well it was cleaned. Maybe they are really well looked after but do you know that for sure????

Life-support equipment isn't something that should be put on the back burner for a computer. Use the tables for now or maybe rent a computer.

My thoughts only.

Diverlady

[jonnythan]

I say get the computer first. You'll want one anyway.. your alternatives are using the wheel and giving up your freedom to just swim around and check stuff out, or simply have much shorter bottom times than your buddies. There's simply no way to do the same dives without a computer.

The computer, IMO, is also the only piece of equipment you're going to buy that requires a certain level of familiarity. Really, a BC is a BC and a reg is a reg. They all work the same whether they're rental or not.

It's easy to find a computer for well less than $200. Leisurepro and eBay both have computers for as low as $150.

[MikeFerrara]

If a diver can't buy it all at once I usually recommend a bc and exposure suit. The reason is simple, these are the two items that effect trim and weighting/buoyancy control the most. Trim and buoyancy control is diving and if it's different all the time you won't do as well or have as much fun. The type of tank you have makes a difference also but you can't take a tank with you if you're traveling by air and most are using Al 80's anyway.

Having your own reg is nice but as long as you get air it won't effect the mchanics of your diving.

[diverlady]

I see the point about getting trim fast, buoyancy control and longer bottom times but I humbly disagree. It will take time to master buoyancy and if Gill is able to rent consistently, the suit shouldn't be a problem. I am, of course, basing this on my own experiences. Yours might be different. I was able to rent the same BC and wetsuit (at least the same size and style) for 2 years before I bought my own so learning buoyancy control was progessing when I was renting. Granted it improved with my own custom-made wetsuit.

However, when considering that the regs (and bc) are life-support, the user wants to know without a doubt that it's in top condition. Rental equipment tends to be run-of-the-mill stuff not high-performance stuff for obvious reasons and that's not to say that rental equipment is not safe. But it isn't necessarily inspected after each rent out. As I mentioned earlier, I had 2 different sets of rental regs on different occasions within 4 weeks of each other crap out at 80ft! Upon inspection, nothing was found to be wrong with them and the explanation I got was that the diaphragm probably got some grit wedged in it keeping it open for water to enter instead of air. Yeah, air! Kind of critical!! How did such dirt get in there? Maybe quite accidentally and maybe everyone who had used them before me took great care to not accidentally drag them through the dirt and rinsed them completely after using them but I don't know for sure. I know that my own regs are rinsed thoroughly after dives and regularly serviced.

So, what I would look at is: what parts of my equipment are necessary to keep me alive?

wetsuit - while keeping me warm and improving my buoyancy skills, not really that important if I can rent one that fits reasonably well

computer - while able to provide me with longer bottom times, assisting with ascents and providing value data it is not what keeps me alive underwater. Tables are available for the time-being.

regs- air - critical to life-support!
bc - also life-support equipment.

Admittedly, I bought a wetsuit first against advice from my fellow divers but after my rental regs failed, I coughed up the dough for regs in one flat second!!

Gill, your life is in your own hands. Make the decision that you feel is right for you and not what everyone says here as you will always get different opinions. Everyone has different experiences. But that's the nature of the beast. If we were all in agreement on everything, there wouldn't be anything to discuss, now would there? :)

Diverlady

[Charlie99]

is that you stop leaving your accesories in the rental gear when you return it. :)

Rental gear generally doesn't come with the appropriate safety related gear, such as a slate, whistle, knife/shears, signal tube, and small light.

[Gill]

...I'm getting the regulator first. Can't dive without that, but I can dive without a computer. Until then I'll stick with dive tables and careful planning.

Thanks for your opinions.

[blackice]

My personal order of preference:

Mask / Exposure suit

Fins

Computer

BC/Regs

Others

Why? You will need a mask no questions asked, and an exposure suit that others have relieved themselves in isnot that cool, then fins as these make a really difference and it's good to have the same ones each dive so you know how well you will be able to handle different conditions.

Then a computer as you never seem to dive square profiles (maybe different in other places).

