Certification Prices

[Lorenzoid]

Any recommendations? Buying soon only thing I have bought already is the regulator.

Jim Lapenta gave you some good ideas. Yeah, a mask that fits your face is the best mask, irrespective of price. The $60 mask I bought as a backup works just as well and will likely last just as many decades as the more expensive mask I owned--go figure. And that knife. The Eezy Cut Trilobite that Jim mentioned is a great little cutting device--I have one--and I also have a pair of EMT shears. (If you don't know what those are, a search should reveal some ScubaBoard threads discussing shears and other cutting devices.) There's no need for a titanium knife, though they do look cool. (Says the guy who owns titanium chopsticks.) By the way, I also think a safety sausage should be part of every diver's kit.

 

[mcohen1021]

Okay tell me if Im nuts I am buying the following for me:

Women’s
AquaLung Soul i3 BCD Medium Black/Charcoal/Twilight $699.99
Aqualung Legend LX resperator Twilight normally $785 got a deal for $575 new in box
AquaLung Legend Octopus $235
AquaLung 2 Gauge Console Imperial $205
AquaLung Shot FX Open Heel Fins Small Twilight $169
Atomic Venom Frameless Mask, Black Skirt Black/Black $169.95
Aqua Lung Squeeze Lock Titanium Knife, Tanto Tip Black $64.95
Oceanic B.U.D. Backup Dive Computer, Yellow Yellow $199.95
Oceanic Pro Plus 3 Computer with Compass, QD & USB Cable $583.96
Bigblue AL1200NP 1200 Lumens LED Light $159.99
AquaLung Impulse 3 Flex Snorkel Black/Twilight $49.99
Aqua Lung Ergo Neoprene 3mm Low Top Socks with Grip Small $24.00
sharkskin ladies chillproof short pants for scuba size 4 $79.99
Sharkskin ladies chillproof short sleeve size 8 $97.46
Waiting for 2 quotes from dive shops to see what they can do.
Also buying hubbys gear all about the same prices though.

WOW!!!!!!

$700 for a BC? Are you planning to dive in cold water a lot? Or vacay in the Caribbean? If Caribbean, I would find a travel BC for 200-300.

Your 1st/2nd stage choice is top of the line. IMO, overkill, but again, it all depends on what kind of diving you’re planning to do.

Trust me, at some point, the local fresh water diving gets old and a beat down and will slow down, come to an end. I only dive in fresh water when someone needs some work done underwater. Otherwise, my gear would have never seen the lake even once.

Octopus, why on earth would you spend $235 on something that will never be used? And I do mean never, mine’s never been used even once in 29 yrs. $90 is more than you need to spend.

Gauges are gauges, 205 not too bad, again, you could have a console with a PC and compass for that price +/- $40 if you shop it right.

Mask: holy smoke… for $170, I would buy 2 $70 masks, use one as a backup and use the other $30 on post dive cocktails. Have you even tried it on?

Knife: Are you going to fresh water dive in murk? If not, no need for a dive knife. Just my opinion. I don’t pack a knife in my bag.

Oceanic PC: I love that PC. If I had an extra $600 burning a hole in my pocket, I would probably spend $150 on a basic pc and the other $450 towards a scuba trip.

Backup pc? That to me is borderline ridiculous.

Dive light – I won’t say a word on it – get what you like. I only ask that when diving day or night to be cognizant of where it is shining. Pet peeve of mine, but I hate being blinded by them day or night. Yes, they tend to shine backwards almost 100% of the time at your fellow diver in the back of the pack during day dives.

$50 for a snorkel is ridiculous when you can get a GREAT one for under $20.

Boots: again, get what you want – be sure they are comfortable. Miserable boots and fins will make you miserable under water.

A quick google shopping search of every item you listed above tells me the shop is NOT giving you a deal. I could purchase EVERY piece of gear you listed for the same exact pricing shopping @ Leisure Pro and/or Divers Direct.

 

[Melanie White]

WOW!!!!!!

$700 for a BC? Are you planning to dive in cold water a lot? Or vacay in the Caribbean? If Caribbean, I would find a travel BC for 200-300.

Your 1st/2nd stage choice is top of the line. IMO, overkill, but again, it all depends on what kind of diving you’re planning to do.

Trust me, at some point, the local fresh water diving gets old and a beat down and will slow down, come to an end. I only dive in fresh water when someone needs some work done underwater. Otherwise, my gear would have never seen the lake even once.

