New Scuba Set Up

[Dazzy sock]

Hello everyone !

I am about to purchase some new scuba gear.
I have listed what I am looking at buying and if anyone can offer advice it would be appreciated.

1. BCD (Rear inflation type) either a Aqualung Balance or Knight hawk Pro or Dive rite transpac
2. Regulator - Legend LX (ACD) 2013 model or Sherwood SR2 2014 model
3. Atomic Split Fins
4. Suunto Cobra console computer or Sherwood Wisdom 3

I am use to vest type BCD but have heard good things about the rear inflation (wing type)
I am mainly diving wrecks, crays, scollys and just cruising around down there under the water.
Once I buy this new equipment I want it to last me with out updating anything in a hurry

Thanks for your help

 

[LowVizWiz]

My first computer was a Cobra & my first BCD was a Balance. Sounds like you're buying from an Aqualung shop just like me when I was first certified.

I added a second cam band to the Balance because the single cam band did not secure heavier steel tanks well IMO. It could have been technique at the time, but the second cam band really stabilized the tank for me.

I have a rather long torso and felt like the waist was too high for me (Could not see or reach pockets easily) even with the shoulder straps fully extended. I ended up doing about 100 dives with that BCD before selling it and replacing it with a Back Plate and Wing.

I thought the Balance was well built, it just didn't fit me well which is usually the case with "off-the-shelf" scuba gear.

The Suunto Cobra served me well, much longer than the BCD! But I prefer a wrist mounted computer, so I sold the Cobra and bought a used Vyper basically the same computer just wrist mounted.

As long as everything fits and functions well for you, what you have listed should last you a long time. Have you been able to try any of these items before you buy them? I think I would have benefited tremendously and could have saved a few hundred bucks if I had done that.

I still use my first regulator Apeks XTX40. Enjoy your new gear!

 

[runsongas]

3) have you tried jets/turtles or the hollis batfins? seems like they would be a better fit for you if plan on wreck diving

4) have you considered a hollis dg03? not sure about availability in NZ though.

 

[decompression]

Some good gear there, if you are the type that may want to do some courses and adventure a bit, consider gear configurations that can do a lot with minimal changes/additions. Backplate and wing, computer wrist op, no split fins, legend is a very good reg. Much cheaper this way that buy all of that and realize it won't work as well for the dives you want to do. Especially wrecks, no place for split fins or rec bcds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dazzy sock]

Thank you for your opinions fellow divers !!
I spoke to the "Dive Centre" and they suggested for wreck diving and in general to look at something like the aqualung hot shop or Express or the tulsa

 

[FLNativeGuy]

Dazzy

You must be thinking like me! Here's some of what I just bought to supplement my other trusted and favorite gear.

1. BCD (Rear inflation type) Aqualung Balance (almost bought the Dive Rite & still may one of these days)
2. Regulator - Legend
3. Atomic Split Fins (Actually, I've had these a about a year and love them. After using them I bought a pair for my wife too!)
4. Suunto console computer with compass

Safe diving!

 

[rongoodman]

Good luck learning non-silting and reverse kicks with those split fins, which will be important skills to have inside of a wreck.

 

[FLNativeGuy]

Good luck learning non-silting and reverse kicks with those split fins, which will be important skills to have inside of a wreck.

Well now...where did you get the idea that we are limited to one pair of fins?

For those of us with damaged knees from skiing accidents and tennis games, the split fin is a near miracle of invention.

 

[keyshunter]

Dazzy,
Any of the BC choices is ok.

Legend LX. But a Titan LX will probably serve you just as well. STAY AWAY from Sherwood SR anything. The SR2 is supposedly an improvement over the SR1 (which was a total abortion) but I would not take the gamble.

IMO, the Atomic is the best of the split fins

The Cobra is ok.