What is the best "Starter Instructor" equipment?

[wilson7561681]

Howdy Everyone ,

This is my first post on this forum and so far I have gotten some great information. In a nut shell I am looking to go for my Instructors certification and hopefully work for a dive shop in SE Asia. I currently live in Utah and our dive shops are limited.
Don't get me wrong... There are some great shops, but I don't want to be "Sold" equipment. I don't want the guy that is selling equipment to me telling me its great equipment. I just can't trust that. I want to hear it from the people that wont exactly "benefit" from there opinion.

So here is my plan. I am currently an Advanced diver and like I said I am going for instructor. I plan on doing my rescue in a couple of weeks in Aruba and then when I get home I will be taking the CPR course and Divemaster Course. The problem is I want to have my equipment before I start the Divemaster Course. One of the problems I am facing is that this will all be over the Winter season in Utah and so a lot of the training will be in a pool. I don't really want to buy some amazing equipment and then have all of the chlorine ruin it right off of the bat.

So here are my questions:
#1: What equipment would you buy for "starter instructor"?
#2: Would you buy junky equipment for swimming pools, and great equipment for Open Water dives?
#3: Opinions on shoulder inflate/deflate hose or Waist inflate/deflate lever?
#4: Any experience with working for a dive shop in SE Asia? (preferably Thailand)

Thank You all for your help and response

[diveprof]

If you wish to be "acceptable"to your employing dive shop, then the simple answer is to dive their equipment. I suggest diving what ever equipment you have until you have your instructor'sertification. At that pint, as an employee of that dive shop, you should be given a substantial discount on your equipment (key man package or something in that range).

[Capt.Gene]

I would recomend a Stiletto model Zeagle bc. It is very ruggedly built, yet light weight and packs small to travel with.The Cordura material is very color fast and clorine safe. The best thing about the Stiletto is how well it fits and dives.It's best of show, imho.
There are a lot of good regulators in the marketplace and if you buy name brand and avoid the entry level model you will get good value and service. You are really splitting hairs trying to pick a winner among 20 different recomendations your friends here will recomend.

[Jim Lapenta]

Agree with Gene. One thing you may find is that a BC that is a little chlorine faded does not affect the function of it. I'd also advise against spending a fortune on new gear. Get yourself a basic travel BC like the Stiletto or my personal favorite the Zeagle Express tech. A good reg. You do not need to spend a fortune on it either. A 3 mil suit with pockets on the thighs. A basic wrist computer and wrist compass. Then dive and teach in the shop rental gear and keep your gear for your own fun dives. A pro should be able to dive any gear in any configuration used in backmount recreational diving.

[DevonDiver]

#1: What equipment would you buy for "starter instructor"?

I used to buy 'the best', because I felt I did enough diving to justify high-quality purchases. However, having spent a few years as a full-time instructor in Asia, I've now revised that view completely. Kit gets worn out and trashed very quickly - life span of a BCD is around 1-2 years, regardless of manufacturer. Wetsuits about the same. A good solid set of fins will last longer (Jets, Force, Slipstream etc)... fancy fins with lots of materials and gimmicks will fall apart quicker. Regs will last forever, but you'll be changing hoses

Nowadays, I look for rugged, but economical, equipment. Simplistic, well-made stuff that has fewer gimmicks, gadgets and add-on features = less things to break.

I've actually used a BP&W for the last 8 years. Can't beat that for ruggedness, simplicity and long-term cost effectiveness.

#2: Would you buy junky equipment for swimming pools, and great equipment for Open Water dives?

Nope, I use the same. Just look after it... make sure it gets a good rinse (or straight into the ocean) after time in the pool. It gives better continuity for student learning... and it means I have to carry less kit around with me.

Chlorine bleaches kit, but no more so than leaving salty kit to dry out in the tropical sun (i.e. hanging on the boat between dives).

To me, it's ALL junky kit.... not that I don't look after it meticulously. It's a working tool.

#3: Opinions on shoulder inflate/deflate hose or Waist inflate/deflate lever?

Personally, I wouldn't consider a waist inflate/deflate under any circumstances. For an instructor, you're gonna find it hard to demo skills, if your students aren't also using the same design. Fancy lever designs have a lot more failure points...and are a lot harder to quick-fix... than a basic LPI hose.

Again, I wouldn't ever consider a waist lever thingy...

#4: Any experience with working for a dive shop in SE Asia? (preferably Thailand)

Yes, I've lived and worked in S E Asia since 2007. That included 2 years in Thailand, working as a full-time freelancer and then as a dive shop manager. Followed by a season in Borneo, Malaysia, and have worked in the Philippines since then.

[Colliam7]

So here are my questions:
#1: What equipment would you buy for "starter instructor"?

Something VERY simple, something VERY streamlined, something relatively inexpensive. The Express Tech is one good example. As several have mentioned, a rig has a very limited lifespan, and it is hard to say that an expensive, 'high end' rig has a susbtantially greater longevity in the teaching environemnt than a more modestly priced unit.