Octopus, why on earth would you spend $235 on something that will never be used? And I do mean never, mine’s never been used even once in 29 yrs. $90 is more than you need to spend.

Gauges are gauges, 205 not too bad, again, you could have a console with a PC and compass for that price +/- $40 if you shop it right.

Mask: holy smoke… for $170, I would buy 2 $70 masks and use one as a backup. Have you even tried it on?

Knife: Are you going to fresh water dive in murk? If not, no need for a dive knife. Just my opinion. I don’t pack a knife in my bag.

Oceanic PC: I love that PC. If I had an extra $600 burning a hole in my pocket, I would probably spend $150 on a basic pc and the other $450 towards a scuba trip.

Backup pc? That to me is borderline ridiculous.

Dive light – I won’t say a word on it – get what you like. I only ask that when diving day or night to be cognizant of where it is shining. Pet peeve of mine, but I hate being blinded by them day or night. Yes, they tend to shine backwards almost 100% of the time at your fellow diver in the back of the pack during day dives.

$50 for a snorkel is ridiculous when you can get a GREAT one for under $20.

Boots: again, get what you want – be sure they are comfortable. Miserable boots and fins will make you miserable under water.

A quick google shopping search of every item you listed above tells me the shop is NOT giving you a deal. I could purchase EVERY piece of gear you listed for the same exact pricing shopping @ Leisure Pro and/or Divers Direct.

I'm waiting on quote should have it today

 

[mcohen1021]

I'm waiting on quote should have it today

My point is, that a shop is going to hit you hard. If you want to do this for a reasonable amount of money, read equipment reviews, and listen to those of us that are seasoned divers. We've already made all the gear mistakes over the last 30 yrs.

I can almost guarantee you that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference in performance between your new $600 regulator and my 1990 28 yr old $200 US Divers regulator.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Looks like everyone is picking @Melanie White 's shopping list. I can certain understand wanting to spend money on higher end gear because let's face it....it's life support. But I have to agree some of that stuff is over the top. I'm not against spending money on gear....I've got about $3500 in all of mine, but we're also talking camera, tray, video light and a couple of other things. So let me hit just the really expensive stuff.

$700 BC? Way overkill. I think my Zeagle Brigade, which I absolutely love and did tons of research on because that's what I do when I'm spending lots of money on things, cost me about $500. For you I'd recommend the Zeagle Zena, which runs about the same and is custom designed for women with a corset style zippered front enclosure rather than a cumberbund. And a couple of really nice things about Zeagle BCs is that they're modular so you can custom build (fit) them to your size and shape for perfect comfort and performance. Plus, unscrew the power inflator from the corrugated hose and connect your waterhose at home for cleanout. Little added feature that's really nice. And because they're modular, if something gets damaged or wears out, replace only that section.

I've made dives with a guy that has the $170 Atomic Venom mask you're talking about and the first time I dove with him he kept saying "I've never had an issue with fogging, etc. with this mask." He spent half of the first dive (Cozumel @ Palancar Caves) clearing his mask because it kept fogging. I was diving my standard Ocean Reef G. Diver FFM and by the end of the dive he understood why. Yes it's a $600 buy in, but if you break it down it's not much more than buying the Atomic mask you're considering and a middle to high end 2nd stage for $250-$300. For those two things alone you're already well over $400. I paid $585 for my FFM. Granted I've added a few things like the surface air valve ($50 lets you breathe ambient air), which would take the place of that $50 snorkel you're looking at, a quick disconnect MiFlex 40" hose, a QD fitting for the mask, a ball swivel for the mask (for routing the supply hose under my right arm) and an adjustable exhaust valve ($30) to divert all exhaust bubbles to whichever side I choose and help keep it from free-flowing in odd positions. But still....for what you're looking at on just a mask and reg, you could be in FFM territory and like me may never go back to a conventional mask again. Does that save you any money? No, of course not. But it might increase your enjoyment of diving.

The price you listed for the Oceanic PP3 with everything at just under $600 is a really good deal. I paid more than that for mine, which now belongs to my wife because she liked it better than the Atomic Cobalt II we originally bought her. So I won't say anything about that. But I do think the B.U.D. computer is a little much. I get that it's sort of a failsafe just in case your primary fails. But certainly not something you need right off the bat. And if you're looking at the PP3, you don't need a separate console. The PP3 does everything you need except make you dinner and massage your feet.

