Gear set up for SoCal and Bay Area?

[FluffyRabbit]

Hi! I’ve spent some time reading about gear on this website and was hoping to ask a few questions and get some feedback. I already have my mask/snorkel/fins/booties/gloves. I’ll be doing most of my diving in San Diego, but will be moving up to the Bay Area next year and would like my gear to work up there as well. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

BCD:

It seems that almost everyone who really gets into diving ends up with a BP/W set up. In that case, it makes sense to me to just start off with that and avoid having to buy twice. The DGX single tank package looks like a great deal for BP/W. How much additional weight do I need with a stainless steel plate? Do I want a remote exhaust or a plain elbow?

Regulator:

I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Deep 6 Signature regulators. However, all the customizable options are a little overwhelming. I would be really just looking for a standard recreational setup. What would the standard lengths of the hoses be?

I would like something that is environmentally sealed, and another option I was thinking about that I could get from my LDS would be the Aqualung Core Supreme. How would it compare to the Deep6 Signature?

Dive computer:

The Deep6 Excursion dive computer looks really promising, but it is currently out of stock. How often do those come back in stock? Otherwise, I was thinking of just getting a Mares Puck Pro – I don’t really need the bells and whistles, but a backlit display would be nice and it seems to be the only entry level computer with it (vs. say the Cressi Leonardo or Aqualung i100). The Zoop Novo seems to be more expensive.

Exposure protection:

I was thinking of just getting a 7mm wetsuit from my LDS since I’d need to try it on. They were recommending a 7mm Xcel Hydroflex and it seems reasonably priced. They also carry the Thermoflex, but that's more expensive and I'm not sure it's worth it. I’d imagine that in the Bay Area I might end up switching to a dry suit anyway, so I don’t want to spend too much on my wetsuit for now.

Thanks everyone!

 

[runsongas]

in a 7mm wetsuit with a 7/5 vest, i started out with 24 pounds total ballast. with a hp100 steel tank and steel plate, that was roughly 14 pounds or so on a belt.

standard recreational is the same as the dgx streamlined ow more or less, just use the short hose as your primary.

@scubadada i think pointed out that the atmos mission one is 330 at piranha dive mfg

if you just need a 7mm wetsuit for a bit until you switch to drysuit, look at tommy d sports or closeout/clearance from leisurepro/wetsuit warehouse/etc.

 

[Esprise Me]

Sounds like you've done your research! A stainless steel backplate will take 6 lbs. off your weight belt, all other things being equal. You might also consider a weighted STA to get another 6 lbs. With those two things, plus a steel HP-100 tank, I only need another 4 lbs. in my 7mm, or another 9 lbs. in my drysuit with a thick undergarment. A smaller or leaner person might need even less.

 

[Kensei]

I live in LA County (Palos Verdes) so our conditions are similar to San Diego. I use Deep 6 regs and love those things. I think your main consideration is what type of suit to use (i.e., wet vs. dry). Most of my dive buddies use dry suits but I'm quite happy with my 7mm wet suit with a hooded vest underneath. If you think you'll need a dry suit in NorCal, I'd suggest getting it now and learning how to dive in it. Trust me, you won't be the only person in San Diego diving a dry suit... many do.

 

[Dubious]

I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Deep 6 Signature regulators. However, all the customizable options are a little overwhelming. I would be really just looking for a standard recreational setup. What would the standard lengths of the hoses be?

The following vary a little bit. If your are not buying a kit, it is nice to know the best hose lengths for you. For instance, a 22" hose for secondary works great for me, but my wife could use a little longer one.

Standard: 36" primary, 40" secondary (octo), 36" console
Streamline: 40" primary. 22" secondary (on necklace), 26" SPG
Long hose: 84" primary, 22" secondary (on necklace), 26" SPG

With the standard setup, you donate secondary. Typically you see the octo kept with an octokeeper of a special pocket on jacket BCD's.

With the streamlined setup you donate primary. SPG is clipped on left waist d-ring.

With long hose, you donate primarily with SPG clipped to left waist d-ring.

 

[FluffyRabbit]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I just dropped by my LDS and spend a couple of hours talking to them about their dive gear recommendations and priced out a setup:

Exposure protection ($355): Xcel Hydroflex 7mm wetsuit + 6/5 mm Hydroflex Hood
BP/W BCD ($595): Scubapro stainless steel backplate + Mares Donut Bladder + Harness + Weights
Reg ($790): Aqualung Core Supreme + ABS Octo + Basic SPG
Dive computer ($300): Aqualung i300c
Compass ($50): Basic compass

They are offering a 10% discount off everything if I purchase the BCD, Reg, and DC in a single purchase, so after applying that to the prices above, this should work out to about $2000 after taxes, and since I’m spending that much, they’re also offering me 4 SSI specialty classes + Rescue Diver for free.

I should also add that I did consider the Deep 6 Excursion, Deep 6 Signature reg, and DGX BP/W set up, but in that case I wouldn't get the 10% discount on the rest of the gear and also would only get 2-3 classes for free (1 free class/$500) and also wouldn't get the rescue diver class, so it seems like that actually ends up being more expensive.

Any thoughts on this set up? The gear seems like stuff that I won’t outgrow as long as I stay in the realm of recreational diving and their prices seem pretty fair to me, but I was hoping to see if this community had any other thoughts before I went with it.

 

[runsongas]

i am not a fan of the abs octo and would opt for the matching core octo. too bad the free octo promotion aqualung occasionally runs isn't available right now.

 

[FluffyRabbit]

i am not a fan of the abs octo and would opt for the matching core octo. too bad the free octo promotion aqualung occasionally runs isn't available right now.

Could you please tell me more about this - what are the downsides of having the ABS octo vs. the Core octo? I wanted to be sure that the setup would function in cold water, but was told that the performance in cold water is largely determined by the first stage anyway.

 

[GJC]

I think you did very well at a decent price, but did extremely well considering the free courses.

Water temp at depth in San Diego is in the 50s pretty much year round so that's drysuit temps for me. The really nice part is being dry at the end of the dive when you get out of the water.

Consider using one of your specialties for drysuit and then decide if you want to buy one

 

[GJC]

Could you please tell me more about this - what are the downsides of having the ABS octo vs. the Core octo? I wanted to be sure that the setup would function in cold water, but was told that the performance in cold water is largely determined by the first stage anyway.

It's fine to start with. You will develop your own personal preferences over time and can replace things later. It is ideal to have an octo equal to your primary second stage but that one will work at the temps you will be diving.