Should there be a thread for newbies recommending gear?

[fuzzybabybunny]

So I recently got certified and was overwhelmed at all the gear options out there. Now that I'm more experienced, I wish I had read a thread that told me what gear to immediately start investing in should I plan on doing such and such diving in the future.

For example:

1. If you plan on only being a recreational diver (less than 130ft) - any gear should be ok

2. If you plan on doing something more technical (more than 130ft, deco diving, caving, etc)

Invest upfront in BP/Wing of so and so design, get a long hose, get higher performance regs, get a wrist mounted compass and simple pressure and depth gauges, etc

What happened to me was that I went more towards the route of #1, since this was the only gear that I was exposed to during my OW certification. Now that I want to do more of #2, I'm looking at re-purchasing gear, completely re-hauling some pieces, and even delaying (perhaps indefinitely?) taking classes because I simply don't have enough money to do both classes and get new gear. If I had started doing #2, I would already be properly configured to move ahead.

 

[herman]

IMO there is a little more to the issue than some would have you believe. A lot of the advice you will get will be full of half truths and false promises. Going tech is not something that should be done quickly. You need bottom time and experience before moving into more advanced diving, bottom time that can be gained with pretty much any equipment. Training and bottom time are what you need now, not more gear. Thinking that investing in a BP is going to save you money in the long run is misleading. Sure you can use it later but the other part of the story is you will end up with 2 or 3 depending on the variety of diving you are doing. One for doubles, one for travel and maybe another one for single tank cold water diving. You will be told by the BP fans that you need only 1 because it's modular and you can configure it. All true but there is more to the story. Steel is too heavy for travel (and for me overweights me with it alone), the wing that is prefect for a single 80 in warm water is no where near correct for twin steels. The wings are the most expensive part of the BC and since the BP is a pain to reconfigure and readjust (a point that I am sure will be disputed but first hand knowledge says otherwise) you will give up and buy another BP. Sure you can press any BP/wing into any duty but that does not make them the correct equipment for the job. Techies are all about the right equipment and rightfully so. The single tank bladder you bought for early rec diving so you could use your modular BP/wing later is not going to cut it with a set of doubles. If you are going to end up with more than one anyway, then why will your original rec BC not still work fine for travel or for the simple rec dives you still will do.

Regs are pretty much the same. You can always add a 5 or 7 ft hose to any reg for a few dollars so getting it at the beginning is not a big deal, you will need the short hoses anyway for stage bottles and other regs. Simple, low end piston regs that are fine for beginning divers also make perfect stage bottle regs. Again, your original (less expensive) rec equipment still has a use in a tech dive, it is not "a wasted purchase".

Bottom line is tech diving is equipment intensive and expensive. You will have to purchase more equipment and have to spend a lot more money to get into it- training/gas mixes/charters. I don't see the need to worry about a few extra dollars spent up front considering the amount you must spend later.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Agree with Herman. It also depends on what type of diving you are looking at in the beginning. Selecting gear for most new divers is done in the same way they select training. More thought is put into buying a new TV. And it is not really the divers fault. The way scuba is marketed in many ways hides just how big a decision it is. Fun, sun, friends, places, etc. Little emphasis on the realities of training and equipment differences. I'm always trying to get my students to think before they open their wallets. It devote 4 chapters to selecting gear, training, instructor, and lds selection. New divers normally are given limited choices in training. One thing that dictates this is the time in class. I like having 6-8 weeks to show students their options. I don't sell gear so there is no pressure to recommend anything other than what is in their best interests. After discussing where they see themselves in a year or two years. And we have that discussion several times during the class. Rarely do they stay fixed on one area. Eco stuff, wrecks, vacation only, all of these need to be discussed as well as their means to pay for it. Better to buy a simple piston reg and a basic BC like a Zeagle express tech that can be used forever and in many different set ups than a 600 dollar cold water reg that makes buying a BC a hardship unless you need the cold feature. Why buy a bulky BC with an air two that will not fit in a carryon when you can't afford the reg to go with it and need to switch hoses on a rental. I bought a top of the line BC right off the bat. Did my ow classes in .y own gear. That BC is gone. Too bulky and too inefficient for my diving. I did not know that then. No one told me. So I guess I agree that a thread or forum to advise newbies on gear would be good. Don't know how many shops will like it though. Same with my book. Some will love it and some may ask me to never set foot in their place!