I don't know anything about the fins you're looking at and I won't say anything about the pricetag because I dive a $180 pair of Hollis F1 batfins with yellow tips and I'd buy them again all day long. But they're also not what I started with. That was a pair of $75 (clearance) Tusa X-Pert Zoom splits and they were great for how I dive. I just prefer a blade fin at this point because they seem to produce a little more powerful stroke. So get what you like, but if you can try them out first. I will say it seems like lots of people use Mares Avanti Quattro's that are under $100 and seem to love them.

As for a dive knife, I think I paid about $50 for my Blue Tang blunt tip. Bought it for my AOW class. And I can tell you I've never once used it underwater. Actually in Cozumel, I don't even think they'll let you dive with them. Nor will they allow you to wear gloves. So unless you're doing an AOW course, like everyone else I'd suggest the Trilobite line cutter.

Lastly your choice of octo.....$235? Just like @mcohen1021 I use the Mares Viper MV ($90) and it works just fine. I've done a full day of diving on just that (the rental FFM I had was too small ) and it breathed just fine. And I love the small formfactor shape of it. It's not bulky and it quite comfortable because it's minimalistic. It just works.

Sorry for the novel here. I know it's a lot of information and I know it's all based on opinions. I'm certainly not against spending money for good gear. Just make sure it's the right gear for you.

 

[mcohen1021]

Looks like everyone is picking @Melanie White 's shopping list

Maybe I am assuming, but I think everyone wants to keep her from spending unnecessarily. Again, I'm not knocking anyone for their gear choices, only pointing out that it can be done economically. I spend far more on competitive waterskiing every year than I do on scuba.

 

[yle]

Okay tell me if Im nuts I am buying the following for me:
Women’s

AquaLung Soul i3 BCD Medium Black/Charcoal/Twilight $699.99
Aqualung Legend LX resperator Twilight normally $785 got a deal for $575 new in box
AquaLung Legend Octopus $235
AquaLung 2 Gauge Console Imperial $205
AquaLung Shot FX Open Heel Fins Small Twilight $169
Atomic Venom Frameless Mask, Black Skirt Black/Black $169.95
Aqua Lung Squeeze Lock Titanium Knife, Tanto Tip Black $64.95
Oceanic B.U.D. Backup Dive Computer, Yellow Yellow $199.95
Oceanic Pro Plus 3 Computer with Compass, QD & USB Cable $583.96
Bigblue AL1200NP 1200 Lumens LED Light $159.99
AquaLung Impulse 3 Flex Snorkel Black/Twilight $49.99
Aqua Lung Ergo Neoprene 3mm Low Top Socks with Grip Small $24.00
sharkskin ladies chillproof short pants for scuba size 4 $79.99
Sharkskin ladies chillproof short sleeve size 8 $97.46

Waiting for 2 quotes from dive shops to see what they can do.

Also buying hubbys gear all about the same prices though.

Melanie, having worked for several years at a shop that sells Aqualung, and using a lot of AL gear myself, I hope I can offer you some unique perspective on your gear choices.

The Soul i3 for $700. Yikes. I have an older BCD with the i3 system and I've never had a problem with it. My mother bought an AL BCD with i3 several years ago that was the precursor to the one you are considering. The i3 system failed last year... it would still inflate, but the dump valves ceased operating correctly. She took it to a shop, which sent it to Aqualung. The AL techs declared the BCD unrepairable and recommended she buy a new one... and they offered to "destroy" the BCD. I got them to return the BCD to her, and I converted the BCD to a traditional style: added a manual inflator and manual pulls to the dump valves. The BCD still works well, but the i3 system is inoperable.

The i3 system is nice, when it works. But it's also gimmicky: it's a solution to a problem that didn't exist. I'm a fan of simplicity, which in the case of a BCD means traditional inflator and dump valves. I believe AL charges a premium for its i3 system also, which is part of their marketing: if it costs more, people assume it must be better! It's not. I would save the couple hundred bucks and go with a traditional inflate/deflate system.

(With that said, some people can't resist the i3 system because it's different from what others have and therefore they think it's "cool". And apparently that "cool" is worth an extra couple hundred bucks to some people...)

The Legend LX regulator for $575... great price for that regulator. And it's a good reg. I've been using one for years.

