Newly Certified - Want to start the ball rolling on equipment

[CDN_Bubbler]

Got certified and the one thing I promised myself was to get my own regulator (sucking on rentals is not an option )

Background, I live in Oakville Ontario and could headover to Buffalo for gear if the savings would warrent.

Most packages I see are for the BC & Reg (not sure how to determine good value) ... any or all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Bubbletrubble]

There's nothing wrong with using rental regs. The problem most people have is that they don't know how to do a comprehensive reg inspection prior to leaving the shop with the reg in hand. Consequently, they blame the shop for any issues with the reg when it's something that the diver should have recognized earlier and requested a replacement. This assumes that the dive shop renting the reg has made a good-faith effort to keep their rental regs in proper working order. With a little planning and effort, the diver can get a sense for this by inquiring (calling the shop) ahead of time about the condition and maintenance of the rental regs or by asking other divers for reviews of the available rental equipment.

I wouldn't recommend making your first gear purchase a reg. Focus first on the gear that requires a good fit (exposure protection, BC, mask, etc.). I'd definitely place a priority on getting a thick enough wetsuit or drysuit for whatever water temps you'll be diving. Obviously, if you plan on purchasing all of your own gear at approx. the same time, then the order in which you make the purchases doesn't matter as much.

Another thing to consider is the cost of reg maintenance. For instance, in order for a person to maintain his Scubapro reg according to manufacturer recommendations and be eligible for the free-overhaul-parts-for-life policy, he has to purchase the reg from an authorized dealer and then get the reg overhauled annually by an authorized reg tech. That servicing for one reg set can cost $50-$80 per year. Take this into consideration when figuring out whether you dive enough to own your own gear. If you plan to dive once a week, then obviously it makes sense to buy your own regs. If you plan to do only one warm water vacation per year, then it might be easier and more cost-effective to continue to rent.

 

[CAVDVR93538]

Well, there is always another side to the story, so here is mine.
In my opinion, a regulator SHOULD be your first choice!
Why, because it is what keeps you alive as soon as you put your head under water.
You can have a ill fitting suit, mask, (you should have that at the start of the class), bc, etc., all you get from that is a possible uncomfortable dive, but a bad reg is a much bigger problem.
another reason is, it is a piece of personal gear for those that are hygiene conscience that you put in your mouth. The next should be a bc. then whatever you can afford after that.
That's one reason that most dive stores offer the Reg, BC, as a set. Yes, it is the more expensive part of your purchase, but it is the essentials. All of the other items come as you can afford them.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

another reason is, it is a piece of personal gear for those that are hygiene conscience that you put in your mouth.

A diver who rents his reg can opt to put his own mouthpiece on the second stage. Buy the mouthpiece $5-$20 and bring along 2 zipties -- one to secure the mouthpiece for the rental period and another to affix the old rental mouthpiece before returning the gear.

In my opinion, a regulator SHOULD be your first choice!
Why, because it is what keeps you alive as soon as you put your head under water.

@CAVDVR93538: Out of curiosity, do you recommend that basic OW students purchase their regs before they take their OW class?

 

[CAVDVR93538]

Look, he asked a question and he got a reply from you and me. So to answer YOUR question, no I don't, although I do show them what the store sells and why I have the opinion that I do. They make the choice. Some are not sure or don't have the money, but that's what I do.
I understand that WE ALL have different reasons why. That is mine! It has more to do with knowing how the reg. is serviced and how it breathes. The mouthpiece is 2nd. I can go soak it in an antibacterial solution too if I am all that worried about germs.
We can agree to disagree! I've NEVER seen a place that offers scuba gear for rental, with a rack full of ScubaPro S600's on the shelf or any other top of the line reg. It's not very cost effective.
I just believe that if you are going to start buying gear for youself, the reg is THE most important part on the list. The rest of is secondary on my list.
I am sure that there will be rebuttals. One person previous said that a good signaling device should be first. That's hilarious.

