Welcome to ScubaBoard, an online scuba diving forum community where you can join over 205,000 divers diving from around the world. If the topic is related to scuba diving, this is the place to find divers talking about it. To gain full access to ScubaBoard (and make this large box go away) you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:
Participate in over 500 dive topic forums and browse from over 5,500,000 posts.
Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
Post your own photos or view from well over 100,000 user submitted images.
Gain access to our free classifieds marketplace to buy, sell and trade gear, travel and services.
Use the calendar to organize your events and enroll in other members' events.
Find a dive buddy or communicate directly with scuba equipment manufacturers.
All this and much more is available to you absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact the ScubaBoard Support Team.
Myself, wife, brother, brother and other brother are new to scuba and needs some help. (And my other brother Daryl)
After reading much information about BCs, Regs and Computers I am now very confused.
I think I have narrowed it down to SeaQuest Balance with integrated 2nd/knife, Black Diamond with integrated 2nd/knife or the Zeagle Ranger. For my wife SeaQuest Libra XL with integrated 2nd and knife.
For the reg I think we have been talked into the ScubaPro MX25S600. What do you experienced divers think?
The Dive computer is the Sherwood AI Wisdom with QD, Compass and software package. Is this a good computer?
The total package price including tax for the Black Diamond or Libra is $1727. Is this a good price?
The total package price including tax for the Balance is $1679. Should I choose the Black Diamond for such a little difference?
We are new to diving and for now are doing rec stuff only. However; I want very good equipment that works well and will last a long long time and also expand with my skill level. Is this going to fill my wants/needs or am I spending alot of additional money for nothing? Also, all of this equipment is from a Dealer with full warranties. (Im supporting my LDS.)
Thank you very much for any information you may have to help me
Lots of problems with the Wisdom computers lately, crapping out at depth. Check out the Computers, Gauges, Watches & Analyzers forum or do a search on Sherwood Wisdom.
Supporting your LDS is fine, but that's quite a bit more than you could pay elsewhere. I have no problem buying from a dealer with full warranty, but balance that against how you'll feel when you find that you could get comparable equipment from Scubatoys, etc. Price it out and then make an informed decision. I wish I had.
The Zeagle is well thought of, esp. for those who aren't interested in the BP/W (the BP/W crowed will show up shortly in the thread if they already haven't). Scubatoys sells a Zeagle Brigade which is a Ranger harness but with a smaller bouyancy wing maybe better suited to recreational diving that what comes with the Ranger. Probably a lot cheaper than what you are looking at. ScubaPro and the AquaLung brands including SeaQuest aren't allowed to be sold online by authorized dealers, and really aren't discounted beyond 10% (ScubaPro resellers aren't allowed to go below a 10% discount) so if your stuck on those brands you'll pay a bunch.
I have a Ranger and really like it so far (only a few dives - Christmas present). It seems very tough and is very comfortable (even on a long walk to a shore dive with an obscene amount of lead to sink me with a 7mm farmer john). It has D rings anywhere you could want them and I understand can even sling doubles and do mild tech diving. I also really like that it's back inflate - I felt much more free under the water and had nice horizontal trim without any effort.
A couple things to keep in mind if you go the Ranger route:
-Consider the Brigade (from Scubatoys.com) if you don't need all the lift capacity of the Ranger. The ranger is a big mamma with its stock liftbag and it's going to be less than ideal to travel with. You can always swap the Ranger lift bag for the one that comes with the Brigade if you end up needing the lift down the road. I wish I'd have gone this route.
-For me (and I'd be interested to hear if others have this problem), the Ranger doesn't work well with an air integrated inflator. The corregated hose attaches to the BC a bit behind the shoulder (lower than other BCs I've used) and it doesn't leave me enough length on the hose to breathe comfortably from the inflator. I've tried adjusting the BC to see if I can get more hose up front, but haven't had any luck so far (and the BC feels comfortable in the position I'm wearing it in any event, so I'm loathe to change too much). So, you may want to consider getting a standard octo (people will probably tell you to consider a standard octo anyway).
As far as pricing, I got a Ranger Ltd., tusa duo air, zeagle flathead vi, aeris ai and a few other odds and ends for a little less than your balance package buying it online.
