Buying My First Set of Gear

[MikadoWu]

Hello All,

I am from Central Florida, about 30 minutes from Zeagle's Zephyrhills home. My 16yo son and I are NAUI Open Water and Nitrox Certified.

From what I have read, they seem to have a great warranty and support for their products, and I like to support a local businesses.

That said everyone talks about buying used gear the first time, Does Zeagle give the same support to a 2nd or 3rd Owner? Or should I just buy new. To date I have only used an Aqualung Pro LT (thought it was bulky) and Zeagle Ranger BC.

Also, my instructor strongly encouraged getting your Dive Computer first. He gave a lot of logical reasons for it. I have not used many yet, most of my dives has been with a Suunto Zoop from the rental shop. Let me say, I hate it.... It seems very slow and clunky.

Being an Computer Network Engineer, my belief is that we will see a lot of new wireless units over the next year or 2, So I am pretty sure I want to buy used here. Any recommendations?

Thank you all.

 

[Glenn08]

Do you intend to do a lot of deep or decompression diving ? If not, why not learn to use the tables ? Compare the price of a dive watch and depth gauge to a computer. On a tangent, I have a DiveNav tech buddy data logger because I could not find a computer that I liked.

 

[MikadoWu]

Yes I learned the tables, was required for both my OW and Nitorx Final Test (I scored highest in both classes, my son was mad). That said, I would be comfortable with a computer, I can check my numbers to it, but the Computer will have loads more experience then I.

 

[fjpatrum]

What kind of speed do you think you need from a dive computer? This isn't doing anything except keeping track of your down time and nitrogen/oxygen loading, there's no need for it to be a high speed processor. Also, I wouldn't expect to see a lot of new wireless transmitters and loads of them going on sale. Yes, manufacturers are going to continue putting out new models but the reality is the wireless transmitters are limited by physics and it's already a niche market that has a ton of players. I wouldn't bother worrying about it, though I'd still buy a used computer, personally.

 

[MikadoWu]

I guess the speed thing is in my head but basically, I feel like I am using a device made in the 70's. It just feels clunky, unorganized and as I said slow. This is probably just my years of using High Speed devices, like using an old Windows Mobile device compared to the new Windows Phone, or and old Android 2.0 device compared to whatever they are on now.

As for the Wireless, as a consultant, I speak with many companies daily and here is what is said. If you are not on developing for wireless or touch base devices Yet, you are already behind 4-5 years. I may be assuming to quickly that the Scuba Industry is the same, but I doubt it. Just take 1 company to come in first and own the market. Look at Apple, then Google. Microsoft had been developing Touch for years, but NOT getting it right. These other 2 did, and changed the world in 2 years.

 

[scottishscuba]

I've now got a Mares Puck Pro. I find it very user friendly. I borrowed another dive computer when on holiday and found it very clunky to use (I cant remember the make, sorry) The Mares one is a single button to scroll through the different menus. It is pretty conservative and boy o boy if you exceed your depth limit with nitrox do you know about it. I dropped 30cm too deep and the computer went ballistic. There is no way you could ignore it! It is big and chunky which some people dont like but it has a nice big screen!

 

[fjpatrum]

Wireless underwater isn't the same as in the air though and wireless transmitters simply aren't going to get much more sophisticated than they are now. Now, if you mean developing applications for divers to use on their smart phones etc., then I agree there will be more of that in the near future. It won't really impact the dive computer industry until smart phone manufacturers to make depth capable phones, though. Most of the smart phone stuff being developed is logging related.

That said, there are definitely some very nice computers to be had versus the $200 watch/puck style computers. The latest I know of is OLED color screens with tap controls instead of buttons. They cost about 6-10 times as much though, and for many, just aren't worth the investment. It all comes down to your wallet and whether you think the investment will be worth it depending upon how much you dive.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I guess the speed thing is in my head but basically, I feel like I am using a device made in the 70's. It just feels clunky, unorganized and as I said slow. This is probably just my years of using High Speed devices, like using an old Windows Mobile device compared to the new Windows Phone, or and old Android 2.0 device compared to whatever they are on now.