 

[CDN_Bubbler]

After my certification I posed the same question, "In what order should I start purchasing my gear" to which the response was 1) Regulator 2) BCD 3) Wet Suit

I already have Mask/Fins/Snorkel/Boots

Just saying.

By the way, there's no right/wrong just opinions.

 

[Crush]

My thoughts:

1. Either you dive tables, or a computer. Computers are all different. I bought my own computer so that it would always accompany me on all dives - I know how to interpret it, how to switch function, how to set it for Nitrox, etc..

2. I dove a wetsuit at 1-10C for a year. I froze horribly. I wanted to buy a drysuit but decided to see if I would stick with diving before I invested the money. After a year of wetsuit diving I opted for a custom-tailored drysuit and spent WAY more on it than I would have a year earlier. That suit is worth every penny.

3. I travel by air to a fair number of dive sites. Initially I envied everyone else in their HUGE BCs with bells and whistles. Then I realized that my travel BC packs very well and I can take it carry-on. Consider a compact buoyancy control device - a travel BC or a BP&W.

4. Owning your own regs is nice. Be sure to make sure that they are designed for cold water!

Have fun!

 

[Bubbletrubble]

@CAVDVR93538:
Let me preface my comments by saying that I'm just a recreational diver...

To clarify, in my second post, I wasn't criticizing or disagreeing with your initial post at all. I asked my question because I was curious about the consistency of your recommendation. In your first post, you stated that a regulator should be the first gear purchased because "it is what keeps you alive as soon as you put your head under water." As an instructor, if I felt that way, and I wanted to keep my students alive, I'd require my basic OW students to purchase a reliable reg set and learn how to maintain it before they even started OW class.

There are certainly advantages to having one's own reg. I don't dispute that at all.

I just believe that if you are going to start buying gear for youself, the reg is THE most important part on the list. The rest of is secondary on my list.
I am sure that there will be rebuttals. One person previous said that a good signaling device should be first. That's hilarious.

FWIW, I can actually see the wisdom in that advice -- to purchase a good signaling device first. For instance, I don't know of any local dive shops that rent out surface signaling markers, whistles, or signal mirrors...yet all of those items are critical pieces of safety gear for many dives in various places throughout the world. If I had to make the decision between:
(a) Renting a reg set and owning the above-mentioned safety devices or
(b) Owning a reg set and not having those safety devices,
then my choice would be clear. I'd choose (a). That's just me and how I would prioritize my purchases.

 

[CDN_Bubbler]

I'm still no further ahead on this thread (yeah yeah poet and didn't know it)

I'm looking for good value for the money equipment.

Firstly,

Regs & BCD

While I have no idea on regs, the BCD I used down in Curacao @ The Dive Bus was good, I believe it was a TUSA Evolution

Is buying a package (regs & BCD) better than buying individual ?

What Regs & BCD would you recommend?

 

[scubadiver888]

Hey CDN_Bubbler,

A dive shop gets better pricing from the distributor if they buy large quantities. They can purchase equipment from different distributors and stock a wide selection or they could buy everything from one manufacturer and get better dealing pricing. In the GTA you'll find shops might advertise they sell many different brands but they typically only stock one or two brands. If you buy a package deal they order a package deal. Ordering a package deal means the dive shop gets a discount. Hopefully they pass that savings on to you.

I rented equipment for 6 years at dozens of different countries. I found that there wasn't a huge difference between the various BCDs. Whatever fits and feels right to you is the right one for you. Some are made a little more durable or have subtle differences which might matter to you.

Regulators can be a different story. Some regulators are inexpensive and okay for recreational diving. Some regulators breath much nicer and are good to 300+ feet. Some regulators breath better upside down (there are times this matters). Some regulators are overpriced.

So if figure out what regs you want. If the shop can give you a deal on the bcd if you buy it with the regs then you can take advantage of that.