Originally Posted by CincyDave
Hi all,
Myself, wife, brother, brother and other brother are new to scuba and needs some help. (And my other brother Daryl)
After reading much information about BCs, Regs and Computers I am now very confused.
I think I have narrowed it down to SeaQuest Balance with integrated 2nd/knife, Black Diamond with integrated 2nd/knife or the Zeagle Ranger. For my wife SeaQuest Libra XL with integrated 2nd and knife.
For the reg I think we have been talked into the ScubaPro MX25S600. What do you experienced divers think?
The Dive computer is the Sherwood AI Wisdom with QD, Compass and software package. Is this a good computer?
The total package price including tax for the Black Diamond or Libra is $1727. Is this a good price?
The total package price including tax for the Balance is $1679. Should I choose the Black Diamond for such a little difference?
We are new to diving and for now are doing rec stuff only. However; I want very good equipment that works well and will last a long long time and also expand with my skill level. Is this going to fill my wants/needs or am I spending alot of additional money for nothing? Also, all of this equipment is from a Dealer with full warranties. (Im supporting my LDS.)
Thank you very much for any information you may have to help me
I have a Ranger BC that I trully love but if I had it to do over... I special ordered mine thinking I was going to use it for Technical diving. They fall a little short toteing heavy doubles. But Zeagle does make a nice back plate and harness that you can attach the bladder too. So if you are going to go strictly recreational right now I would recomend the Brigade ( I believe that took the place of the Escape) It will pack easier. You can't beat the fit of thier harness system. If you pm Larry from ScubaToys he is a Zeagle dealer and he can enlighten you more on the specifics. As for the Scubapro regs...I own 2 Mk25 S600 and am going to buy another for my deco bottle. I have dove them to 136' and could not tell the differance from 10'. I have also dove them in 38 degree water and had no problems. I know they cost more but how much is you life worth?
I hope this helps and has not confused you even more.
Dive Safe and Dive Often,
Butch :scubadive
hey
go with the zeagle bc. the scubapro mk25/s600 is also a great setup. fo computers do not get a sherwood get a aeris atmos 2. you are definately being charged too much. call scubatoys.com and ask for larry. especially check out the zeagle brigade from scubatoys i use it and its the best ive ever used. the atmos 2 computer is the easiest computer to use also and it is nitrox compatible. you can get everything i listed above from scubatoys for way under your original price. call them before you buy because they give you much better prices on the phone than on their website. good luck.
My advise is, without going into which one to buy:
Go on a few dives and try out different equipment. Not just what is on offer at LDS, but try others as well. Ensure that you are comfortable with the equipment. It can become very expensive, very quickly if you buy gear that you want to change in a few months time.
Don't hasten into purchasing regs, try out......they all do the same thing, but some do it with more comfort to you than others. It took me a very long time to settle on my regs.
Think about what servicing will cost......... (how much, do you have to ship it to manufacuter, abroad?)
How long is warranty?
Do you really need this (buy what you need, adding over time)
How heavy is it? If you plan to do travel.... you have to carry it, put in hold etc.
How easy is it to fix if something goes wrong? (if you are on a boat it would be a shame if you could not fix it easily) Also look at what spares cost/ if they are readily available.
If you want to move on into technical diving, you will probably end up with a wing design. Think about this in advance.
If you buy so much gear at once, you should get a nice deal from LDS (haggle). Those combined deals are less common place on the net. Single purchases are usually cheaper on the net (all with full warranties). VERY good deals in Asia, but import tax may be levied. If you have an opportunity to go abroad......like on vacation, maybe buy stuff there, use it and take it home as used..... saves lots! ;-). Travel with a list of things you want, and home prices.....this way all purchases are educated ones.
Computers: think ahead... if you want to go into technical diving...will it do gass switches, does it have a BT function with seconds, user replaceable battery (important to me personally), what algorithm used (more and more current thinking is towards deep stops / RGBM ).
DO buy a SMB (lots of people forget this crucial piece of safety equipment)
Fins, try before you buy.......some feel better than others, some have less power than others. Try them in currents too.......
there is so much....overall........ Think about being self suffient, cost, weight and function.
Don't make quick decisions.........try, borrow and evaluate before you seperate with your money.
But if money is no issue, buy the best you can get in one deal and get a nice discount!