Then after you have all that the time comes when you make the expensive purchases, it's good to have extensive experience to know what sort of diving you like and would like to do. To know what is important to you.

=-)

[Gill]

Blackice: If you look at my first post I said I already have some of the gear. I already have the wetsuit, mask, fins. I guess I could of made it more clear. My mistake.

I'm currently in the process of getting the big ticket items such regulator, BCD, computer. That's where I needed to decide over computer or regulator first.

But yeah, it's all personal preference on which to get first. I just wanted other people's take on it. But it sure seems that all LDS now-a-days recommend computers before regulators.

[GreyWarrior]

1. Wetsuit (for obvious reason)

2. Reg

3. Computer

4. BC

5. Repeat as needed.

[sumguy]

I bought my BCD before my reg because I was tired of cheap, brown, rental BC's with their runaway inflators and improper fit. Also, I wanted weight-integrated, and the rental shop here doesn't stock it.
Regulator definitely before computer, because then you wouldn't need to rent anything anymore. Just my $.02

[ScottyK]

Hey Gill- Just an additional thought for you to chew on

You sound like me, in that you're not living on a trust fund or driving a Rolls Royce :D

If you can hold off a little longer and save up, in the long run it will cost you less to buy at least your BC, regs and guages/computer at the same time. Most places will give you a "package price" if you buy them together.

Good luck whichever way you decide to go.........Scott

[Gill]

ScottyK once bubbled...
Hey Gill- Just an additional thought for you to chew on

You sound like me, in that you're not living on a trust fund or driving a Rolls Royce :D

If you can hold off a little longer and save up, in the long run it will cost you less to buy at least your BC, regs and guages/computer at the same time. Most places will give you a "package price" if you buy them together.


Scott:

That's a good point. I'll talk to my LDS about that.

Hmm, now if I could win the lottery. It doesn't even have to be the "Big Jackpot". A fraction of it would already be good.

[ScottyK]

Our LDS lopped off $1,200 from his retail on two packages for Jen and I. We also added some other stuff like lights while he was feeling so generous ;)

Give your local guy first dibs, but if he won't discount you on a package, someone else surely will.


Scott

[astrofunk]

I definitely agree with the prevailing opinion that it makes sense to get life support before the computer. (My personal order was exposure suit, then BC and reg, then computer.)

However, you will need depth and time info if you're going to be diving the tables. Do you have a depth gauge and a timing device? If not, maybe that's why your LDS is pushing a computer?

[blackice]

Gill once bubbled...
Blackice: If you look at my first post I said I already have some of the gear. I already have the wetsuit, mask, fins. I guess I could of made it more clear. My mistake.



Sorry for my haste in giving my story.

I guess LDS would like to sell computers as there may be better margins on them and less returns.

But your right each to their own. I was happy renting BC and regs for a year but could not rent a computer, so I bought that first.

Then after SARS, we decided to by our own regs, I like to do research and understand what I am buying and why.

So it took me longer to find the right regs than a BC.

And at the same time I was looking in to long hose options so had to find the right thing for me before I bought the regs.

The BC was much easier after trying a Halcyon at the Great Barrier Reef trip, it was a clear winner.

[blackice]

ScottyK once bubbled...
in the long run it will cost you less to buy at least your BC, regs and guages/computer at the same time. Most places will give you a "package price" if you buy them together.
That might work for some but when I wanted an OMS guage the LSD was not allinged with that brand but could sell me Apeks regs, so I bought from a number of places.

Depends on if you happy with standard gear from one shop or have pictular needs and have to shop around.

Mind you I did get better prices when I bought a BC, weight pockets, light and hose kit from the same shop.

[TX65]

I would concur with the belief that you should get a BC and regulator, gauge set first.

If you had to narrow it down further, the regulator / gauge set should be first, then a BC.

There is nothing wrong with diving tables, going through the planning stages and working the plan. Actually, a lot of people when getting started would benefit and enhance their skills from the diligence of using the tables before getting a computer.

If you find yourself doing alot of multilevel dives and diving a straight profile is reducing your dive experience,,then a computer would be the next step.