im buying the rest of my gear this week, heres a list is there anything else i need?

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Save-a-dive kit. Small light so you can look under ledges, etc. Various clips to streamline your gear. Agree strongly with the surface maker. They aren't cheap, get a big, bright one.
 
$10 or so for a Dive-rite wrist slate is a good deal and very handy. On your wrist so it's out of the way but if you want to communicate underwater (where it would be hard with hand signals) they work VERY well. Cheap and handy.
 
What kind of BCD are you looking to get? Something with integrated weights may well obviate the need for weightbelt, as well as inform what type (soft vs hard weights) as well as shape/size of weights. Also, a BP/W could potentially reduce the amount of weight needed.


sorry forgot to mention, its a weight integrated back inflated BC. i just mention weight belt as something to carry the weights on.


Also ill be adding a titanium knife to the list
 
Site safety is something to consider. as people have mentioned... medikit should be considered mandatory if you're going on shore dives without shop supervision and you know they bring a medikit. Having one in the car generally is also a good idea (as well as having first aid training).

surface and underwater signalling? torch, tank banger, small mirror, surface whistle SMB and finger spool? talk to the LDS, try and barter small things like this for free in the interest that if you're safe and alive, they keep profiting from you :wink:
 
Agree strongly with the surface maker. They aren't cheap, get a big, bright one.

I second this. On a recent trip to Bonaire, a experienced diver was caught in a current and came up about 400 yards off the stern. In 2-3' swells, you could not see him, and the sausage he had was visible but not acutely so. He had a 6' , 4" wide two color marker. With sausages, size does matter.

4' and a 6' tall, 4" wide sausages roll up to be about the same diameter and are easy to clip off or store in a pocket with a reel- go with the 6 foot version. There are larger 6 inch wide sausages with overpressure valves that get a bit bulky IMO.

Terry
 
An O2 analyzer might come in handy if you wanna do any nitrox diving.
 
im buying a knife and probably a light this week. does anyone have any thoughts on soft vs hard weights? i was at the lds this week and i asked one of the employees where the soft weights were. he pointed at a couple of 1 and 2 pounders and said thats all they had. he mentioned he didnt like them due to poisioning and possibly making you sterile? i asked why is this and he mentioned because the lead is lose i can potentially rub off on your hands. of course they had PLENTY of hard weights. my only concern is the durability of the material the lead is stored in and how it will hold up over time. i like the idea of them as i dont have to worry about dropping them on anyones foot. also if anyone has any vendor recommendations on where to buy from...i have only checked out leisurepro so far
 
does anyone have any thoughts on soft vs hard weights? i was at the lds this week and i asked one of the employees where the soft weights were. . . . he mentioned he didnt like them due to poisioning and possibly making you sterile? i asked why is this and he mentioned because the lead is lose i can potentially rub off on your hands.
Well, at least you got a chuckle for the day. Soft weights have their uses - weight-integrated BCDs, some belts that have pockets designed for soft weight pouches, serving as a 'V weight' equivalent with a backplate / wing, etc. While I may have some minor concerns about possible effects of lead poisoning, sterility is not high on the list. The amount of contact that I have with the actual weights - soft or hard - is minimal. Some pool operators do not allow the use of soft weights, because of concerns that a bag will rupture, and the filtration system will get clogged with lead shot.
my only concern is the durability of the material the lead is stored in and how it will hold up over time.
The material is pretty durable, I recently had a 2 lb soft weight develop a small hole and start 'leaking' lead shot after 11 years of use. None of the other soft weights (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 lb sizes) that I own have shown any such wear.

Before you order online, check with a competent LDS (probably NOT the one you visited), which actually stocks them. Compare the prices, including online shipping - the individual order shipping charge from an online vendor may increase the cost substantially, compared to the price a LDS pays for bulk deliveries. It may turn out that there is no difference buying locally, or that the online vendor price is still lower. But, it is worth comparing before you buy.
 
sorry forgot to mention, its a weight integrated back inflated BC. i just mention weight belt as something to carry the weights on.


Also ill be adding a titanium knife to the list

Titanium is a pain in the butt to.sharpen. Stainless is easier to do and cheaper. I do not like.titanium knives.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 
While some things made of stainless steel (e.g.: BCD D-rings) don't seem to rust, in my experience, dive knives do.
That's right. The better the rust resistance of a steel alloy is, the worse are the edge properties. A stainless table knife that doesn't need to hold much of an edge has much better rust resistance than a decent stainless cutting knife.

Unless you're meticulous with after dive maintenance.
Unless by "meticulous" you mean "rinse it down and let it dry like you should with all the equipment", I disagree. Give it a decent rinse, a quick soak and air-dry it, and it'll be fine until you lose it. If you're anal about insignificant rust spots (you're not guaranteed to avoid them), you can apply a thin layer of silicone grease or petroleum jelly once in a while. Any small rust spots coming with a regime like that are just cosmetic flaws and are easily removed using fine steel wool or one of those scrub sponges most of us keep a couple of in the kitchen.

Titanium is a pain in the butt to.sharpen.
And quite infamous for its poor edge-holding properties as well. Ti is a crappy material for anything that's supposed to be - and stay - sharp.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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