It sounds like this might be something you would be interested in? It's a Mares Icon computer. I"m not sure if they still make them but you could pick up a used one.

Mares Icon HD SIMULATOR | The future is here...Just add water!

 

[MikadoWu]

Thank you for the 2 options. While looking at the Mares units, I ran across the Cressi Leonardo. Anyone have in thoughts on it as a starter piece?

 

[Colliam7]

I am from Central Florida, about 30 minutes from Zeagle's Zephyrhills home. . . . From what I have read, they seem to have a great warranty and support for their products, and I like to support a local businesses. . . . That said everyone talks about buying used gear the first time, Does Zeagle give the same support to a 2nd or 3rd Owner?

No. But, if you have an original sales receipt, Zeagle is VERY GOOD about repairs (I sent them a 10+ y.o. Ranger and they repaired a tear in the fabric, with my only cost being the shipping charge to get it to them.) If you are not the original owner, they are not in a position to honor the original warranty as far as I know (nor is any other manufacturer, for that matter). That doesn't mean they won't help you, only that you may have to pay for the help.

Or should I just buy new.

A tough question for someone OTHER THAN you, to answer FOR you. I have purchased a lot of used gear over the years, on eBay, through local sales, and through Craigslist. I have been pleased with the outcome in virtually every case, so I am an enthusiastic advocate of used equipment purchases. But, I can service my own gear, so I don't have the added expense of initial servicing of used equipment after a purchase. Nonetheless, if a) you do your homework beforehand, and b) are disciplined, and c) are patient, you can often find good used equipment at a reasonable price.

To date I have only used an Aqualung Pro LT (thought it was bulky) and Zeagle Ranger BC.

You are in the same position as many newer divers, looking for their first set of gear. They have limited exposure to various rigs, and have understandable difficulty making selections. Consequently, many posts on SB often recommend a period of equipment rental, to try different configurations, before taking the financial plunge of purchasing gear. There is a considerable body of information on SB on various BCDs, and the pros and cons of different styles (jacket vs back-inflate, 'soft' back-inflate vs 'hard' back-inflate - aka backplate) and you would be well served to take advantage of that wealth of information here on the board, perhaps prior to an investment.

Also, my instructor strongly encouraged getting your Dive Computer first. He gave a lot of logical reasons for it. I have not used many yet, most of my dives has been with a Suunto Zoop from the rental shop. Let me say, I hate it.... It seems very slow and clunky.

There are several schools of thought on what equipment to acquire first. An advantage of a dive computer (at least a wrist-mounted unit) is the portability - you can use it when diving locally as well as when traveling, you can use it with whatever equipment you have - personal or rental, etc. On the other hand, particularly as rental availability of computers has increased, there is also the school of thought that - beyond the basics of mask and fins, AND a good, well-fitting exposure suit - the purchase of a BCD and regulator is possibly more practical than a computer purchase (I can dive without a computer; it is harder to dive without a regulator and a BCD). I don't know that one view is more 'right' than the other. As for the particular computer, I don't know that I would consider the Zoop to be slower or 'clunkier' than other computers, and you may find that the stage of development of dive computers has not matched technology advancements in other areas with which you are familiar. The Zoop is a functional, fairly popular, somewhat conservative, entry level computer. But, as has already been mentioned, there are a variety of similar, entry-level units available. You may or may not find a substantial number of used units on the market, however. Dive computer technology is continually advancing, and by the time someone decides to sell their computer, so that a used unit becomes available, that unit may either be a bit outmoded, or no longer fully functional. As for wireless units, that technology is evolving in two primary directions - RF and ultrasonic transmission. It is probably a bit early to determine if ultrasonic technology will supplant the far more common RF technology. But, for a newer diver looking at an initial equipment investment, I personally am not sure that a focus on wireless capability as a 'must have' capability is optimal, anyway. A lot of good diving, and diving skill development, can be done with tables and a functional bottom timer.