Brand Advice for BCD/Regulators/Tanks?

[DeltaWardog]

I kept seeing nearly 4 digit price tags on the wrist computers

I highly recommend you scour eBay to see what computers are for sale there before you make a decision. This is how I bought my first one and it saved me a whole lot of money.

I think computers are one of the first things people should buy, heck I would even put it above BCD and regulator on the priority list. Dive computers usually have unintuitive user interfaces, so learning one and knowing it backwards and forwards is better than having to sorta kinda learn the one you rented every time. You can dive without one, but you'll have to be more conservative with tables so a computer pays for itself in short order by giving you more bottom time!

 

[SubNeo]

Don’t cheap out on the octo. If there’s an emergency, would you want to be breathing off a crappy reg?

I wasn't going "budget" at all, just wondered if the octopus has to be similar to the main. By the way you are speaking to someone who actually has a mild "fear of drowning. X'D" You'd recommend keeping the two second stages similar in price/quality?

If you’re going to be diving local, two tanks are much better than one. Depending on where you dive, I wouldn’t count on being able to get a fill at lunch for your second dive. Two will get you a day’s diving.

Yeah I have charter boats I can go out on, but each time will cost over $100. I've had some friends telling me about how many places I can dive freshwater around Florida, so I originally planned to do that (and some practice pool diving for buoyancy in my parents pool) while I get comfortable at depth. Just figured if there was any spot I could try to save a few, would be tanks (although again I don't know how smart/safe buying reg and tanks second-hand would be???).

I highly recommend you scour eBay to see what computers are for sale there before you make a decision. This is how I bought my first one and it saved me a whole lot of money.

I think computers are one of the first things people should buy, heck I would even put it above BCD and regulator on the priority list. Dive computers usually have unintuitive user interfaces, so learning one and knowing it backwards and forwards is better than having to sorta kinda learn the one you rented every time. You can dive without one, but you'll have to be more conservative with tables so a computer pays for itself in short order by giving you more bottom time!

Is buying a used computer a smart idea? Or waiting for another brand sale? I know I'm a computer specialist as my career, and I go out of my way to tell people not to buy refurbished desktops because you don't have a clue what history is hiding in those parts. You don't know how it has been unkept, cleaned (if ever sometimes!!), and used. Sometimes wiping a hard-drive and imaging the PC over isn't enough to save a poorly upkept PC, exhibit A my Dad buying a used PC for my grandma and it cost me a day to fix all the broken issues with it.

 

[Marie13]

@SubNeo

Yes, keep octo same quality as primary.

Used: it’s not uncommon for dive shops to sell off used rental gear and tanks. They’re gone over before being sold. Good way to get a deal and you’re not chancing getting a lemon like you would off FleaBay.

The classifieds here are a good way to get a deal. Better than off FleaBay.

 

[Wibble]

(second-hand regulators)
Is this safe? I feel like for regulator at least it shouldn't be buying second hand?

Think I have 10 regulator sets - sidemount set, backmount set, 6 x stage cylinder regs plus others I've sold on. Most were second hand; none of them have failed. I've had some serviced; in the beginning I was far more worried about it, much less so these days.

I do have an IP gauge to check they're within spec.

Regulators are a complete racket by the scuba industry. They'll flog you a grand's worth of regulators which are no different to something a third or quarter of the price.

I've standardised in buying the Apeks regs, with one exception which is a pair of ScubaPro Mk25's for sidemounting (but with Apeks second stages) - MK25s are ideal for sidemounting with drysuits due to the swivel and their length.

I've bought some new regs, but not the shiny-shiny oooh, look at that, refreshingly expensive tosh. I like the simple ATX40 second stages: cheap and work really well. The twiddly know adjuster thing isn't needed and nobody tunes it down. I like the Apeks DS4 or DST first stages (DSTs you wait for second hand!) for my stage/bailout/deco cylinders. DS4s are really cheap if you buy them in the right places. I did buy a second-hand pair of Tec3's for backmount, but had those serviced before use.


It's kind of a pet peeve of mine how the scuba industry milks newbies. OK, that's commerce for you and it's exactly the same for any hobby; cycling, sailing, you name it. From experience I know that you don't need to spend a fortune on the "latest" "new" "version" as it's just the same old same old stuff recycled. Titanium... no. Special big fins... no. Just reliable old stuff that works and you see on technical diving boats.


A small caveat. Obviously if you're only diving with a single cylinder you need to make sure that regulator works properly. Hence if you buy one second hand you MUST factor in the servicing costs which, in the UK, is about £100/$140. But if you dig around you can buy a new set for £250/$350. So if you find something second-hand for half that price -- that looks like new -- you're quids in (bucks in?). Yes there's a risk that someone sells you a crock; most scuba people are good and honest.

 

[Wibble]

Is buying a used computer a smart idea? Or waiting for another brand sale?

DO NOT PAY MUCH FOR YOUR FIRST COMPUTER! Sorry for the shouty caps. For your first computer get an entry-level Suunto/whatever; must do Nitrox though. Second-hand's fine, but you normally won't get enough discount, so new is OK.

They'll try to up-sell you on shiny shiny colour screens and the like. Yes, but LATER. Those are many hundreds of quids/dollars; the entry ones are less than $200. When/if you progress through scuba you'll need vastly different types of kit and only then should you look at those shiny things. BTW the answer will be Shearwater Peregrine or Perdix, but these are way over the top for when you start!

