Go ahead, brag about your gear set up..

[Atomic_Diver]

Well I am kinda bored :bored2:, and decided to start this thread for everyone to brag about their gear, but in order to do so you must state why it is you decided to go with that brand/model. The vision of this thread is not just to brag about your gear, but for others to see why you choose that brand/model of gear so that they (particuarly newer divers, but everyone too) could learn what is "the hottest", "most reliable", and "favorite" brand/choices among others.. I do hope for others to see this thread as fun, but if it turns nasty, then the Moderators can/will do what they need/want with it..

 

[HowardE]

My favorite gear is the stuff that works.

 

[Atomic_Diver]

My Favorite gear is the stuff that works.

What works for you, and why?

 

[EastEndDiver]

My Mares snorkel !!!!! I chose it because it is black and has a cool dive flag decal on it.I bought it at Leisure Pro.

 

[themagni]

I've got cheap gear.

I like being able to dive with gear that cost 1/10 the price of the folks around me. That doesn't mean the gear is crap, though. I've got a custom-fit drysuit, Poseidon regs, harness & wing, Force Fins, and a Mosquito. I know, I know, I'm going to die because it's not the Official Dive Setup (TM).

It has taught me: a) not to rely on gear and b) how to fix a lot of my own gear.

I do really like my snorkel. It's one of the Sidewinder flexible ones, so I can use it when swimming on my front or back. Lucky for me, whoever was pricing at the LDS read one of the "snorkels are for jerks" threads here and "accidentally" put it on clearance just before I walked in.

 

[ONESPEED]

 

[diver 85]

My favorite gear is the stuff that works.

same here---my stuff is just ordinary run of the mill stuff---Veo 180 computer, Zeagle BC, DR BP/W, SP Mk 10 & G200 reg( 1 owner since '88 on this one), SP Mk 2 & R295 reg, Oceanic 1st & 2nd stage, 3 octos(a DR one, a Alpha one, & one I couldn't tell you the brand of)1 of many masks ordered online(not any real name to any--they just all don't leak), splitfins now(I'm getting older & leave all my blades in the closet--most of the time), & a few lites with all the little things ie shears-spool & SMB-whistle, 3 sets of 3 mm full suits with a shorty 2mm & 3 sets of skins, etc etc....ie NOTHING @ all to brag on BUT they have gotten home with NO chamber rides---EVER......



Now, saying ALL that, I'm extremely happy with my last 2 purchases..

..................AND............(you like my matching blue tank & netting???

 

[Nemrod]

I use this stuff here, I bought it at Montgomery Wards in 1966 on special, it came with a manual, "How to Scuba Dive". It was a great deal, I read the manual and jumped in, I loved my new gear, still do:

Can I join the DIR club, can I, can I, I so want to be approved of by the elite.

This is me and my gf hunting sharks and then they put our picher on the cover of a magazine, can you believe it!:

Here I am exploring a well in Valdosta, Ga, an entrance to a cool underwater river, I forgot my fins but I managed, that triples set is awesome:

N

 

[Chugwhump]

I like my gear, but I will be changing a few things before too long hopefully.
BC and camera replacement someday.

I will take it from the bottom up:

Mares Volo "Race" full foot fins.
$60 on sale.
They are racing fins, so I can swim really fast because my fins say so.
I have yet to actually have a race in them with anyone to this point, clearly because I intimidate everyone else and nobody has challenged me.
They are lightweight and fit extremely well.
I used to used Mares Quattro's but my feet grew and they got to where they were way too tight.
I used to use open heeled fins, and for drift dives from boats they are still great, but for soft sand beach dives I like the power return with the Volo's.

Evo 1mm Neoprene socks.
$15
They make my Racing fins fit better, protect me from shark attack, and keep my feeties warm.
I am allergic to rubber composites touching my skin, the fins burn like fire if I do not have an insulator of some sort.

