Se7en
Contributor
Michael - sorry for interupting your thread with the rant above... I'll stay on topic this time
You definately can't go wrong with the Apeks. There are probably others as good, but nothing that is significantly better.
As for the BCD vs backpack, I don't think you are risking much either way. I've had two normal BCDs, and I borrow a BP for use with doubles on occasion (I also use my normal BC with independant doubles occasionally as well). Cost of my current BC - $250ish on sale, no big deal.
As I want to do more diving where I need doubles (cavern / sinkhole plus some more time on wrecks in the 30m to 50m range) I will be putting together my own BP /Harness / Wings with manifolded 12 litre steel tanks. I'll still use my existing BC for single tank diving, as I quite like using it and it works well for this.
Sure - for about the same money I could buy a single tank sized wing, and use the BP for everything - but I kinda like the idea of having two seperate set ups, and not having to reconfigure anything. (well... I do attach a second demand valve to my first stage for single tank diving, but that's all) There is an argument that I should use the same config for all types of diving so I don't have different learned responses depending on equipment, and I guess thats valid. On the other hand, all the important things are in the same places (releases, ocy, light head, knife) so the difference really isn't that great.
There is also a certain anonimity in using a traditional BC... sometimes I like looking like every other muppet, particularly when it's time to find a buddy for the overweight excited newby when I'm just looking for a relaxing dive...
As for the SPG / computer etc question, I'm a big fan of the simple SPG only on a hose - that's one DIR idea I've embraced wholeheartedly. The way I figure it, you need a minimum of a guage to see how much air you have left, a guage to show how deep you are, and a guage to see how long the dive has been going for.
(Actually I did a fair bit of diving with none of the above, but consider that dumb now.)
If the watch you already have can tell you depth and time, the only thing I'd get at this point is a SPG. Do something that's a bit unusual, and actually plan your dives
If you find that planning square profile dives and using depth guage and timer only is starting to restrict your diving, learn to plan multi level dives. Once you have this down pat, you will know what you want in a computer - If you ever decide you want a computer that is. Until then, save the money to spend on diving and further education.
(The only time I really use the computer as anything other than depth and time guage is on multi day live aboards - where you need to track your nitrogen load more closely than you can do with planned multi level dive profiles - due to the frequency and depth of the diving you can do. These trips can push the limits quite hard)
ciao
Mike