(I bought an expensive dive watch computer -- Suunto D9tx -- because it was shiny and I believed all the hype Suunto spewed. It was/is horrible, horrendous in use, and now, with much more experience and hindsight, I know I should never have bought it. So the advice I'm giving here is from my heart as if I were giving it to myself!)

 

[MichaelMc]

A console is a plastic housing used to hold an SPG plus computer and/or compass or all three. It is a 'console computer' only because of where it is. The same model can often be worn on the wrist, as can the compass module stuck in the console. (Usually as some do actually connect to the hose and serve as SPG as well.)

I'd urge a good look at a BP/W. Traditional BCs are a big expense and often do less well than a BP/W which is often much less, more rugged, and more adaptable to how you want to use it. Take a read through the threads here on them. The one linked above seems out of stock, so here is a different one, and they will thread the wedding for you, which is a bonus. DiveRite makes good stuff.
BP/W Package Configurator

You should be perfectly willing to use your octo the whole dive. Otherwise get a better one. Mostly, just get the same model for your primary and backup second stages, or just equal quality.

A back up computer is not the norm for recreational diving. In the unlikely event something goes wrong with it, you can just ascend slowly, ideally pause while you count out three minutes for a safety stop, and be fine, plus your buddy should have theirs, so they can help you on depth and timing. Tech divers need backups computers, but not so much recreational ones. Deep6Gear has a nice looking rec computer that is $255. There have been long discussions on it here. I would skip the whole console thing, just have the SPG there, and get the Deep6 plus a wrist compass. They have nice regs as well, though you typically have to mail them off for service. I have two of their regs.

A perfectly good SPG is this one:
DGX Thin SPG, Naked
DGX Black Face Premium SPG, Naked
Plus these have no logo cluttering up the display of your remaining gas! I find white on black easier to read than black on white. You need a hose as well, they have options for that also.

Almost all SPGs are made by the same company in Italy, which those are. I have the thin one as I dive sidemount and it is less negative so hangs better for that. But the heavier, and larger face, other two are more the norm for back mount, likely the 2". Deep6 has, extremely likely, the exact same SPG, just with an orange face.

 

[James79]

Just my (not a professional or expert) 2 cents.... Regs and BCDs, technology hasn't truly changed in decades. For the regulators, a used set that's properly maintained and tuned will be better than a new set that's poorly set up/tuned. For BCDs, new or used depends on just how well the used one was taken care of. As to what style (jacket, back inflate, bpw) I suggest trying a few as rentals to see what YOU like. As others said, a cheap basic computer will do just fine, and not cost an arm and a leg. My kids (11 and 15) and I use the Mares Puck Pro... Simple, cheap, and does what we need.
I know you mentioned being in/near Florida. I dive the Florida panhandle (beach dives and springs) mostly. I'm also one of those DIY weirdos... Which goes to say I'd be happy to meet up and show you some of the gear taken apart to demystify it, and let you try any of the gear I have (BPW, jacket BCD, a few different basic reg types).

Respectfully,

James

 

[formernuke]

My advice to new divers

 

[Belzelbub]

So Mares and Atomic will not be very different to a new diver as myself? I wanted to test out a few Mares in the pool to see if they work, and perhaps buy the regulator as a combo bundle of the same brand (to avoid complexity of mixing brands, unless the shop would be able to simplify this concept).

The shop would be able to simplify this as they can presumably service brands that they sell. Generally, mixing brands of regulator, BCD, and computer is not a problem at all. It is usually advisable to have the regulator 1st and 2nd stages all the same brand. This simplifies servicing.

It wasn't a Ranger or Stiletto I can say that much. I didn't ask beyond brand, but the shoulder straps were incredibly uncomfortable and the thing felt like a pair of too-tight jeans around my waist no matter how I tried to manage it.

Don’t completely write off Zeagle based on that experience. Look for models with Personal Fit Sizing (PFS). This allows a huge range of adjustment as different sections can be swapped out for different sizes. Plus, the Zeagle BCs also offer the BX coupler on the inflator corrugated hose. This greatly simplifies cleaning the inside of the BC by simply connecting a garden hose to the corrugated.

Yeah my bad, thought the 3 gauge SPG would still be regarded as a "computer" instead of a console. A lot of the online shops put SPGs into the computer section so I made a mental assumption. I kept seeing nearly 4 digit price tags on the wrist computers and my friend told me he just dives with a Scubapro 3-gauge SPG and it does the trick fine. I do see myself at some point moving over to wrist, but I wanted to just aim straight for a reliable and safe pick as soon as I budget aside for it. Heck, I could also just wait for some crazy markdown sale if I narrow my wrist computer search down.

You can definitely stay way south of 4 digit price tags for a wrist computer. 4 digit is the norm only when talking about wireless air integrated wrist computers. In non-AI, you can definitely do much better. If I were buying a wrist computer as a new diver, I’d give the Shearwater Peregrine a lot of consideration. Easy to use with an easily readable screen, and lots of adjustability.

If air integration is something you are considering, but maybe just out of budget, you can get an AI computer without the transmitter. You’ll need to use an SPG, but can add the transmitter later.

You get get some pretty decent gear for $2.5K.

 

[MichaelMc]

I’d give the Shearwater Peregrine a lot of consideration.

I forgot about that. Yes the Peregrine!
Bigger display, more flexible, Shearwater user interface.

A bit more than the Deep6 Excursion, but it would be the best next step up to me.