Equipment for a new diver

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

When I got certified a few years ago and decided I wanted my own gear, I bought a package from my LDS and just took whatever they suggested. Now my wife has been bitten by the scuba bug and wants her own equipment. I have a few months to assemble it for her, and I'd like to try to do it gently used and piecemeal, as opposed to just buying a package (partly as an education exercise for me). I'd like to start with a jacket BCD and first/second stage/octo. Non-weight-integrated for the BC is fine (she likes the weight belt), and she doesn't want the octo/inflator combo. I know some basics about gear, but far from enough to be able to come up with a list of models that I should be on the look-out for, or the relative importance of various options for this kind of diving (e.g. piston vs. diaphragm 2nd stage). Price certainly matters, but reliability and functionality matter more. I don't expect that she'll ever do anything past basic recreational warm water diving. Any suggestions of basic, comfortable, reliable gear for a 5'8", 135 lb woman who'll be vacation diving?

 

[SeaHorse81]

Has she done enough diving to know what she prefers, equipment-wise? If not, I'd encourage her to try/rent a few different things for awhile so she can start getting a feel for what she enjoys the most, makes her life easiest, and makes her the most comfortable when she dives. So much money gets badly spent when new divers kit up before they have any idea what the choices really are.

 

[flyboy08]

+ one above! My wife rented various units for a few years before settling on the SCubaPro Brut which she just used on our past trip and loved them. She did same with the BC and ended up with the Bella also by SCubaPro, but it's integrated....I'd go the Leisure Pro route...which she did....easy exchanges, great prices. Also, check out Deep Six. Quality equipment at decent pricing with exceptional service.

Best of luck....and great dinning with you guys in CZM.

 

[RyanT]

@SeaHorse81 is right. Trying a few different configurations is ideal. The problem with recommendations is simply that everyone is built differently and what works for one person, in one situation, does not always translate for another. Now, with that said, I would strongly suggest she consider (try) a backplate and wing (BP/W). For the un-initiated, they look ridiculously uncomfortable compared to the standard jacket offerings. They are surprisingly comfortable, however. They typically cost less than the higher end jacket BCs on the market and allow you take a few pounds of weight off the weight belt. An aluminum back plate typically weighs around 2 lbs and a stainless steel is about 6. So this is weight you can take off the belt. When I dive in the tropics, I take my 6 lb SS backplate. While diving a thin wetsuit and an aluminum 80 (which get floaty at the end of the dive) I only need about 2 additional lbs of weight. I recommend avoiding the "deluxe" style harnesses and just go with a simple, single piece webbing. While wearing any kind of wetsuit at all, the simple harness will be just as comfortable and way easier to adjust.

For warm water diving, the integrated octopus/inflator is a nice, streamlined configuration. However, your wife is on the right track in the sense that they are not the easiest to use in an actual air-sharing situation. A standard, separate octopus is easier to use.

 

[guruboy]

I have a variety of used regs for sale.
For Sale - Conshelf 21 Reg set
For Sale - ScubaPro Mk20 yoke R380 2nd regulators
For Sale - SP Mk25 yoke + S600 + octo
For Sale - Atomic B2 yoke


You can also buy these regs which are on sale for a great price.

CYBER MONDAY Deep 6 Gear Signature 1st + Chrome 2nd Only Package
BLACK FRIDAY - CHROME Deep 6 Signature Balanced Adjustable Second Stage

 

[MichaelMc]

It is very good to use a weight belt because it is weight that stays with you separate from your BC. But all her weight in the weight belt will likely leave her swimming closer to 45 degrees than level, tail heavy and chest light. She will use up much more air and have less fun. Better to have some way of putting part of her weight high on the body along the lungs. Many BCs have rear trim pockets for that. The BP/W places weight there as well and is very flexible in its configuration. They need not be expensive and are quite suited to recreational divers. The women's forum has several threads discussing BC fit issues for women (and BP/W do well in those discussions).


Question for Zeagle Zena Owners
Best And Worst Bc For Women
BCD for my teenage daughter
Tech diving equipment for ladies?
What BP/W for a petite diver?

 

[HantsDiver]

It is very good to use a weight belt because it is weight that stays with you separate from your BC. But all her weight in the weight belt will likely leave her swimming closer to 45 degrees than level, tail heavy and chest light. She will use up much more air and have less fun. Better to have some way of putting part of her weight high on the body along the lungs. Many BCs have rear trim pockets for that. The BP/W places weight there as well and is very flexible in its configuration. They need not be expensive and are quite suited to recreational divers. The women's forum has several threads discussing BC fit issues for women (and BP/W do well in those discussions).

Total, total garbage.

I can and have dived with configurations ranging from a single tank with a bcd and weight belt - up to advanced trimix dives with 4 stages and a steel twinset. And within reason, none of the weigh positioning made a difference.

If you want to change your center of gravity - move your legs and/or arms. Don't blame a weight belt.

 

[MichaelMc]

As Hants says, using the very versatile frog kick, you can use changes to your legs resting position to shift your center of gravity relative to your center of buoyancy, because your legs are a bit denser than water. This is a great trim control mechanism during a dive. You can use your arms the same way, holding them at your belly or out like a relaxed superman. Overall it is like the posture of a skydiver.

But you can only move your legs so far, and they are only a bit denser than water. So if you always dive with the same gear, such as recreationally, and find you need your limbs really forward to stay in trim, you could move some of your lead higher on your body. Lead is 11 times as dense as water. You can move lead as far up your body as you need, as long as you have a way to secure it there. You can still use moving your limbs back and fourth to control trim, but will not have to keep them as far forward, because you moved some of the lead before the dive instead, maybe weeks earlier when you did checkout dives with your gear. Which is why some flexibility in where you put lead is helpful. All on the weight belt, low on the body, might not make your wife's dives as easy as they could be.

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

Thanks to all for the replies. Her main reason for wanting to get gear is that she thinks she'll feel more comfortable not having to adjust to new gear each time she goes out. The comfort factor of knowing how things work, where everything is, etc. would give her confidence. I get wanting to try out different kinds of BCDs, but would you say the same for regulator? Is that something you'd suggest she try out a bunch of different ones as well?

I don't have a good point of reference on this because as I said before I bought all my gear right when I got certified, so I've only dove with it. And I really like it, regs and BCD, along all the topics mentioned so far. Maybe it's that I have no experience with other equipment, or perhaps I just got lucky.

Great dining with you, too, Paul.

 

[RyanT]

Regulators are probably not as important to try out. Many brands will exhibit differences in breathing characteristics, but the configuration is/can be set up identically for virtually all brands. For relatively shallow, warm water diving, the brand is not going to be terribly important. The bottom tier regulators of any brand (e.g. unbalanced first stages) will breathe a little harder. If you buy one of the higher end models, they will all breathe sufficiently well. One thing to consider when buying a regulator is where to get it serviced. Consider buying a brand that your local dive shop can service. Alternatively consider something like the Deep6 regulators, take their course and learn to service them yourself.