Scuba gear shopping

[emoreira]

Hi people :

I'm a new diver. I have under my belt only 36 dives. I love diving.

This is the gear I own :
2 masks clear Cressi Matrix and black Asia Omersub
2 snorkels Scubapro escape and SeaSub ??
3 mm Boots
3 mm gloves
3 mm hooded vest
5 mm Farmer John Wetsuit
Open heel fins Cressi Frog
Dive knife
Main dive light Technisub Lumen X6
Secondary dive light Mini Q40 Xenon
Oceanic Compass
Oceanic VEO 180NX PDC
Canon A570is + Canon WP-DC-12 case
Trident tank banger
Home made Slate
Home made weights (8, 4 and 2 pounds)
Home made weight belt

This is what I normaly rent :
1) Neoprene Jacket (Upper part)
2) BC
3) Regulator + Octopus + manometer + inflator
4) Tank

I have some money to spend and was trying to decide one of the four points mentioned above.
My short experience as diver that rents scuba gear is that rented BCs are crap. They lose air from the bladders, broken and/or missing parts, valves hardly working, etc.
Only once had a minor problem with a regulator underwater. I've switched to the octopus though I could go on with the main secondary (it was only wasting air).
Neoprene Jacket is difficult to buy online. It should fit perfect and one should try it in the store to find out the right size.
Tank, there is no reason to buy a tank if you don't have still a BC and reg.

I guess that the right direction is the BC. What are your opinions ? Please help me take the right decision.
I´ve seen this one :
ScubaMax Altima JX200 Buoyancy Compensator

[SailNaked]

if you are not having any problems with the rented regulator then Buy a BC. A BC that fits you and you can use to normalize your weight will make you a better diver. however if you want to be sure that you can breath air then buy a Regulator so that you know its history and repair and use record first then Buy a BC.

[dhuskins]

Of your four items:

1) Neoprene Jacket (Upper part)
If you need it regularly, then consider this. I would get some of the other things first.

2) BC
This is a good choice. Having your own BC means having something that fits every dive.

3) Regulator + Octopus + manometer + inflator
This would be my first purchase of these four. I would also get the SeaCure mouthpiece.
Having this means you know what service history your life support system has had.

4) Tank
Only buy a tank if you do a more than a dozen local dives per year. Less than that and
it may not be cost effective for you.

[emoreira]

Thanks for the comments.
+2 for the regulator.
However, from the LDS that rents equipment point of view, the regulator service is mandatory. It's a life support device, but the BC is an accessory. If it's not working properly, well the diver should be able to handle. If it loses air, the diver will go to the bottom or will need more effort and more air to keep flotability. If the power inflator do not cut (that happened to me) the diver has to manage to avoid going to the surface as rocket. This is more dangerous than going to the bottom as a stone (unless you are diving a wall).
From the 36 dives I have under my belt, more than 80 % of the times I had complains with the rented BC, and only one time a minor problem with the regulator.

[Bubbletrubble]

Since the fit of exposure protection is critical to its function, I'd be more inclined to get the wetsuit issue squared away first. If your LDS is renting out a suitable neoprene "top," then order a new version of that (same brand/model/size) or offer to purchase a used one from the LDS. That being said, BCD fit is important, too, but most BCDs offer a range of adjustment.

What kinds of issues have you had with your rental BCD?
Do you know how to do a comprehensive pre-dive check on a BCD? (Most novice divers don't know how.)
You should really be doing this before you leave the LDS with BCD in hand.

In general, BCDs require a lot less maintenance than regs do. I'd be very unhappy if my LDS rented out a crappy BCD to me. I would definitely go elsewhere to rent...or buy one of my own ASAP. I'd be particularly wary of rental regs coming from the same shop. Learn how to do a solid pre-dive check for regs, too.

I suspect that you'll be getting all of the items rather quickly. I would save the tank for last. Keep an eye out for used tanks as they can be a much better value than a new one.

I'm curious. Why do you have a dive computer and an UW camera setup when you don't have all of the "essential" dive gear yet?

[Damselfish]

I would lean towards BC before reg. (Unless you normally have more problems with rental regs than rental BCs, but that doesn't seem to be the case.) It's more of a pain to use different BCs all the time. ANd I take it you're trying to save money - you should also be able to pick up a decent BC for a lot less than a reg set., and regs cost much more to maintain then BCs.

A wetsuit top or even a fullsuit could be pretty inexpensive, just keep an eye open for a deal. If you need it I'd put a fairly high priority on it, probably also before a reg.

It probably doesn't make sense to get tanks before BC/reg, unless you com across some great deal used.

[Mayor]

For me I can dive in any old junk but please don't take my regs from me.

[2degrees]

I would get a reg and computer first. I purchased a good reg and computer and I have been happy with them. I did not like the idea of putting something in my mouth that someone else might have puked in. I know your LDS tells you they clean it but.... I also enjoy having my computer display info the way I want with out setting it up. After getting a reg I then rushed to purchased a BCD. As my diving style has changed so has my BCD. I now have a BCD and a BP/w. If I had to do it again I would try and use different style BCD's before pulling the trigger. I think you should dive with a hybred, back inflate, BP/W, HOG before you get your own BCD. Or you may end up with 2 bcd's

[emoreira]

I'm curious. Why do you have a dive computer and an UW camera setup when you don't have all of the "essential" dive gear yet?

Goooooood question, simple answer.
All the gear I have right now is all that gear that cannot be rented (well, not all).
I love UW photo. No where can be rented an UW camera (at least where I live).
In every LDS the basic gear can be rented, but this does not include knife, PDC, Compass, gloves, boots, slate, lights and camera. A fully rented equipped diver (for example you are a diver on vacation but have not carried your gear and all of a sudden you can dive) has none of the mentioned devices. Only wetsuit, BC, reg, tank, weights, fins and mask, even no snorkel !!!

[emoreira]

I would get a reg and computer first.

I have already an Oceanic VEO 180NX