About to start diving again after20+ years - need advice

[butchb]

I have been absent from diving for 20+ years - about to start again. Have dove all over the world - once took 18 months off and went on all manner of excursions including a month and half in Tanzania and dove on the Kenya cost north of Mombasa. Now want to get back into diving - went to first shops this weekend in Kenosha. Plan on going to the Brother Islands in the Red sea for a couple of weeks. Now to gear:

Regulator
Have a very old poseidon octopus and need to get maintenance done or replace it. The decision will depend upon what it costs to get maintenance performed - think I have a new system under way - been told Mares is very good - any other suggestions.

Camera
Have a Nikon IV uw camera with fisheye lens which is great to take close ups of reefs and small fish. Want to keep this for the fisheye and add a quality digital camera either with enclosure or a purpose built camera. Which digital cams work best with underwater. Am having to replace my Nikon flash which was underpowered and leaked when went deep. Want to mount both cameras on a holder and possibly have 2 really good flash units on it also. Sea and Sea were very good years ago.

Any suggestions

Anybody been to the Brother Islands recently - I know there are liveaboards out there - any suggestions - want to avoid group grope diving. Some of the best wall diving I have ever seen. Want at least 10 days of diving there - way too long a trip for only a few days.

Oh I dove for over 20 years without a certification - got a NAUI certification before went on 18 month trip around the world - get this not a single dive operator asked to see it - ha ha.

Thanks

[beaverdivers]

Welcome to SCUBAboard!

Reg - SCUBAPRO Mk25/S600

[boulderjohn]

Welcome to ScubaBoard!

This is a huge site, and the people who can best answer your questions often do not visit the introductions site. If you scroll around, you will find specific areas for questions on regulators and cameras. I suggest you go to each and create a new question in the areas where the experts will see and get a chance to respond.

[Doubler]

Butch,
20 years is a long time to be away and things have changed a might since you last splashed. I did the same thing, quit for twelve years and came back. My first dive was in the Soccoro Islands on a liveaboard, this was a mistake. I say this because a tune up dive would have really helped me fine tune some issues. For some reason my custom wetsuit wasn't quite as custom and damn near constricted me to death. Everybody dives computers nowadays and most liveaboards insist on having one. Check you BC for dry rot. The Scubapro regulator mentioned is a good piece of equipment, I dive Atomic but there are many quality regs on the market. Cameras are a subject that could take pages, no pen shoots film anymore. Asfar as the Red Sea goes contact Crowley on the board. He lives and dive masters there. Welcome back to the pond.

Jim

[dumpsterDiver]

I thought the nikonos iv was supposed to be a piece of junk? Anyway you can probably buy a Nikonos V and the SB 105 strobe for very little, since they are pretty much outdated..if you want to continue to spend money on a film camera....

As for the old reg....I always saw those things free flow a lot, but there is absolutely no reason why it can not be overhauled and you will realize no discernible improvement in performance if you upgrade to a new, expensive reg. And yes, you are gonna need to get a computer... i like the one-button ones... they aren't too hard to learn to work..

[TSandM]

I would HIGHLY recommend at least a refresher class, if not redoing your certification. Things have changed -- computers and BCs, in specific, and ascent rates. My husband was out of the water 20 years, and was VERY glad he went through the class again.

As far as I know, the liveaboards in the Red Sea tend to do a week-long trip in the north, going up to the base of the Gulf of Sinai to dive the wrecks, and then out to the Brothers for a couple of days, and then back. I don't think anybody goes out and spends a week at the Brothers.

[j2s]

Welcome back to the 'Fold' brother !!!....Good advice on a refresher course...Be sure to look at HOG reg.'s in your decision process....

[Wolfie]

Yup,
+1 on the refreasher. +2 on the servicing.
PS if LDS #1 tells you the old rig can't be serviced and you need a new one... Go to LDS#2.
Oh ya, +3 on the slowing of ascent rates. In my refreasher they talked of going slow but I didn't realize they were talking half the rate I was trained at!
And I've noticed since returning many ops are now asking for cards.
BTW if you are hesitant to take the refreasher. I see your from WI, Go spend 3-4 hours underwater in a heated pool in the middle of March, It's really quite nice.
have fun....