Monterey/North Coast Equipment Dream List

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blewgrass

Contributor
Messages
191
Reaction score
4
Location
Cotati, CA
# of dives
100 - 199
What is the favorite 1st/2nd stage combo, hose lenghths, buoyancy device/harness (if anything) you prefer to use in these cold waters. Favorite gloves and fins are also of interest to me. Wet or dry suit favorites are also of interest, although I'm pretty happy with my Pinnacle wet, and as a surfer and general water play kid, I've always preferred wet suits comfort over the dry suits I've tried on... and being cold has never been an issue for me in Northern California.

I use a Sunto S6 and am pretty happy.

Regulator combos are of the greatest of interest to me. I realize other gear can vary based on personal preference.

What do you use up here and why?

Thanks

Steve
 
Almost any reg will do you right.

FAR more important around here is your choice of BC. You'll notice that many of the every week / month local divers here are using steel backplates and wings.


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I noticed. Less bulky and better trim is the reason, correct? Could you go further and suggest a good backplate/harness for a 6'2" 220 lb guy?

"any reg will do" Even a vintage MK 2 with the simple piston design?

Thanks

Steve
 
Yep. And less weight over all and better hydrodynamics.

I prefer Deep Sea Supply, because you can add weight plates to the plate. Check them out at www.deepseasupply.com.


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Less weight all over with a back plate. I think not.

I dive a Halcyon SS back plate from about 10 years ago. What sold me was when I surfaced away from the boat, took a compass heading, submerged, swam what I figured to be about the right distance, and surfaced about the same distance on the other side of the boat.

For boat diving, I think it's important that the BC+tank+regs be negative with a close to empty tank and no gas in the BC. That way when you take off your rig, YOU are positive. This is automatic with most steel tanks and a back plate. Probably requires some extra weight on the back plate with most aluminum tanks.

Regs are Atomic Aquatics B1T2, Primary on a 7' hose (6'6" would be better, 6' too short), secondary on a necklace. First stage is mounted with the low pressure side down (reduces key catching).

If you are going to get into a backplate and wing and long hose, get some education.

Dry suit is a Bare.

Boat (most expensive piece of gear is a Boston Whaler, but you already have two. ;-)

Chuck
 
I make plates too if you haven't already heard.
The Freedom Plate Contour. I just happen to have one large size left.
If all you're interested in is single tank diving this plate is for you.
I know, I know, a shameless plug, but since you're a local boy only a few miles away I couldn't resist.
I even have a demo unit if you want to try it out before you decide to buy. We could shoot up to Gerstle.

As far as regs, a MK2 will be fine. You can even put a balanced 2nd on it like a G250 or G200B or newer.
I have a MK2 myself.
My normal reg I use right now is a new Hog reg set. It's pretty good.
I also have an old Scubapro MK5 with a couple all metal 109's. That is a really nice reg and I can get parts for it.
I also have an older Conshelf 21 that my neighbor gave me. I ordered a service kit for it and it works like a champ. If my neighbor would have given me the reg before I bought the Hog I would have skipped on the Hog and went with the Conshelf.
I have many reg sets I've collected and out of all of them the most worthless one to me is my Scubapro MK20 first stage, and the only reason is because I can't easily get my own parts for it, so it's a paper weight. I refuse to let dive shops work on my stuff.
For fins I use Scubapro Jets. I've tried many different fins side by side always looking for something better and I always return to Jets, originlly made in 1965.
I dive wet also and hate drysuits.
Gloves, I use kevlar 5mm or 3mm, whatever I can find.
I just bought a Mares Puck computer to use as a timer to replace a Uwatec BT. I haven't used a computer in years. I still run tables in my head.
 
Right now my dream equipment is a nice drysuit, and double 130s. Because sometimes you just can't have enough time underwater :wink:

Always been jealous of the tech divers in the community doing adventures at Lobos. Rather than doing a long dive at the Breakwater wall, getting out, going back to the car, switching tanks, then heading to Metridium, I want to be able to just mid-dive go, "Hmm, wonder what's going on at the Metridium Fields today?" and have enough gas and warmth to swim on over.
 
Rather than doing a long dive at the Breakwater wall, getting out, going back to the car, switching tanks, then heading to Metridium, I want to be able to just mid-dive go, "Hmm, wonder what's going on at the Metridium Fields today?" and have enough gas and warmth to swim on over.

Twin 109's and a 40 cu. ft. sling bottle are more than enough to do exactly that. Bit of a swim though, so a scooter wouldn't hurt. :)

-Adrian
 
Thanks for the suggestions gang,

Fortunately I am done with Aluminum tanks other than rentals on vacation. I LOVE the negative or neutral buoyancy of the steel tanks.

For BC, I am currently using a standard Zeagle Ranger which I like other than a bit bulky. I will look into backplate and harness...or adding a backplate to the Zeagle. I will seek instruction on the longer hose/backplate combo which is what I see all the techies using on those weekends i travel to the penninsula. On my first Lobos dive, I had the 13 foot Whaler with no swim ladder, so when I was done with the dive, I slipped off the bc/tank, weight belt, and I bounced over the gunnel like a cork! No ladder necessary. The feng shuei of the boat is another story altogether which I need lots of help with! Something to secure the tank upright while I slip into the backpack would improve things greatly.

It's good to hear that most any first stage reg is adequate for Monterey. I am currently fascinated by the different designs of the first stages. Pretty important little piece of gear! I picked up a vintage MK 2 and 108 reg for virtually nothing, and it turns out that someone put a sherwood piston in the MK2 so pinnacles dive shop wouldn't touch the reg. The 108 is in perfect shape though. I also have an MK 10 in great shape. Not sure if the swivel action of the hoses will be a good or bad thing.

S
 
There's nothing wrong with that Zeagle Ranger, it's a solid rugged BC and will last for years up here. Just use it to death and when you fianlly do wear it out then look into a BP/W if you want. Just because all the techie DIR types at Lobos use BP/W doesn't mean the Zeagle's no good.
Hose lengths are also another political football. Some will say the only way to go is a long hose with short bungeed secondover the right shoulder. This system works but there are other systems that will work too. I run two 40" octo length hoses under my arm with one bungeed under my chin and the other in my mouth. It is similar to the long hose/short hose theory where you donate the primary with the exception that there isn't a hose wrapped around your neck, I never thought that was a good idea. I've seen the long hose rise up over peoples' heads and float out in space if all the slack isn't taken up and some other goofy stuff. If you're cave or wreck diving and have to go out of a passage single file then yeah, it's appropriate, but around here in California open ocean diving I think it's a bit silly.
With two hose routed under the right arm the configuration is the cleanest I can think of so far besides going 100% true minimalist.
Also, You may at somepoint find using a snorkel for surface swims handy. With the Hog looped long hose this becomes difficult and kind of a pain. That is also tied into some of the snorkel bashing that goes on here.
The above is a commentary reflecting my non conformist opinions (before the Mocal DIR's jump on me, which I could give a rip)

The one blanket statement about regs I forgot to make was "There is no favorite", everybody uses something different and it all works. I'm sure you will see every brand and every style used.
It boils down to whatever you like and have access to.
For me I like older regs that I can work on and tinker with. I don't take my stuff in, I do it myself so that is my criteria. I also like simple bulletproof stuff.
I have a fetish for metal second stages, my 109's breath as smooth as velvet.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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