Aeroskin poly skin (my pals call it my diving leotard).
$60
I wear it from June to December.
I will not dive without some kind of an exposure suit for protection from sunlight, sea lice, or gaping tourists with cameras.

O'neil 3/2 wetsuit
$75
I wear the wetsuit from December until May typically, over my diving leotard.
It has racing stripes, so I am faster in the winter I think.
It was cheap, it fits, I like it.

Worldwide Sportsman bathing suit.
$15 on sale at Bass Pro about 10 years ago, I bought 6 of them.
Cargo pockets, draw string, velcro.
Who could ask for more.

Sherwood Avid B.C.
$300+ or so.
I really like my poodle jacket.
Big pockets, lotsa D rings, good lift, and all around comfy.
I must have storage for an Otter Box with my glasses in it.
They go on every dive with me. I also carry a small stringer, a slate, 1 or 2 Capri Suns, and a fishing license. I pick up trash, coal, precious stones, and Spanish doubloons on every dive when I find them.

Tusa DC Hunter Dive computer and SPG in console with compass.
$300 or so.
I like it.
2 gas, looks cool.
Tells me the time and the temperature in imperial units.
It shows me east on the way out, and shows me west on the way back.
Easy to read.

Aqualung Octo.
$75 or so.
It seems to work.

Oceanic Delta 3 reg.
$250 or so.
I like it as I have not died with it to this point.
Very reliable.

UK Light Cannon
$150 yellow in color, it is very bright on night dives.
UK D8
$75 also yellow in color, it is a heavy pig, but it was my regular light until I got the cannon.

Seavision prescription masks (3)
Red, Clear, and Yellow lenses.
$120 each.
Because I am as blind as a geriatric rhinoceros without glasses and I do not really like to wear contacts.

Tusa dry snorkle (3)
$30
one on each mask.
I like them because they are comfortable on the bite and many other divers hate snorkles.
I like to wear snorkles in caverns to annoy other divers.
I also like to wear snorkles in caverns to make other divers laugh.

Wenoka Sea Style Blackie Collins Titanium dagger.
$35
For killing sharks, crocodiles, lionfish, eels, those bad guys from the movie "Thunderball"and anything else that may attack me.
I if attacked by the James Bond evil dudes will slash their air hoses like Mike Nelson did on Sae Hunt.
I am trained in the Johhny Weismuller style of U/W defence and offense.
I have not been attacked as yet, so I am operating under a similar factor to the the Volo "Race" fin deterrence element I am sure.

DAN Safety Sausage.
$50
I carry a cyalume stick, mirror, and coleman reflective blanket in the little side pocket
Because I do not like to stop and ask directions, I expect the boat to find me as I am a paying customer.


Tanks:
I have several.
AL 80's and 90's.
Steel 130's and a single 149.
The 149 is for beach dives.
The aluminums are for friends and very short dips.
The steels are for me and whoever needs my spare air/nitrox.

I also have 30+ years of doo-dads, clips, straps, and other stuff I do not need but like to have.

Chug
Hope this helps.

 

[Colliam7]

... but in order to do so you must state why it is you decided to go with that brand/model. The vision of this thread is not just to brag about your gear, but for others to see why you choose that brand/model of gear so that they (particuarly newer divers, but everyone too) could learn what is "the hottest", "most reliable", and "favorite" brand/choices among others.

