What equipment significantly changed/improved your scuba diving experience

[ProfessorAronnax]

For me it's my Full Face Mask (there's something wonderful about not sucking on a regulator, getting water up your nose or freezing water on your face) and a DPV (and I think 2012 is the year of the DPV) helping in currents, saving gas and the fun factor.

It would be interesting to hear from others: What 1 or 2 pieces of gear significantly changed your overall diving experience?

[Bubbletrubble]

Drysuit + drygloves.

[Scott L]

The stability provided by a BP/wing BCD system...

[koozemani]

BP/W. Hands down

[saxplayer1004]

drysuit and steel 72's.
Drysuit just makes life better.
steel 72's have honestly been the most significant though. I have a set of double 72's and singles that I use for sidemount. It allows me to dive in a wetsuit without being incredibly over weighted, allows me to actually carry doubles without destroying my knees, has just made my diving experiences so much better. Sidemount was a close third though, but the tanks were quite literally life changers for me.
I learned how to dive in a bp/w so can't use that one, but drysuit and the 72's are still far more influential to me

[TSandM]

My canister light. Not only was I able to see a lot more, but I now had a really good way to stay in constant communication with my buddy/ies. In our low light and often low viz, this was a very big deal. It was the first piece of equipment I upgraded, and still probably the biggest quantum step.

[Darnold9999]

Drysuit. learned to dive in local water in a wetsuit. Gave it up (local diving) for more than 20 years until I bought a dry suit. Just way too much work and discomfort for the rewards. From diving less than 10 times a year all vacation diving to 50 - 70 dives a year.


Camera would be second. While I like poking around, having a goal and tasks to focus on makes it significantly more enjoyable for me.

[kombiguy]

BP/W was a sea-change in my diving skills. The single best purchase I ever made was a Seacure moldable mouthpiece. It reduced my air usage and allowed me to relax my jaw leading to fewer headaches and less overall fatigue!

[Bogie]

Drysuit, Halcyon Infinity, good light, (low volume, black, single pane mask)

[j2s]

It wasn't so much gear as material, Denier, Velcro and Silicone....I'm now waiting for something so strong and light that a tank the size of an AL40 can be made that will hold 200cu.ft of air/nitrox.... My doubles are getting heavier and the dive sites farther every year !!!!!