Gear Advice

[victorzamora]

Imprint, the gear you selected is high quality and you wouldn't be going wrong with it at all. My wife has, dives, and LOVES her Geo 2.0. I have a Hollis DG03 and like her Geo as much if not more than mine. If I weren't saving for another computer, I'd probably sell mine and get hers.

Having said that, just because BPWs are used for more advanced dives doesn't make them harder to use. The basic functions are the same: shoulder strap, waist belt, power inflator on corrugated hose over left shoulder, butt dump via OPV. My preference there is the simplest, most basic setup you can get. Any padding/buckles adds to cost and very little to the function, and most end up replacing the "Fancier" harness in the long run.

Having said that, I think the most important thing with your regs is that you get ones that are easy to service. You've picked ALL Oceanic gear....is your LDS an Oceanic dealer? If so, the FDX/EOS is a great setup. One consideration to make there is whether to buy DIN or Yoke regs. Since you're vacation diving, Yoke is most common around the Caribbean....but less common in Europe. Where you'll be diving, do you know what the standard is? The most adaptable is to buy a DIN first stage and then get a DIN/Yoke adapter (like $25 over here).

Another travel option (despite backplate wing being my HUGE favorite) would be a travel BCD. Think Oceanic Biolite or Aeris Ex Lite. They weight about the same as a BPW, fold up a little smaller than a BPW with an alu plate, and dive very comfortably....but my wife required that I get her a crotch strap for her to be in love with hers.

Last point about your regs: The SeaCure mouthpiece is moldable to your teeth, but they drive me crazy. Something you might want to look in to. Another one that gets high praises from everybody (my wife won't dive without them) are the AquaLung Comfo-Bite mouthpieces. Everybody says they reduce jaw fatigue and make the whole experience better. I stick with the stock ones that come on Hollis/Hog regs.

 

[Imprint]

Thanks guys some really good advice here, you've given me confidence that buying my own gear is the way to go.

To answer a few questions;

yes my LDS is an oceanic dealer so just for ease of customer support, warranty, servicing etc I figure buying all oceanic would be the way to go. They are also more likely to give me a good deal.

Regulator mouthpiece, I had used the aqualung comfo-bite before and it was great, it fits against the top of my mouth and is really nice, i bought one online with the aim to swap it out on whatever reg I get, I'll also check out the self mold pieces as another option.

I really appreciate the help its really great. Given that i will be diving on vacation and for the most part places close to australia (palau, indo etc are on the list) I will ask my LDS is I could go for yoke or din. I never thought about that before.

Stoked with all this information and will be heading to my LDS this weekend.

Thanks again.

 

[Bentley Hamm]

As a vacation diver your regs will spend time in a storage bag. If your first stage is NOT environmentally sealed, tiny salt crystals and very small silica (sand) causes corrosion damage internally over time.
As someone who services his own equipment, and some friends who don't have environmentally sealed first stages I cannot stress enough the true value of enviro sealed firsts. They will absolutely last longer and are incredibly less susceptible to failure due to corrosion and abrasive damage.
This is the most important thing I advise anyone who asks for advise on regs, enviro sealed units are not just for cold water. They are all I will ever own.

 

[berk]

That's probably good advice on the sealed regs. I have a dry air bleed sherwood that has lasted FOREVER with minimal maintenance.

 

[Imprint]

thanks again, I believe the regs I am looking at are environmentally sealed

Oceanic Eos Regulator - Oceanic Scuba Diving & Snorkelling Equipment & Scuba Dive Gear

 

[victorzamora]

Sealed first stage is huge, I can't believe I forgot to mention that! The FDX-10 is sealed. The FDX-10 is equivalent to the Hollis DC2 reg. It comes with an Enviro-Seal Kit or something, it's just marketing jargon to mean "sealed." One thing is this: That "Dry Valve Technology" is cool if it's free, but don't trust it.....and DEFINITELY don't pay anything for it!

As for Yoke/DIN....I'd probably recommend just going DIN+adapter as it's the more flexible of the two, unless your shop feels strongly otherwise.

 

[bracko]

nothing wrong with oceanic, they're great (I also own oceanic gear)

I have the probe LX BCD which is far more heavy duty than the excursion but at the cost of weight.... my bcd comes in at >5kg, my whole travel dive kit now comes in at >15kg which is *great* when you have a 20kg limit. I have seen excursions battered around with regular diving but if you're only doing 20-40 dives a year on holiday it'll last long enough to get good use out of it. my Probe has seen probably 150+ dives and is still in fantastic condition.

the regs you've selected are probably too high spec for just tropical diving, but if you like them, then you like them. there isn't much upgrading from an EOS.

also when you have your own gear it would be good to see you in the waters in Sydney, a good wetsuit will keep you toasty warm in Sydney, add a hood and gloves and you'll be fine. Sydney does really have some great diving.

out of interest, where are you looking at buying?