#2: Would you buy junky equipment for swimming pools, and great equipment for Open Water dives?

Not necessarily. I originally bought a used BCD (SeaQuest Pro jacket) I intended to use for pool-only use, and a used regulator (Mares MR12) I intended to use for pool-only use. Both of them came from the rental inventory of the shop where I was doing my DM. They were offered to DM candidates for a very reasonable price at a time when they were being replaced by newer gear in the rental inventory, anyway. But, I found over time that I preferred to use the same BCD and regulator for both pool and OW check-outs. Now, the 'not necessarily' part comes from the fact that I dive a different rig (BP/W) for personal, recreational diving. What I do separate between pool and OW is my exposure suit. I have a different suit (1 mm Microprene) for the pool than I use for OW (usually a 3mm). That may not be necessary in SE Asia, though.

#3: Opinions on shoulder inflate/deflate hose or Waist inflate/deflate lever?

I would use exclusively a shoulder unit. It is consistent with 99.9% of the available commercial gear. I presume you are referring to something like the Aqualung Dimension. While a nice idea, I would stay away from it for teaching gear.

#4: Any experience with working for a dive shop in SE Asia? (preferably Thailand)

No, I leave that for Andy and others.

One other point. As several have indicated, many shops / teaching operations want instructors to wear/use their particular brands and preferred rig. If you are doing Instructor training elsewhere, best to find out what the local preferences are before investing in a teaching rig. That doesn't mean you have to agree to a particular set. Rather, it may give you guidance on where you want to train.

[couv]

Hi Wison, welcome to ScubaBoard.

I'm retired from teaching now, but having been a "new" instructor in a few dive shops and required to buy and teach in the equipment those shops sold, I can feel your pain. So first figure out which shop you will be teaching with and buy that equipment. But what to do until then? Buy used equipment from a reputable source. Probably DA Aquamaster http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/members/da+aquamaster.html or Bluwaterdiving http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/members/bluewaterdiving.html here on Scuba Board can help you out. They are independent repair techs who also work with local shops.

When you first get to your new shop, ask if you can teach using their rental gear while you sort out your permanent equipment. What if you get a job in a shop-buy a lot of expensive equipment-then find out you hate your new employers? You'll be back to square one if you move to another shop.

Your SE Asia question: PM Quero http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/members/quero.html

Good luck,

Couv

[DevonDiver]

#4: Any experience with working for a dive shop in SE Asia? (preferably Thailand)

Not specific to SE Asia, but representative, this blog article is quite illuminating:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/blogs/sierrakilo/131-so-you-want-divemaster-bleak-look-professional-diving.html

[halemanō]

Howdy Everyone ,

This is my first post on this forum and so far I have gotten some great information. In a nut shell I am looking to go for my Instructors certification and hopefully work for a dive shop in SE Asia. I currently live in Utah and our dive shops are limited.
Don't get me wrong... There are some great shops, but I don't want to be "Sold" equipment. I don't want the guy that is selling equipment to me telling me its great equipment. I just can't trust that. I want to hear it from the people that wont exactly "benefit" from there opinion.

So here is my plan. I am currently an Advanced diver and like I said I am going for instructor. I plan on doing my rescue in a couple of weeks in Aruba and then when I get home I will be taking the CPR course and Divemaster Course. The problem is I want to have my equipment before I start the Divemaster Course. One of the problems I am facing is that this will all be over the Winter season in Utah and so a lot of the training will be in a pool. I don't really want to buy some amazing equipment and then have all of the chlorine ruin it right off of the bat.

So here are my questions:
#1: What equipment would you buy for "starter instructor"?
#2: Would you buy junky equipment for swimming pools, and great equipment for Open Water dives?
#3: Opinions on shoulder inflate/deflate hose or Waist inflate/deflate lever?
#4: Any experience with working for a dive shop in SE Asia? (preferably Thailand)

Thank You all for your help and response

#1: What equipment did I buy?

~11.5 years ago my mentor took me to the "Japanese dive shop" in Waikiki, to buy some discontinued gear for my Instructor "quest".

The SeaQuest Spectrum BC was $161. It has significantly more than 1,500 ocean dives and 1,000 pool dives. I "dyed" it black twice but wish I had not because when they totally fade out they have a very pretty "sheen". Contrary to previous posters, my experience is that with proper care, BC's last for many thousands of dives. That BC still functions just fine and I still use it (or students use it).

After 5 years of full time instructing, I was wanting something "colorful", so I bought a used "blue" SeaQuest Spectrum 2; off ebay for $120 shipped to Maui. It was obviously a "fleet" BC, because the hand written white marker "L" is still visible on the shoulder. I have made in the neighborhood of 2,000 ocean dives and 1,000 pool dives with it and it is still "pretty blue". That BC is my primary BC.

Going back to Waikiki, 11.5 years ago, I bought a ScubaPro MK14/R190 reg set, for $200. They even gave me a "fake receipt" for $350, to use in warrantee situations. My mentor gave me an old Italian console with analog spg & depth gauges.

