Don't know what to do

[pjdc1]

Ok, Heres the situation.....

Doing my open water next weekend. Yea

Haven't purchased any gear yet. But, I think I know
what I want to get.

I will be diving in and around Chgo.
Have pretty much chosen the Oceanic Delta 3 reg.
and the Oceanic Pro Tour BC.

Everyone says rent for a while and see
what you like. Well, the Problem is The Pro Tour BC
is a back inflate and I don't know of any LDS
that has Back inflates for rental;
they all have Jackets.

The other Problem is that the LDS where I took classes
doesn't sell Oceanic. There is another LDS that does sell
Oceanic but it would be a trip to get to that store.

Do I just buy it based on the good reviews I have heard
or see if I can find a way to rent it to see if its as great as
I've heard.

 

[ABQdiver]

But this is very similar to what I went through prior to buying a Zeagle Ranger.

The LDS had nothing but jacket BC in their normal rental fleet and I had read some good things about the Ranger. Looking at it I was impressed with the durability and general look of the BC. I bought it before my OW dives and dove it probably 20 more times. All the while trying to clean up my trim and buoyancy to be more horizontal in the water. (I was feet down position)

It was impossible! I tried moving the tank up, I bought some tank pockets and transfer four pounds up there which helped but still didn't cut it.

After reading about the back plate and wings I bought some sight unseen. With some struggling to get them adjusted (nobody around here had any experience with them) I dove it for the first time.

Nirvana Not wanting to sound like a BP& wings commercial, but these things are amazing. My trim is pretty much spot on and buoyancy is MUCH better than I could have imagined. Check out some posts (there are hundreds) about back plates and wings from the archives.

Bottom line is definitely try out some different things prior to spending hundreds of dollars on something that might not be what you want.

my 2cents

 

[barb]

I took my OW and then immediately went out and bought gear. I was at the mercy of my instructor (who just happened to own a dive store). I think they had good intentions....wanted to sell me good gear. I bought the Zeagle Ranger and have never been completely happy with it (a very expensive BCD.... at least I paid alot for it). I wished that I had rented and shopped around... taken the time to know more about scuba equipment.

It isn't always possible to rent/try everything you want but I think you're heading in the right direction with a back enflate BCD. If I could do it over again I would go with a BP and wing ... like the Diverite or OMS or a modified Halcyon (I like to unclip my harness for ease of doffing).

Just as important... actually even more important... is the regulator you buy. I started with an Oceanic Zeta and had one problem after another. I finally said enough.. returned it and did more research and ended up buying the Apeks ATX200. I'm very happy with this.

I guess, in the end, the only way to truly know is to go out and dive with different gear. However, as a new diver your still getting comfortable in the water so sometimes it's hard to know if your discomfort is just New Diver adjustment or wrong equipment for you???

If you can, join up with a club that rents gear and has a good DM. Go out diving with rental gear and ask alot of questions.

Good luck and safe diving!!!!

 

[Arnaud]

You haven't finished you OW and already knows that there's only one particular BC that works for you???

And you even haven't tried it yet...

If you're in Chicago, there's probably more than one LDS to choose from. Take your time. Go visit the stores. The good ones will let you rent their gear, or they'll let you return what you buy if you don't like it.

You're going to need a lot more dives to appreciate the benefits of a good BC. Take your time. It's an expensive piece of equipment.

In the meantime, continue to rent. Some BC's are (far) better than others, but most BC's on the market are OK. The fact that you may want a back-inflate shouldn't prevent you from diving with a jacket-style BC.

 

[CuriousMe]

When I was shopping for my gear, I didn't rent the stuff I wanted to try out...but the shop I ended up buying from had a pool that they let me try different gear in. Now I had done a bunch of research ahead of time and had a good idea what I wanted....but tried a bunch of things out.

Peace,
Cathie

 

[MiniMe]

The reviews on the gear may be great, but that doesn't mean this is the right gear for you.

First try it on - see if it fits properly and feels right. Don't forget the exposure protection you will be using it on your dives so make sure the BCD feels right with the wetsuit (or drysuit) on.

Make sure that the regulator is suitable for cooler waters. Some regulators are prone to freeflows. The best way to find out is to check with somebody who has used the regulator before.

One more thing with the BCD. Make sure you know where you're heading with your dive carreer. Are you considering becoming a professional at some point? Or are you going to be a recreational diver for a while? I'm not familiar with Oceanic line but I know there are certain features that can be a bit annoying, depending on what kind of diving you do. The integrated weights for example will only give you marginal benefits if you are diving in cooler water. Most BCD's just won't let you put that much weight in them. Back inflated BCD's are great for diving, but if you spend any time on the surface, it you may be struggling to stay upright. It may seam like an unimportant feature, but can become very valuable for instructors, etc.

In general, I would use the KISS principle, when choosing gear:

Keep It Simple S... (you can guess the rest )

Hope this helps

M

 

[aso4]

I own an oceanic Zeta regulator, and I would suggest the extra money to purchase this as opposed to the alpha. It allows for very easy breathing at whatever angle you are, and changes with whatever depth you are to compensate for lost sir.

The back inlfating BCs are very different, I recently purchased one and was surprised about how straight it keeps your back, its harder to sit up though when above water, when you're swimming it tends to keep you parallel which is how you usually want to be positioned.

It seems you have made two good decisions and you havent even dove yet! Have fun dont get the bendz or artillary gas embillism