Legend Octo for $235. Yeah. Ouch. If having matching second stages (the one you use a lot, and the yellow one that sits on your hip) is important, then spend the money. If matching is not important, you can save at least $100 here.

The Shot FX fins are nice... but I'm not sure they're $169 nice. I picked up a pair of these for my mom on clearance for around $50. There are a lot of nice fins out there for around $100 that are also nice.

(There's an obvious trend in your list: a lot of Aqualung gear. If having all matching AL gear is important, just know that you'll pay a premium for the privilege. Especially with AL.)

The Atomic mask. If it fits well, a mask is priceless. Personally, I would never spend $170 on a mask, but that could be a bargain if this mask fits you. Entirely your call. But that is certainly on the high end for a mask.

The squeezelock titanium knife: I have both the stainless steel and titanium squeezelock knife. They've both served me well. Up to you if spending the extra on the titanium is worthwhile. The SS will last as long as you take care of it.

The BUD computer... ummm... not sure why you would need this, especially for $200. I actually have one, an Oceanic BUD, only because I found it on a dive a few years ago. I remember when they were first introduced... and realized the marketing made it sound like a good idea. But for $200 you can get a basic full dive computer, instead of one that is specifically designed to be a "backup".

Oceanic Pro Plus 3... I've never used Oceanic computers, but $583 for a full function computer is pretty typical.

A 1200 lumen light... I know they exist, and they are useful in some situations, but I would advise that you know, before spending $160 on one, exactly what you'll be using it for. I've never used a light beyond 600 lumens. One of the most annoying things on a night dive is to try to allow my eyes to adjust to the dark... while one clueless guy (you know... that guy) brings out a floodlight. Bigger is not always better, especially in the case of dive lights.

Aqualungs Impulse Flex snorkel. Have you used one of these? They're very bulky, which is usually not desirable in a snorkel. I've seen people buy these (at the shop I used to work at) only because they were the most expensive snorkel on the rack... so of course that means they must be the best, right? <<sigh>> If you've never used one, you might want to reconsider. My favorite AL snorkel is the Sidedraft... it's simple and effective. And it's in the middle of the range. But even the Sidedraft retails for around $35, which is still a little pricey for a snorkel. The extra cost is for the AL name on the side.

Hope this helps. My summary of advice: more expensive is not necessarily better, although marketing and salespeople will often try to convince you otherwise. Find the gear that best suits your needs. And watch out for gimmicky stuff... when it comes to enjoying a dive and being safe, simpler gear has a lot of advantages.

 

[Bob DBF]

A quick google shopping search of every item you listed above tells me the shop is NOT giving you a deal. I could purchase EVERY piece of gear you listed for the same exact pricing shopping @ Leisure Pro and/or Divers Direct.

And if you emailed them with the list and asked for a package price, you would most likely get a discount.



Bob

 

[yle]

item /model /price

1. Mask : TUSA Liberator-Plus Two Window Mask - 49.95 (on Leisurepro)
2. Fins : TUSA X-Pert Zoom Open Heel Split Fins - 75.00 (closeout at Scuba Toys)
3. Boots : Generic - $25 (Scuba Toys)
4. Snorkel: Blue Reef Cobra Flex Snorkel - $18.95 (Leisurepro)
5. BCD: Aeris Oceans 5 - $250.00 (closeout on Leisurepro)
Regulator:
6. 1st / 2nd I really like the Cressi XS Compact 7. AC2 Regulator $250.00 (on Leisurepro)
7. Octopus: I really like the Mares MV Octopus $90.00 (on Leisurepro)
8. Gauges/Compass/ PC: Oceanic VEO100 w SPG and compass : $200.00 (closeout at Scuba Toys)

Total: $958.90

Thanks for the details! Proof that a bit of patience and perseverance can really pay off.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Maybe I am assuming, but I think everyone wants to keep her from spending unnecessarily. Again, I'm not knocking anyone for their gear choices, only pointing out that it can be done economically. I spend far more on competitive waterskiing every year than I do on scuba.

No that's exactly it. We're all just trying to help a fellow diver save some money that can be better spent towards a dive trip rather than on gear. Diving isn't my only past time, either, but at the moment it's certainly my favorite. And the only money I've spent on diving so far this year is my Rescue course(s), lake fees @ Scuba Ranch (Clear Springs), air fills, and PADI seal team for my son. Plus a new mask, snorkel and boots for him. Of course I am about to take the Master Scuba diver class @ Scuba Toys so...