Confused on what gear to buy

[Antagonist]

It was a oceanic pro BCD

[Antagonist]

I also rented a oceanic Alpha 8 reg and it sucked. I was upside down and i could hear a bubbling noise and there was no water anywhere inside. I am going with a scubapro regulator.

[Scubagolf]

Well, you will need something with which to measure depth and time. Most people nowadays dive with a dive computer, and it is not an unreasonable way to start, unless your budget is incredibly strict (and even then, you're going to find it difficult to buy a depth gauge/timer that's cheaper than some of the current computers). It is my personal feeling that a computer on one's wrist makes buoyancy control much easier, simply because you can position it where you can watch it constantly during ascent and descent. Of course, you either give up air integration (the computer's ability to measure your pressure and compute your gas consumption) or you have to buy an expensive and often temperamental transmitter to get that function. Many of us don't bother with air integration and are happy enough to check a simple pressure gauge every five minutes or so during a dive.

+1 for this concept. I dive with a nitrox-compatible wrist computer on my right wrist and a simple SPG clipped to a D-ring on my left chest. If I need a compass for the dive, it goes on my left wrist.

[DiverPrince]

antagonist, if you pm me i will be glad to help you out on gear.. No i dont sale gear nor own a shop, i'm just here to help out another diver, so please feel free to pm me and i can help you out on the gear.. =) cheers and happy diving

[Antagonist]

I am so confused when it comes to BC's. There are so many and I don't know which one to choose from. I was looking at Cressi, scubapro, or Oceanic. Do they all do the same thing?

[Antagonist]

also I really want to try a back inflate. I want to find a good and reasonable priced bc.

[fjpatrum]

I am so confused when it comes to BC's. There are so many and I don't know which one to choose from. I was looking at Cressi, scubapro, or Oceanic. Do they all do the same thing?

Yes, they all do the same thing. Find one that fits you comfortably. If you're possibly going to dive cold water, try the BC on with your heaviest/bulkiest gear and make sure it's still comfortable.

Some key things to consider; pockets on vest BCs tend to not be very helpful once the BC has air in it... mine were difficult to get into even when I didn't have air in the BC. Nice to have but not as convenient as they seem. BCs don't need a ton of D-rings for hanging gear on, two or three should be plenty. Integrated weights are convenient, but I recommend against the ones that velcro in... the velcro wears out and then your weights don't stay in place as well. Do look for trim pockets on the back of the BC. These are smaller weight pockets designed to hold 2 or 3 pound weights.

I really recommend looking on ebay or craigslist in your area (if available) for gear used. Getting a used BC is no problem and they are easily checked out. It's the cheapest way to get decent gear. If you decide to go this route, look at the nylon for fading of color or fraying. Verify buckles aren't brittle and are all functional. Double check all the straps are in decent condition with no fraying on the edges. Verify you can inflate the thing orally and that the OPV activates when you reach over-inflation pressure. If you can, try to test out the auto-inflator as well. (This obviously requires a reg and a tank.) Leave the thing inflated for a little bit and see if it deflates or dunk it in a cooler full of water and look for air bubbles from leaks. If these things check out, you're good to go. In my area people tend to be asking anywhere from $30 to $50 for old BCs that still work well. For newer ones it's anywhere from $50 to about $150 depending on brand.

[Scubagolf]

I am so confused when it comes to BC's. There are so many and I don't know which one to choose from. I was looking at Cressi, scubapro, or Oceanic. Do they all do the same thing?

Just decide between jacket style and back inflate (or BP&W), pick one that fits and don't worry about it. I started with a Zeagle Brigade, and I have liked it alot, but I am sure many others would have been fine. For me, the key is to have a BC that fits you and that you are familiar with, so you know where everything is located or stowed.

[BDSC]

You should take a good look at the Scubapro Seahawk. It's a lot like their Knighthawk but better I think. What I do like is this is one BC where the pockets are easy to get to and use. I dove the Scubapro Classic + for years and still do but I now enjoy the Seahawk as well. Scubapro makes excellent quality BC's.

[coolhandcarter]

There is no such thing as beginner gear. You should buy good quality gear. The kind of stuff that will last you and that will work with your skill set but also allow you to grow into when you better develop skills. As for brands SCUBA Pro, Oceanic, and Atomic are who I use. Also if your looking for gear that will last longer than you take a look at Zeagle. I have a Zeagle reg and BC that have over 500 dives and is close to 5 years old and I can't tell it from a new one hanging in the store. And trust me that's not on account of me taking care of it.

Basically you should do your reasearch and find out what fits you and they type of diving you plan on doing. I see it all to often that someone spends $250 on something because they wanted it now and then 2 years later spent $300 on something that fit them better that was available when they bought the first thing. But you want to hold off till you have the money to buy the stuff you want and that will last you instead of buying it now with what you have. It's not saving $50, it's wasting $250.