Gear question

[landlocked]

Originally posted by lobaugh
As I am on a budget and can't afford to buy everything at once, what recommendations do you have for the order to buy the equipment? Should I invest in a computer, regulator or BC first? Also any recommendations on the brands and models of each?

Well since everyone seems to be avoiding the issue in a effort to be nice to each other (very admirable) let me break the ice. I recently went through the same process. Similarly, I am on a tight budget and buying gear for the wife at the same time. I will try and save you a little leg work. BC's. Backplate and wings seem to win arguments on being the best. around $500. You will need a little help setting one of these up the first time. If you have any inclination toward tech diving or using multiple tanks that is the direction you will want to move in. If you are strictly a recreational diver, there are less expensive options. My choice, Zeagle Scout at $210. I really hate intergrated weights and wanted something that would work well with a weight belt. I really like this BC. Reg's: Unless you intend on servicing your own soon, try and see what kind of a deal your LDS will give you. Don't just buy, research what they sell. Be patient here and spend some time. I went with a Genesis Yukon. It is prelubbed for nitrox and it works. I bought it from the LDS at a reasonable price and they threw in a dive knife which made the deal very close to internet prices. Snorkles. If you really want one, buy a cheap one. Mine hasn't been out of the bag for a long time. Computers are nice but expensive and you can dive without them. If you get one, make sure that it is Nitrox compatible. I haven't bought one yet. (Although I do have one picked out.) Tables work great. You just get to dive less in any given day. (Unless you are Uncle Pug and can do multi-level dives in your head using your ears as a depth gauge. That is sort of a joke. Sort of.) Compass, get a wrist mount. You can use it much easier and you will use it. Lastly, use the search button at the top of your screen liberally.

Scuba equipment is like children, everyone thinks theirs is the best, so I have probably offended some. I think however, now that the ice is broken, that some other opinions are now more likely?

 

[Zept]

Originally posted by landlocked
Scuba equipment is like children, everyone thinks theirs is the best.

ff:

Scuba equipment is much better than children . You don't have to wait nine months for it to arrive. If you don't like it, you can trade it in for something better. It needs a whole room to itself (eventually), but you don't have to paint bunny rabbits on the wall. If it annoys you, you can kick it.

OTOH, if your scuba gear starts yelling and screaming in the middle of the night, something is seriously wrong!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

We now return you to the previously scheduled broadcast...

IMO, the best thing to buy depends on the rental gear that's available in your area. I had a terrible time with rental BCs... couldn't guarantee that I'd get one small enough. Ditto with wetsuits, so those were the first things I bought. OTOH, I know several people who started out by buying a dive computer, because there aren't many available to rent around here. Also, the longer you can wait, the more time you'll have to try different gear and talk to other divers and work out what you really want.

Hope that helps,

Zept

 

[nickjb]

I agree with zept. It depends what you can rent.

I'm a pretty average size and rental BCs and wetsuits fit me just fine. I started with basic snorkelling equipment so I could snorkel when not diving. Next I bought regs and a computer. Regs so I could could have better quality/condition and a computer to make multiple dives safer/longer/better (and I like that sort of thing)

 

[art.chick]

Here's the order of my purchases:

1) Wetsuit (fit is most critical here)
2) cheap bag with wheels (gotta carry the stuff in something)
3) BC - Dee's reasoning
4) Reg (was on the used table, & was a great deal)
5) octopus & computer (because the reg can't be used without them) Oh, and compass, unless u r a terrorist, & are not planning on coming back.
6) weight belt (easy to rent; pain to carry, Just decided I wanted soft weights, & those are not widely rentable)
7) most rentable, also pain to carry, but I did the math with several weekly dives & realized that they would pay for themselves by the end of the summer.

In the long run, you DO save by buying, but who can afford it all at once? Many LDSs have annual sales (good gear, just clearing space for next year's models).where u can fill in the gaps later.

 

[MikeS]

Just certified in April and purchased all equipment with the exception of tanks.

I agree for the most part with art.chicks list. Think fit, maintenance, familiarity in that order! The things that need to fit well are the things you should buy first.

So:

#1 Mask !!! I think that a good fitting mask that doesn’t leak, without making you look like a raccoon at the end of a dive (from pressing into your face), has the single biggest impact of any equipment on the enjoyment of your dive. Of all of the equipment problems I’ve seen through OW, AOW, and rescue classes there have been more mask problems than all other equipment combined. It’s hard to enjoy the dive and maintain situational awareness with a mask that continually fills up with water or fogs up.

#2 Wetsuit. Fit is very important. Even if they have your size it can take hours of trying on suits to find the best fit. I have seen routinely that people settle for the first rental suit that kind of fits only to end up cold in the quarry. While I haven’t urinated in either of my wetsuits yet, I acknowledge that it’s probably only a matter of time till I get into a situation where it’s impossible to hold out. I find the idea of swimming in a suit that 50 other people have pissed in somewhat repulsive.

#3 BCD. The fit of the BC is very important for maintaining buoyancy and trim. Every BC behaves a little different. Buoyancy is hard enough to master without changing the way you float or sink every dive. Also it’s nice to know where the dump valves and power inflator are without thinking about it, the locations tend to change from BC to BC.

#4 Regulator with Octo. From what I’ve seen for OW diving (less than 60 fsw in above freezing water) all regulators are more or less equal. The key here is maintenance! When you rent, your trusting that maintenance has been done properly. Your also trusting that if the person that used it before you had a problem they told someone about it and it was serviced. I saw in Aruba regulators that were used literally every day were only serviced one every six months unless someone reported a problem.

#5 Computer. There is a big learning curve in figuring out how to setup, read the display, and interpret the data from a computer, especially an air integrated computer. I would not dive with a computer (in other than gauge mode) that I had not read the manual for and played with to make sure I fully understand it. This is hard to do with a rental.

Most of all have fun. My rescue instructor promised to write a note to my wife (he hasn’t done it yet) explaining that it is perfectly normal to walk around the family room with a BC on trying out different equipment mounting options with my eyes closed so I can find the sea snips in a silt out. She made me stop wearing the fins in the house though.

Mike

 

[kwesler]

Regs are life support...does that not make them the priority?

I would not buy a computer until you are sure the one between your ears has an iron clad understanding of tables. I am concerned that people run to computers too fast, and cannot back them up with their own minds. You may be ready right now for a computer, or you may need more time.

Ken