Then, after getting to Key Largo, I bought the cheapest Alternate I could find; Mares Nikos, for $80. One night I took my dive knife and "carved" the plastic inside the body so I could switch it to "left handed".

My fins were ancient Dacor Rockets, bought for $20 at a second hand sporting goods store in Santa Cruz. I electrical taped the buckles during AOW and never had issues, but my Mares X3's are much better and were only $45 new.

The SeaQuest Spectrum / ScubaPro MK14/R190 / Mares Nikos /old Italian console / old "taped" Rockets ($461) got me through OWSI and NSS-CDS Intro to Cave (rented 7' yellow hose for Intro to cave). After I got an Instructor job I upgraded reg set as a "key man".

Key man is the key; buy as cheap as will do the job; now I buy mostly ebay/craigslist. Then buy what needs to be better, or the employer's brands, when you get the key man deal.

I currently use my #1 rig whenever training; pool or ocean. Proper cleaning is part of proper instruction, and proper gear maintenance.

#3: Opinions on shoulder inflate/deflate hose or Waist inflate/deflate lever?

Traditional in/deflate hose and no levers, until key man, if ever (me never).

[Quero]

Howdy Everyone ,This is my first post on this forum and so far I have gotten some great information. In a nut shell I am looking to go for my Instructors certification and hopefully work for a dive shop in SE Asia. I currently live in Utah and our dive shops are limited. Don't get me wrong... There are some great shops, but I don't want to be "Sold" equipment. I don't want the guy that is selling equipment to me telling me its great equipment. I just can't trust that. I want to hear it from the people that wont exactly "benefit" from there opinion. So here is my plan. I am currently an Advanced diver and like I said I am going for instructor. I plan on doing my rescue in a couple of weeks in Aruba and then when I get home I will be taking the CPR course and Divemaster Course. The problem is I want to have my equipment before I start the Divemaster Course. One of the problems I am facing is that this will all be over the Winter season in Utah and so a lot of the training will be in a pool. I don't really want to buy some amazing equipment and then have all of the chlorine ruin it right off of the bat.

Hi Wilson, and welcome to ScubaBoard!

So here are my questions:#1: What equipment would you buy for "starter instructor"?

First of all, I would say that for since you are planning on working in SE Asia, I don't think the advice to dive what the shop sells applies. We just don't have that kind of "authorized dealer" mentality here, and I don't know of a single place that asks instructors to dive the gear they sell. For Southeast Asia work, I would be absolutely certain to buy gear that is easy to get repair parts for over here. Therefore, avoid the big US-dominant brands like Sherwood, Oceanic, Aeris, Tusa, etc. Stick with more international brands for most things. If you want regs, get Apeks, Aqualung, ScubaPro. These are the easiest ones to get service kits and other parts for. If you want a dive computer, I would recommend a Suunto. I personally dive with Uwatecs with Suunto backup, but I'm glad I've got more than one Uwatec because service takes ages since they send them off to Hong Kong. If you want a BCD, again, stick with ScubaPro, Seac, Aqualung. Mares is also available widely here, but they aren't my favorite. If you want a backplate and wing, you might get great mail-order service with Zeagle or Hog where they will overnight stuff to you via DHL, so that might be an option, but locally in Thailand you get get parts almost instantly for OMS, and that's the brand of bp/w I own. (I dive an Aqualung Zuma Pro for working, though.)

#2: Would you buy junky equipment for swimming pools, and great equipment for Open Water dives?

Not really. I do tend to dive with one of my old wetsuits in the pool though.

#3: Opinions on shoulder inflate/deflate hose or Waist inflate/deflate lever?

I agree entirely with DevonDiver on this one. Most rental gear your future students will be using will have shoulder inflate. You will want to be able to demonstrate skills in the same way you expect students to perform them, and that will be with a shoulder inflate. Beyond that, I've rarely seen a shoulder inflate fail, and I've seen those silly waist levers get accidentally bumped or jammed or something a number of times. They're just a gimmick.

#4: Any experience with working for a dive shop in SE Asia? (preferably Thailand)

Yes, I own one. In Thailand, most instructors are freelancers, and depending on what part of Thailand you want to work at, pay scales and documentation requirements vary. Instructors on Koh Tao earn very, very little compared to other places, and because the dive industry there is something of a mafia, it operates using illegal workers (no work permits required), and there is absolutely no job security. Phi Phi dive ops also hire illegally, but dive pros there tend to burn out in short order, so there's a huge turnover on the island. Phi Phi looks like paradise to a visitor, but gets old very, very quickly when you actually live there. On Phuket you absolutely must have a work permit to get any work at all, but nobody hires permanent staff, so you have to organize all the paperwork on your own. At Khao Lak, the diving is 100% seasonal, and mostly from liveaboards. No work permits, but on the other hand, you starve for half the year since there is zero work, and I mean zero.

Thank You all for your help and response

My pleasure.