If money was no object what would you buy?

[scubawhiz]

Hi Everyone,

I just found this board today and have had a very "productive" day at work. LOL. This site rocks!

I am Padi A/OWC certified and will becoming a professional dive instructor in the very near future, after which time I will be relocating so that I can dive full time and share the joy of diving.

I have been researching dive gear for a while and have some thoughts on some gear, but what ideas do you have for what gear to get?

The the only parameter being, I don't want to replace it or change it for a number of years and don't want to buy new equipment as my diving experience evolves.

Your picks on on BC's, computers, regs would be greatly valued.

Thanks,
-Steve

[hunter991]

I picked my gear with the same requirements when I got it. If something were to happen to it now I would replace it with identical gear. I have a Agir Backplate and wing system. All brands of these are pretty similar so just find one you like if you are willing to go to the backplate system. I sell Agir stuff but would be comfortable with any mainstream system. There are lots of reasons for a backplate...but you will never outgrow it once you try it and once you get use to it you will never look back.

I would buy a set of nice regs, I prefer Salvo as I also sell them. I also like poseidon, and apeks. I wouldn't get anything titanium in a reg and I would definately get DIN. I would buy top of the line here as it will affect your diving experiences. Salvo are great and at a great price but lots of companies make great regs now.

Find a set of fins you like, I like jets...its more of a personal preference thing that the one best fin. Split fins for easy kicking and slow moving. Jet fins for a little harder workout but more max speed and control if you need it.

The VR3 is a top of the line computer, but it is expensive and you may not need all the features right away, it is probably THE most expensive computer you can get. However you can buy it as a nitrox computer and upgrade it remotely if your needs grow to technical diving. It is on my list to haves. I do have a technical diving slant though, so YMMV.

Brent

[DivePartner1]

[LEFT]If money were no object what would you buy

An annuity that would allow my wife, daughters and I to dive throughout the world, for the rest of our lives, while living a life of comfortable excess.

[jrockosaurus]

I'd buy a rebreather.

[ChrisA]

If you will be teaching you will need to use equipment like what your students use. In many cases the shop you work for will require that you use equipment that they sell. Meanning that you might have to change equipment if you change jobs. But then you might just want to use the shop's rental equipment in the pool, chorine is not so nice on your gear.

As for regulators. Buy the brand that the shop you work for can service. You will need service at leaast twice a yaer if you dive them a lot. (kind of goes with the above too) If you are teaching who care how well it breats, you will only be using it at about 40 feet, they are all good at that depth.

One other problem is that gear that is suitable for teaching an OW class may not work well for other kinds of diving. Doubles and a backplate don't work in a class.

All that said if I where able to replace everything and money were no object

Lights: Greenforce system, 21W HID, and an LED head and a few battetry packs. Two "scout" LED types for spares

Exposure suit: DUI, one trilam and one crushed neoprene

BC: I don't care what the purists say about continous webbing. I like the diverite harnes. I'd buy two of the diverite systems one for doubles and one for single tank. Riterite calls them "transplates"

Regs: I'd buy five Apex ATX100. I use Apex now and like it
The doubles setup requires two regs, the single tank requires one and then you have pony/stage tanks and I'd want a spare. So five.

Tanks: PST E7-100 would be the one I'd use most of the time. I'd need two of those but the 80 and 120 size is nice to have too. I'd keep the 120 O2 clean for nitrox and the e7-80 is great if there is a hike to/from the water I'd need another set of 100s for doubles. OK there is $2000 just in tanks. If you are teaching a class get an Aluminum 60 and save your back.

I like my OMS brass SPG. Robust and easy to read to within 50 PSI.

Suunto computers (Viper I think) and SK7 wrist compass. Being over 40 I like big numbers

As long as we are at, it I bet Rollex makes a nice dive watch

Equipment bag? Who needs one. Hire some porters.
But Stahlsac dose make some nice bags and Pelican makes some nice cases. Both come with lifetime warenty

Fins. You can't have just one pair. I like the Scubapro Jets and the Scubapro twin jets too.

I plan to buy a Halcon "semi-closed" lift bag. I'll know if I like this in a few months but right now I think this might be the best regardles of cost.

[TSandM]

A lot depends on where you are going to be, and what kind of diving you are going to do.

You say you don't want to have to replace stuff as your diving experience evolves . . . The only gear configuration that will stay with you no matter what you do is a BP/W, which allows you to move into doubles and technical diving without changing anything but the wing. If you don't intend to head into technical diving, then that's moot.

If you handed me a pile of money and told me to spend it on dive gear, I wouldn't replace anything I now own. I'm very happy with my gear as it is. I'd just get more gear . . .

But I will say that one piece of equipment which is expensive but absolutely, utterly worth it is a powerful HID light. I love my Salvo 21W -- I love it in our murky water, and I love it in the tropics (in the daytime only, though!)

[dlndavid]

I like my SP and Aeris gear. And I guess money was was not an object when I selected it.
btw: welcome to ScubaBoard.

[Brandon]

A different (hopefully more helpful) recommendation:

For your regulator, find an environmentally sealed, balanced first stage, and a balanced, adjustable second stage with some sort of heat transfer device. You want at least 4 lp ports (primary 2nd stage, alternate 2nd stage, bc inflator, drysuit inflator), and 1 or 2 hp ports (pressure gauge). This is an any ocean / any dive type of regulator - deep, shallow, carribean, arctic, it won't care.

Tons of computer choices... different brands use different algorithms to calculate your bottom time, some more conserative than others. Big thing here is to find one that is nitrox compatible, has an easy to read face, and whatever bells / whistles you want and can anticipate using.

For your BC, find something that is comfortable. LOTS of choices in this area, and there's a lot of considerations - like if you're diving with single or double tanks, recreational or technical diving, etc. A good starting point would be back-inflate BCs in the 30-40 pound lift range for single tanks, or 45-65 pounds if you forsee using double tanks. If you prefer simplicity to bells and whistles - the backplate and wing setup may interest you.

I'm not sure brand and model specific recommendations are helpful. Many of the top diving equipment manufacturers make multiple products that will do what you want them to do. Beyond that, its personal preference, and no product is really that much better than another.

So... the short answer?

If money were no object, I'd still dive the mid priced gear I have now. The extra $1000-3000 is simply not worth it (to me) for the .05% gain in performance.

-B

[ChrisA]

I'd buy a rebreather.

Really. Whould you use it that much? They require huge amounts of maintainance and cleanning after every dive. The inards need to be not just rinced but sterilized. Not the thing to use for a 40 minute dive on a local beach.

[Atticus]

Please see the thread at http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=146421.