 

[diver 85]

Most will never hit a homerun in gear 1st time around---there's a learning curve out there most must follow, lol....

 

[D_B]

Regulators ... if you get good breathing , solid regs the first time, you will be still able to use those as your diving changes .. "a good soilid performing reg can last you a lifetime of diving" .. the only gear advice my instructor gave us, I think he's right
( I still have to replace most everything else if I want do more than rec dives though .. oh well)

 

[TSandM]

Fuzzy, I empathize with you, but I have to say that a lot of divers don't KNOW what they want to do with their diving when they start. I even told my Fundies instructor that all I wanted was to be the best recreational diver I could be (and today, I hold a Full Cave and a technical cert).

I do think a lot of new divers get talked into buying equipment that isn't GOOD equipment for them, period. BCs that don't fit very well, or don't work very well, or regulators with tons of bells and whistles that aren't actually needed or useful, or fins that are ridiculously expensive for marginal or no increment in function. And, of course, I think a backplate system and simple paddle fins would suit the vast majority of people much better

But I also think it's hard to be a SB member, using this resource BEFORE you make your gear purchases, and not encounter those opinions!

 

[jnorris]

...but I have to say that a lot of divers don't KNOW what they want to do with their diving when they start.

I agree with this statement. I am a good example. I've done three or four "resort courses" over the years, and finally "took the plunge" (sorry, I couldn't resist) and completed my OW certification this summer. So for all practical purposes I'm a brand new diver. I have a decent set of fins, a mask, and a snorkel. I've also just purchased an Oceanic Geo 2 computer. That's it! That's my total collection of equipment so far.

So here I am wading through SB posts, other scuba-related websites, manufacturers' websites, and talking to folks at two local dive shops trying to figure out what to buy next. And I don't mean specific makes and models, but just what piece of equipment to buy. Should I go for a regulator next, or a BCD, or an exposure suit, etc., etc., etc. It's an amazingly complex decision process.

At this point all I really want to do is get some dives under my belt and get some experience. I haven't even given the first thought to whether I'll ever want to go into tech diving, so I'm not going to worry about buying equipment that might be suitable to tech diving. I am having enough trouble just trying to find my way through the maze of recreational diving equipment!

I think buying diving equipment is much like diving itself. It's best done slowly, carefully, and methodically. Any other approach invites problems if not disaster.

Ok, back to shopping...

 

[DivingPhan]

you always want to get as much opinion and options as you can before buying for one, and also realize alot of the tech stuff is excessive for rec. that being said i do think an easier more concise area would be very helpful for those looking for first purchases

 

[DevonDiver]

The biggest issue is to differentiate between what you want and what you need.

Lots of contributors on here advocate divers to buy what they want. That isn't much help to a novice diver who doesn't know what they want.

However, if we (as advisors) use our personal experience to provide recommendations on what a diver needs, then we often end up in heated debate. This is because, as divers, our needs and our experiences differ.

For this reason, it is best to allow novice divers to ask these questions individually. The advisors can then take into account the specific circumstances that apply to the OP...and provide a tailored solution for them.

If we wanted a consensus on the best 'generic' equipment configuration for a beginner, I think we'd be treading swiftly into a 'DIR' way of thinking.

 

[pjhansman]

I think buying diving equipment is much like diving itself. It's best done slowly, carefully, and methodically. Any other approach invites problems if not disaster.

While I generally agree in principle, it only took a couple of dive trips to realize that rental equipment is not maintained the way way I want to maintain it. This may not always be true but I wasn't going to bet my life on it. I spent most of my career as an active menber on underground mine rescue teams, and one of the most important things that is taught is that YOU are responsible for your own gear. Maintain it like your life depends on it....because it does. Scuba is no different.

My approach was to buy good quality gear. It may not be perfect for the diving I'll do in 3 years, but it fits great and works great for what I'm doing now.

My grown son is also waiting in the wings for any gear I wish to donate to him when I eventually become a "real" diver and replace that nasty back inflate BC with a BP/W.