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An update for posterity: I got size 43-44 and tried it out. It is roughly similar to the SP JetFin XL, with two notable differences: 1. Much more space and wiggle room for your toes. 2. The spring seems a bit longer - I have less trouble pulling it on and off. Both of these combined make for...

Unfortunately I'm still renting a drysuit so it's quite hard to figure this out from the keyboard :D I might go for the L since I got the same information from multiple sources - use your street size and trust that Tecline made the cavity wide/tall enough to accommodate various boots.

@specorelli @Cheizz How do those compare to the SP JetFin XL? I'm renting those at the moment and it's always a pain - the XXL is way too big, whereas the XL can be a bit cramp. I'm normally a 43 shoe size, but obviously with drysuit and thick socks that's no longer accurate.

I have the Xdeep Zeos 38 at home, I’ve only dove once with it. I was also considering the OMS wing which doesn’t need a STA but my instructor advised me to use an STA for added stability. I don’t have much experience in general but if you have questions about the setup I’m happy to answer.

Oh definitely. I bought just the things that were uncomfortable to rent: mask, fins, boots… then wetsuit… then BP/W… then onto the safety stuff, knife, DSMB, light… then the fun stuff, GoPro and tray. All that’s left is the expensive to buy and service and cheap to rent: regulator and tanks...

This is a very very informative thread, thanks so much!

Heh, I don’t think anyone who is experienced enough to do non-recreational diving rents anything. I’m talking about casual dives only.

Thanks for all the input! As a data point, renting equipment is pretty cheap around here, eg a regulator set costs around 5-10 EUR depending on the shop. I already have a backplate with a singles wing. I will rent a doubles wing for the fundies class.

I was wondering more about the practicalities of keeping a mostly unused first stage around, plus other things I might not even be aware about. Thanks for the input, good to know that changing hoses etc is trivial.

What about if the price is right for option 2? There’s usually deals and bundles for 1st + 2nd stage, where buying them separately ends up being more expensive. For some 2nd stages I can’t even find them online stand-alone (though I’m sure a local dealer could get me one).

Heh, you describe my anxiety perfectly :) I will definitely wait until after the training to buy more stuff, and I will ask locally too about brands/service/etc. But I just want to gather as much info as possible so as to make an educated decision.

I know about different wings, that’s another consideration entirely right? That’s another thing I can rent when diving doubles. Perhaps down the line I will have a full duplicated setup but I don’t want to spend too much upfront if I can avoid it.

So, the last piece of gear I'm missing is a regulator (and obviously cylinders). I'm based in Athens, Greece, where waters are not that cold. I am doing Fundies later this week where I'll use rented doubles + regulator set. But, apart from that specific dive shop which is very tech-oriented...

I was positively surprised by the performance of some Wurkkos lights at my last dive. An order of magnitude cheaper than the competition, I’m tempted to burn €50 to try out their 7000lm light. Sounds too good to be true so probably they will flood or their color index will suck.

No, or at least, it doesn't come with a mask mount in the box. It's a video light, they even sell a snout for macro for it but I haven't tried that.

For reference, I bought a pair of Orcatorch d530v. 1000 lumens each. In the open water, they do absolutely nothing. I was checking to see if they are on. In dark “caves” they do light up the scene enough to take a decent video, but I don’t know if a single one would give you good results. If I...

Is there a link I’m missing?

My Aqualung i300c showed the first battery warning yesterday. I'm trying to source the battery kit (battery + oring + grease) but can't find it locally. Also, I seem to have foolishly misplaced the battery tool needed to unscrew the battery cover. Out of curiosity, I asked a LDS if they can...

I have ordered a pair of Orcatorch D530V, will report back when they arrive and I manage to do a dive. It seems though that the prices are roughly $100 per 1000 lumen, perhaps a bit less when you go to 5000 or 10000 lumen. I wonder if the advances on batteries and LEDs will render brighter...

Thank you all for your responses. My Viking blood is non-existent, I'm raised in Greece and really love the hot. I froze my a$$ off when living in Denmark :) Since I don't want to get into drysuits, I think perhaps I should get a 5mm now, and then when water temps get lower, add another layer...