Gear and certs to purchase with these goals in mind?

[fuzzybabybunny]

So I got my OW cert today. Yay! I've been freediving for a number of years so it wasn't exactly rocket science for me, but now I need to buy gear. I've got my wetsuit, snorkel, fins, and weight belt. I live in NorCal so I dive Monterey's cold waters but would like to do a lot of traveling.

Here are my goals:

1. Want to travel for scuba, so a travel-friendly setup.
2. Get a dry suit.
3. Dive re-breathers (semi-closed).
4. Do it as budget-consciously as possible (used is ok).
5. Do underwater photography.

So I was thinking maybe a Zeagle Stiletto (good enough for photo work and enough lift?) or a Zeagle Ranger (how's portability?) or a Zeagle Express Tech.

Don't know about regulators (XS Scuba Sea-Air Tri-metal?) or Octos.

Steel HP100 tank (used ok?)

Don't know about dive computers/compass/depth gauge.

Obviously do the Advanced OW Diver course, then the drysuit course, then the Enriched Air course which will help me prepare for re-breather stuff. Take classes on re-breathers. Then buy a rebreather? Can re-breathers use the same regulators or BCDs as SCUBA?

 

[Stujiro]

Congrats on your certification. I'm not sure it's possible to put budget conscious and rebreather in the same sentence. Good luck though!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Congrats on your certification. I'm not sure it's possible to put budget conscious and rebreather in the same sentence. Good luck though!

Well, as budget conscious as possible, anyway.

The way I figure it, if a re-breather can allow me to dive longer and with less air and with less noise than SCUBA, then I should be able to save some money on air fillups and be able to get some better photos. I could probably sell my big SCUBA tank at that point too. But then there's more maintenance and of course the re-breather unit itself costs a lot. The number one thing I don't like about SCUBA so far though is that compared to freediving I feel very loud and very slow. The peace and quiet and sense of freedom of having nothing on just isn't there any more.

 

[g1138]

Traveling with a rebreather requires you to transport chemical scrubbers (usually in pellet form)
you may have problems with TSA and what not. It's safe for travel as far as I know but the airport security may not think so on a whim.

Also rebreathers use their own regulator, they don't use recreational open circuit regulators.
I believe it's the same with a semi-closed circuit system as well.

Also when traveling you probably won't want to check your tank into baggage, especially if you're budget conscious. Renting would be a lot cheaper.

For BC's, a travel friendly set up would be scubapro's Geo doesn't have a rigid backplate, so you can literally fold it up.
If you want a rigid system, I've heard great things about BP/W set ups.
There's plenty of other small BC's out there, mainly I can recommend back-inflate BC's as they tend to be less bulky compared to jacket styles.

Out of all the regulators I've used (3) I can only recommend Sherwood's Magnum, only because it's a closed piston reg that's also the smallest reg I've ever used.

To be straight with you though, I think you should take it slow with the equipment.
Try renting different types of gear and see what you like. There's still plenty to learn.

- With regulators you can choose diaphragm or piston first stages.
- Octos can go with the extra hose or air-inflator integrated.
- Computers can be air integrated or they cannot
they can be wrist mounted, 3-gauge or console set up

There's a ton of choices, take your time in choosing one you'll be happy with for a long while.

Feel free to keep asking questions on the board.
You can start specifically with your BC and regulators, as I see that being your next step.

Buying everything used is not a issue at all, if you don't mind. Just be sure to test each piece of gear before you buy it, and then get it serviced and checked before you take it in the water.

Congrats on your certification!

 

[Bob DBF]

Check out the vintage divers gear, the regulator and bubbles are behind you. Some photographers use them for the reasons you describe, and the double hose will get you ready for the rebreather.


Bob

 

[JerseyMike]

I agree. I don't think there are any inexpensive rebreathers. And if there are, I'd be weary. LOL.

Congrats on your certification. I'm not sure it's possible to put budget conscious and rebreather in the same sentence. Good luck though!

 

[RonzoTheGreat]

diving with a shop that now really pushes rebreathing, it seems the average cost to get into a solid unit with computer and training is right around $11,000 ....

you mentioned the possibility of selling your "big tank" ... i usually purchase steel 100s for about $100 to $200 pending condition....

rebreathing to "save money" is not exactly the right way to look at it ...

im also not too certain there are many GOOD instructors out there that would suggest you go rebreather prior to open circuit intro to tech and doubles for management of tanks and gas and such ...

before starting tech diving i thought long and hard about going straight to rebreathers and dropping $11k instead of going open circuit doubles... at the time it would have been about $2000 for two sets of doubles, the extra regs, wing, etc.... so i figured if i go right into rebreathing, it would be like a $2000 coupon off by not wasting time with open circuit ... glad i made the right decision and began open circuit first ... on a different note, a friend recently died (this past summer) when she went off her rebreather onto her bailout bottles. a person that i respect in the local community mentioned that ONE of the issues that "didnt help" her was the fact that she had little to no open circuit prior to rebreathing ... that sucks but i thought i'd share ...

as for travel gear, i HIGHLY recommend back plate and wing (BP/W) and if you are going nitrox (i think you mentioned you are) your computer needs to be nitrox ready ... i also recommend redundancy ... if this means a bottom timer or a citizen dive watch, so be it but without redundancy, if something fails and you have no backup your dive is over. (when i mention fail, i mean recently my computer lost the signal from my transmitter and all i needed to do was monitor my back gas on my SPG instead of ending my dive ... )

HOG, DSS, HALCYON, DIVERITE ... all have great backplate and wing setups that are supre adjustable for MANY body types and can be used today in a local quarry, tomorrow int he northwest waters, and next week in the Caribbean with very little adjustment to match your gear configuration or simply exposure protection. you also mentioned "used" equipment... i have NO problem buying used equipment but believe it mandatory to have gear looked over and or serviced by an industry professional. although life support equipment doesnt normally fail, my life isnt worth taking a chance...i love my wife but dont need her to be that happy ..... yet

 

[j.doe]

you mentioned that you want to dive drysuit

given this you should make sure that you have at least a 40lbs lift in you bc. If you go with a BP/W like halcyon, you can get a new wing without having to get the plate etc......that supports a re-breather.

I would however caution, given that this is the new divers and those considering diving section, that a rebreather is NOT a beginner activity. Also depending on what you are looking for you might get more bang for you buck out of an exercise program, peak performance bouyance course, and a doubles tank setup. All of this will significanly extend your bottom time to the point where nitrogen would be a problem requiring decompression regardless of if you have a rebreather or not.

Now if you want to go tech diving, again not a beginner thing, the BP wing setup would lend itself to that as well.

 

[Codyjp]

you mentioned that you want to dive drysuit

given this you should make sure that you have at least a 40lbs lift in you bc.

Oh really? Why is that?

 

[pjones]

Oh really? Why is that?

I would guess its because If the suit were to ever flood (loosing all buoyancy) than the wing would need to take all the weight that the diver is carrying. With a wetsuit the buoyancy will always be there so you can use a smaller wing but with a drysuit, loosing a seal and not having enough buoyancy in your wing to compensate for the buoyancy lost from the suit could be catastrophic. Dropping the weight belt would be an option but would be unnecessary if they had a capable wing.
Thats just my guess though...