Yeah, buying your gear is inevitable, and a fun part of diving. The above posts offer good advice. From your profile, it looks like you're either at the end of OW, or just completed it. If that's the case, I would just try out a lot of different types of gear (if you all haven't already). i.e, jacket v. backinflate v. BP/W. As for the specific gear you're looking at, I can only comment that the MK25/S600 is a good reg, but personally, I went with the MK25/G250. The S600 and G250 have similar internals, with the S600 in a smaller package. Now, I don't even notice the G250 when diving, it's cheaper and viewed as a favorite reliable workhorse. That sold me on it.
Yeah, a lot of gear purchasing should be directed towards what your future goals are (just vacation diving, local diving, tech diving, etc.), unless you have money burning you pocket. Good luck!
Definitely call Larry at scubatoys just to see what sort of deal he would set you up with. Your numbers seem pretty expensive to me. I like supporting LDS too, but come on! I don't support the ones who inflate prices astronomically. They're not a charity organization after all. My LDS owner is a lot like Larry. He'll always cut some deals, and I can usually buy from him cheaper than online when you factor in shipping. It's a tiny little place, though, and they don't have all that I need, so I'm a scubatoys regular now
I think there are better BC's out there than the sherwood and at better prices for example rodale's scuba diving rates every year new equipment that comes out.The last test puts the Aeris Atmos Xt,oceanic probe,mares vi at the top giving them the scuba lab tester's choice and the aeris atmos xt received the best buy too.
The least expensive sherwood BC of all that you mention is at $384 the more expensive at $524.Considering the fact that the Aeris Atmos xt is at $314 and last may received the best buy and scuba lab testers choice, i Think in my very own personal opinion that you should consider buying the aeris atmos xt.
The regulator is the best thing you could buy out there
i've been using scubapro all my life and they outperform in every test the other regs.
I would recommend the MK25/x650 it's a better configuration. and you can get it for $425 at leisurepro(they sell scuba equipment at very very low prices)
About the sherwood,it is a good computer but for the price about $700 dollars i would buy the scubapro smartcom
I think it is a far better computer in the sense that it actually takes in consideration your behavior below the water for example(if you're diving with a sherwood or another computer it only takes in consideration the natural 8 compartments of tissue or so and the nitrgoen or oxygen,etc but if your dive on a smart com then the computer has a new algorithm that I think they are the only ones with that sort of algorithms that actually takes in consideration if you're breathing too fast and the temperature,etc,etc,etc in other words it tells you if you've really absorbed that much nitrogen)because the dive tables does not take in consideration temperature,actual breathing behavior, then I think their calculations are not that corect.
Anyways,it depends too, what are the uses that your are planning to do with it.
If you want to dive on a recreational basis and not dive to 300 feet with multilevel diving and all sorts of gas mixtures then I tell you to buy a less expensive computer like the aeris atmos 2 that it cost litlle less than 300 I think it is in $294.Or another computer.But if you're planning for the big things then go ahead and buy the smart com or the sherwood(the smart com is far a better choice).
About the price I thing it is too much
For example if you buy the
MK25/x650($425),Aeris atmos xt($314),Uwatec air integrated smart com console with compass($649)
the total for it buying it in leisurepro.com is $1388 if you buy it in another place for example scuba.com or scubatoys.com the aeris atmos xt alone is $400
the sherwwod computer at leisurepro is at $684 in scubatoys.com is at $729 .
So, i suggest,that you take in reconsideration buyint it from your local diving shop or whatever it is and buy it online.
they offer guarantees too so it's not a bad choice.
ahhhhhh if you're planning on buying some fins take a look at the apollo bio fin pro
it is said they are the best ones out there.I have them and love them.
About the price I thing it is too much
For example if you buy the
MK25/x650($425),Aeris atmos xt($314),Uwatec air integrated smart com console with compass($649)
the total for it buying it in leisurepro.com is $1388 if you buy it in another place for example scuba.com or scubatoys.com the aeris atmos xt alone is $400
the sherwwod computer at leisurepro is at $684 in scubatoys.com is at $729 .
As another poster pointed out, the difference is we have to show those prices so you get a full manufacturers warranty (which you won't with leisurepro), but if you shout on the toll free number, we can package it up for you, and you will get the price - and the warranty.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Equipment purchase is inevitable!!!!!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by CincyDave
