Need gear for wife and I

[Danny A Glenn]

I'm trying to decide on what BC and REG setup to purchase without breaking the bank. Found a deal on Aqua Lung but don't know if their Regs are any good. Anyone use Aqua Lung or know if its crap or any recommendations on equipment

 

[davehicks]

Aqua Lung is a major quality brand. Not likely to be crap. Do you want to share the models and prices? New or used?

 

[flyboy08]

Regs are used to Keep one alive under water, you should do some in-depth research before buying or just asking the public on what to purchase...only you know what application they will be used for, ie, cold or warm water....once your knowledge is up to snuff, then asking about one reg vs another on an open forum seems more reasonable.

 

[FinnMom]

Welcome to the pond! Because this forum has special rules and is intended to be a very friendly, "flame free zone", one where divers of any skill level may ask questions about basic scuba topics without fear of being accosted, this is an excellent place to ask for advice and opinions.

It sounds like you are buying these regs new? That might be a really good idea for new divers.

As to other gear, I frankily wouldn't buy a BCD new. IMO they are just so incredibly expensive when new and there are so many barely-used ones on the market for hugely less than the original (i.e. new) price. If you decide to buy a used BCD, you will need an experienced friend's help though. Note: make it a friend who has nothing to gain from your buying or not buying a particular BCD (or any other item for that matter). One good test is to inflate the BCD and see if it remains equally as inflated for 24 hrs.

Considering that you are from Alabama, I supect your regs are not for terribly cold water (something I know a little more about, so I'll bow out at this point). I do know that, as davehicks #2 said above, Aqua Lung is a major brand and should be decent stuff. Try searching the Internet for tests of the exact models you are thinking of buying. Hopefully some Aqua Lung reg owners will chime in soon.

Good luck with your gear purchases & I hope Scubaboard can be of help to you.

See this forum too
Diving Into New Gear

 

[Brett Rusnock]

Been diving with Aqualung Legend Regs for 5 years. Love it! I dive an Aqualung Axiom BC, wife dives an Aqualung Soul (made for women). Both great. Wife has Aqualung 3mil wetsuit made especially for women and says it's incredible and fits the hips and chest better than anything.

 

[JackD342]

Your post and your profile seem to say that you are shopping for gear, but not yet certified. That is certainly okay, but a bit unusual. Are you sure you don't want to get some time spent under the water first so you have a better feel about what you want?

Having said that, to answer your specific question Aqualung is one of several top brands, and you would be hard to go wrong with them.

For getting the best price, Aqualung has 4 specific packages that are really a great value, but no substitutions or upgrades allowed. (the package price is good enough that sometimes it is still worth it to get the package and later upgrade a component to something better and still come out ahead.) Great package values, but I still make sure my customers know about what else is available further up the price scale, such as an air integrated computer. If you are interested and have trouble finding a dealer that offers these, drop me a note.

 

[GrafCanuck]

If you can find out the MSRP on the gear (ask the dive shop or see if the manufacturer has it online) that is a good start. Better than 20% off of MSRP is what I'd be looking for at a minimum. I've bought all of my equipment new except for the dive computer. Going forward I will be wary of buying new and look for deals on second hand and lightly used as pointed out in a previous thread. I'd also stick with a major brand like Aqua Lung. PS - I've read great things about Deep 6 equipment that is in Georgia. Might be worth a google search. Cheers.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I have used Aqualung regs pretty much exclusively for most of my diving. I prefer the legend. But Titan and core are also fine. The “supreme” designation means its suitable for cold water use. You can use cold water regs in warm water as I do


My teaching BCD is an axiom. I’d personally steer clear of the wave or the Pro HD as they’re a bit bit bulky and heavy. My axiom gets used hard when I teach (not looked after the best) and is pretty indestructible. It’s also mid range

I do use other brands (I’m not brand orientated) but AL is hard to beat

 

[Nasser]

Are you certified yet? Do you have an idea what kind of diving you'll mostly be doing - tropical? cold water?

I would suggest if you want to spend your money wisely not to go out and buy everything all at once. Try renting from a few dive centers and get to know what's available and what your preferences are.

For example you can try a jacket style BCD or a back inflate BCD. Maybe a backplate and wing might appeal to you? Regulators can come in various designs - balanced piston or diaphragm. Different port configurations on first stages, swiveling turret or stationary etc...

What about exposure protection do you need a drysuit for cold water diving or mostly diving wet in tropical warm water destinations? In that case you can choose a full suit or shorty or layers that are interchangeable with various thicknesses etc..

This is not meant to confuse you. Getting to know some of the options out there and understanding the advantages and disadvantages can help you make more informed decisions.

As far as what to get first, I started out with wetsuit, mask and fins. Then bought a BCD as I wanted fit to be optimal no matter where I dived. After that I purchased a regulator after having tried out Aqualung, Apex, Scubapro, Mares and a few other manufacturers. I ended up going for Scubapro and have been diving those regs for over 20 years without a single hiccup.

Gradually I started to add gear as needed and for the most part I would say I have not regretted any purchases.

 

[happy-diver]

Mares MR16dfc SCUBA Dive Regulator, | eBay

start here and go diving

and there

https://pulsar.ebay.com/plsr/clk/0/...GCMGqWMjUqgVZD5vH9kAgFMm5St5ACkahkr4tx2lw=="}