 

[Colliam7]

I'm looking at purchasing my own gear as the rental stuff either doesn't fit me properly or isn't that great in terms of quality, for example the mouth piece on the reg on my GBR live aboard turned my gums to a giant ulcer. I'm looking for a decent set up that will serve its purpose well but also be practical enough for travel, as that's where it will be used most of the time. . . . Currently on the list is
Oceanic Excursion II
Oceanic EOS / FDX-10 regulator
Oceanic Geo 2.0 computer
Oceanic Basic gauge set up

Five comments:

1. Diving only once a year, I wouldn't invest in gear. If you are able to travel to warm water multiple times a year, then the investment sounds worthwhile.

2. The gear itself is reasonable.

3. The BCD is a back inflation unit, which is good. I am always a bit suspicious when a manufacturer appears to promote their gear on the basis of how many D-rings it has (10, in this case), but that isn't a big issue. Since you mention a concern about sizing, can we presume that you are buying locally, where you have a chance to asses the fit before the purchase? Or, are you buying online to save money. For travel, I would personally go with something simpler - BCDs don't pack down very well - but the Excursion II should work. It certainly isn't inexpensive.

4. The reg is fine. It has user-adjustable breathing and a venturi control. I don't find the DVT feature to have any value whatsoever, but it is not a liability, beyond adding to price. The mouthpiece issue is unrelated to which reg you select. Find a mouthpiece that fits you, and is comfortable for you. For my early years I used a Seacure. Now I use an Apeks Comfo-Bite and wouldn't go back to a Seacure if you paid me to do so. Bottom line, don't pick a regulator on the basis of the mouthpiece.

5. Since you are a new diver, I presume that you trained with rigs that had a gauge console, and that is why you are thinking of one. Frankly, I wouldn't get one. You are already looking at a wrist computer, which will give you depth data. Why not just get a SPG, and a wrist compass?

 

[Imprint]

nothing wrong with oceanic, they're great (I also own oceanic gear)

I have the probe LX BCD which is far more heavy duty than the excursion but at the cost of weight.... my bcd comes in at >5kg, my whole travel dive kit now comes in at >15kg which is *great* when you have a 20kg limit. I have seen excursions battered around with regular diving but if you're only doing 20-40 dives a year on holiday it'll last long enough to get good use out of it. my Probe has seen probably 150+ dives and is still in fantastic condition.

the regs you've selected are probably too high spec for just tropical diving, but if you like them, then you like them. there isn't much upgrading from an EOS.

also when you have your own gear it would be good to see you in the waters in Sydney, a good wetsuit will keep you toasty warm in Sydney, add a hood and gloves and you'll be fine. Sydney does really have some great diving.

out of interest, where are you looking at buying?

I was looking at buying from Abyss, as I'm based in the Innerwest, and its not to far to get to Sans Souci, other options were taking a drive to Dive Imports up on the Central Coast as the shop look bigger and would likely have more options to try stuff on etc.

Ive done a few dives at Shelly Beach in Sydney which was ok, but I hate wearing a thick wetsuit, I'm used to only a 3/2 or a 4/3 when I go surfing, I once work a 5mm and felt like I couldn't move or was just a giant ball of rubber.

The main reason behind the EOS was its top spec and money isn't really an issue, I figured high spec would be the best option.

Five comments:

1. Diving only once a year, I wouldn't invest in gear. If you are able to travel to warm water multiple times a year, then the investment sounds worthwhile.

2. The gear itself is reasonable.

3. The BCD is a back inflation unit, which is good. I am always a bit suspicious when a manufacturer appears to promote their gear on the basis of how many D-rings it has (10, in this case), but that isn't a big issue. Since you mention a concern about sizing, can we presume that you are buying locally, where you have a chance to asses the fit before the purchase? Or, are you buying online to save money. For travel, I would personally go with something simpler - BCDs don't pack down very well - but the Excursion II should work. It certainly isn't inexpensive.

4. The reg is fine. It has user-adjustable breathing and a venturi control. I don't find the DVT feature to have any value whatsoever, but it is not a liability, beyond adding to price. The mouthpiece issue is unrelated to which reg you select. Find a mouthpiece that fits you, and is comfortable for you. For my early years I used a Seacure. Now I use an Apeks Comfo-Bite and wouldn't go back to a Seacure if you paid me to do so. Bottom line, don't pick a regulator on the basis of the mouthpiece.

5. Since you are a new diver, I presume that you trained with rigs that had a gauge console, and that is why you are thinking of one. Frankly, I wouldn't get one. You are already looking at a wrist computer, which will give you depth data. Why not just get a SPG, and a wrist compass?

Thanks for the points, I take regular trips throughout the year so its definitely more than diving once a year. I plan on buying locally from a shop so i can try on the gear and make sure it fits / talk to the guys, and work out what fits / suits me best.

RE: gauges, you are correct, that sounds like a better option. I was just concerned about computer failure so figured backups wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[bracko]

also try Frogdive, they are reasonably competitive on price these days.