Interesting idea, tougher to respond to than I initially thought. GENERAL: almost all of my gear is a brand that my LDS carries, whether I bought it there (new) or through eBay (used), because I figured it would be easier to have serviced, if needed. Have purchased a bit of used stuff on eBay, with few problems; eBay because the LDS doesn't carry used equipment. In general, I didn't do a lot of research on particular models, and relied on LDS advice, or availability. That's worked for me.
REGS: Zeagle ZX50D, for singles and sidemount doubles. Bought the first one because that's what the shop manager recommended (neither a good reason, nor a bad recommendation), liked it, bought 5 more used on eBay (4 in one deal, set up for tec - doubles and two deco regs). They breath easy, I like the turret for singles and SM. After several years, and a couple of Sea-Cure mouthpieces, I changed to Comfo-Bite mouthpieces on everything. Most comfortable mouthpiece I have ever used. Apeks ATX200s for BM doubles. Needed some regs when I first set up my doubles, got a good shop close-out deal on them (Apeks was changing to XTX). GREAT regs for cold and deep.
FINS: Mares Quattros (new) for wetsuit, SP Jets (eBay) for drysuit. The Quattros because as a new diver I heard they were 'the best' (whatever that means), and Jets because I heard that was what you wanted for tec. Love the Quattros 10 years later. HATED the Mares buckles and rubber straps (that I seemed to regularly break), so put spring straps on - the only way to go. The Jets are comfortable, provide good propulsion for a heavy rig (drysuit, doubles, deco bottles), and the spring straps I put on are great.
TANKS: HP steels (100s, 120s, 130s), because I wanted 1) something negative to allow me to shift weight from my waist to my back, and 2) more gas than an AL80 (my first tank) provided. As singles, the 130 is my favorite (most gas, dives well); as doubles, the 100s are my favorite - best weight / trim / gas supply balance. AL40 as a pony, because I was thinking of tec in the future when I bought it and wanted a bottle that 1) I could eventually use for deco and 2) would help me get used to a slung pony, instead of a tank-mounted bottle. For me, a very good choice.
EXPOSURE SUITS: Henderson Thermoprene 3mm wet suit. Henderson because it was recommended by the shop as a solid brand, standard Thermoprene (vs. Hyperstretch) because it was more affordable, 3 mm because I didn't think I would ever be too hot in 3mm, and if the water was too cold for a 3mm, I wouldn't dive (early on) or would go dry (now). DCI trilam drysuit, because the shop owner recommended DCI, trilam vs crushed neoprene because I thought it would be more manageble in terms of excess positive buoyancy. Great choice. I have Halcyon pockets glued and sewn on both drysuit and wetsuit thighs - also a great decision.
MASK: SeaDive Caribbean. Started with an expensive, large volume mask (OceanMaster View 3 purge) that the shop manager recommended. Later bought the SeaDive for my then 15 y.o. daughter - it was the cheapest mask in the shop. Borrowed it one time, and loved it, and now have two of my own. OceanMaster sits unused in a box in my closet.
LIGHTS: Dive Rite 10W HID (later converted to LED) canister light. A later acquisition, which I wish I had bought early on. MUCH better than pistol grip, replaceable battery lights for all kinds of diving (great for rec, not just tec). DR because it is a shop brand, 10W because it was more affordable than higher wattage lights - no regrets whatsoever. Halcyon Scout as a back-up. OK light, overpriced, but functional.
COMPUTERS: Suunto Vytec, because I thought I wanted a multi-gas computer for the future (tec), and shop manager sold me on the idea of AI. Good computer, with a very readable display. AI is nice, but not essential. LiquidVision X-1 - best display I have ever seen, LOVE the ease of changing screens / gases / setting through taps rather than buttons.
BCDS: Started with a Zeagle Ranger, because my dive buddy bought one and recommended it. Great BCD, introduced me to the essentiality of a crotch strap. Also convinced me that I don't care for integrated weights. Moved to a DR SS BP and a DR Rec Wing (both bought used, on eBay) - SS because it seemed better for singles than AL. Rec Wing OK for singles, not ideal. Later added used Halcyon Explorer 55 for doubles (because that's what my instructor was using), a used Oxycheq Signature 50 just to see if I liked Oxycheq (I do love this particular wing for double 80s, and the quality of construction is obvious - but we are not an Oxycheq shop), and a DR Nomad sidemount rig most recently because I am intrigued by SM, and we can get really good prices on DR gear.