Hello from Arkansas!

[JBreezy]

Hi everybody!

I got my OW in Aug. 2016, now up to Rescue Diver with Nitrox cert. and am up to 29 dives including trips to Cozumel and just recently returned from Belize. Hoping to double that number this year.

I mostly wanted to just say hello and introduce myself to the community here, however, I also have a question for you all: An individual in my dive group recently had some troubles with rental equipment which could have had some pretty devastating consequences had our DM's not been as vigilant as they were (running out of air due to faulty SPG on ascent from ~130ft in the Great Blue Hole). I knew I wanted my own equipment before, but now have decided that I need my own equipment.

Any general recommendations on Regs/BCDs/Computers (to a lesser extent wetsuits)? I've talked to my shop and will be researching more online tonight, but I thought I would ask the community here if there is anything that you would particularly recommend, or particularly recommend against?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to chatting with you all.

 

[Bubblesong]

Welcome! Love Arkansas!
I am putting back plate and wing together, Freedom Contour Plate and Hog wing. I am also looking at regulators. Our last dive we had faulty rental equipment, so we are buying now. I am considering not just the quality of the regulator, but the ability to repair in the field. On two different occasions I saw people with regulator repair skills save themselves One guy, while underwater, his rental reg second stage fell apart, but he calmly tightened what ever had come loose, and went on. On a night dive, the instructor had to pull out the tools and change something on his second stage, and then we went on our night dive. Although I have nothing against factory service, I would like to have this level of self reliance, and so I am looking at the Deep6 regs, because they will service the reg, but their business model is to teach owners that want to learn to service their own, and they sell the service kits, not all regs have this freedom. What if you are somewhere remote?
The more research you do, the happier you will be when you buy, I think. Good Luck!

 

[JBreezy]

Welcome! Love Arkansas!
I am putting back plate and wing together, Freedom Contour Plate and Hog wing. I am also looking at regulators. Our last dive we had faulty rental equipment, so we are buying now. I am considering not just the quality of the regulator, but the ability to repair in the field. On two different occasions I saw people with regulator repair skills save themselves One guy, while underwater, his rental reg second stage fell apart, but he calmly tightened what ever had come loose, and went on. On a night dive, the instructor had to pull out the tools and change something on his second stage, and then we went on our night dive. Although I have nothing against factory service, I would like to have this level of self reliance, and so I am looking at the Deep6 regs, because they will service the reg, but their business model is to teach owners that want to learn to service their own, and they sell the service kits, not all regs have this freedom. What if you are somewhere remote?
The more research you do, the happier you will be when you buy, I think. Good Luck!

Good point. I wanted to take that into consideration as well. Actually, I've looked at equipment specialist certification, but it didn't sound like it would cover really servicing and taking apart/repairing your own equipment, which is what I would have really wanted to get out of it.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[T.C.]

Any general recommendations on Regs/BCDs/Computers (to a lesser extent wetsuits)? I've talked to my shop and will be researching more online tonight, but I thought I would ask the community here if there is anything that you would particularly recommend, or particularly recommend against?

Everyone has their own favorite, and it's usually the gear they've always used.

One thing I'll add, for regulators, it helps if you know if where you purchased them will continue to be able to service them.

Welcome to the boards!

 

[drrich2]

Any general recommendations on Regs/BCDs/Computers (to a lesser extent wetsuits)?

Welcome. Each one of these basically warrants its own thread, and there are threads digging into them.

With BCD's, you mostly see jacket style in use; I prefer weight-integrated and dislike weight-belts, but you can use a weight-belt with one if you wish. Non-W.I., you're stuck with the belt. Some people, including many on this forum, prefer a back plate/wing setup, which is modular, strongly customizable, said by some to aid horizontal trim during the dive, and what you'd likely use to tech. diving. I haven't dove one, and wasn't aware of them when I got started.

For regulators, you want one an area dive shop is willing to service most likely. Do you anticipate doing any serious cold water diving? That can bear on choice. On this forum you'll notice some people prefer the 'long hose' arrangement; probably not a tangent to get into now. Haven't tried it, and you can get replacement hoses later so not a big issue for now.

Computers - wrist unit (watch or puck?) or console, air-integrated (acts as an SPG and many can log your start & stop pressures, estimate gas time remaining, and log dives) or not (some like A.I., some consider it unnecessary and maybe frivolous; it's one of those Scuba Board repeat debate subjects).

Are you trying to reign in the budget, or are you willing to pay more for a premium product or to avoid buying the one you'll later find out you really want? The Shearwater Perdix A.I. version is popular on the forum; I like my cold Cobalt 2 (console) and (discontinued) Oceanic VT3, and you'll see people use a range of things. I like air-integrated computers that log my dives & download to a home computer.

Wetsuit depends on water temp.s & dive frequency/duration. What thickness did you wear, did you get cold, did you wear hood &/or gloves?

Where do you hope to go with your diving? Stick with warm water oceanic recreational diving, or venture into cold water, or deep/long technical diving, or teach diving, etc...?

Richard.

 

[Caveeagle]

If you are determined to learn about self service and trouble shooting, then you really have many options. Hog and Deep6 both have service available through TDI. Poseidon has also allowed "end users" to take the tech class and buy parts.

Scubapro is generally a challenge, but several people really like the vintage Mk10 units and can get parts for them.

Another friend of mine likes vintage Sherwood regs. And was able to learn to self service.

Not super hard if you are mechanically inclined, but it's a big responsibility to take on for something that could get you killed.

 

[Dark Wolf]

Welcome, Joshua!

Do you do, or plan to do, any local diving?

Lobo

 

[txgoose]

Just a fellow Razorback (displaced) checking in. Welcome!!
I and my family are from FS. Going to dive with a nephew in Tenkiller this May. Looking forward to heading back north.

 

[JBreezy]

Welcome, Joshua!

Do you do, or plan to do, any local diving?

Lobo

We have been locally only twice so far, and those for classes/specialties, but my buddy and i have decided we are definitely going to get out more in the surrounding area this summer. Anywhere interesting up in Missouri?

 

[JBreezy]

Just a fellow Razorback (displaced) checking in. Welcome!!
I and my family are from FS. Going to dive with a nephew in Tenkiller this May. Looking forward to heading back north.

Hi! Thanks. We are getting my little sister certified this summer, so I'll probably be tagging along on her OW dates up to Tenkiller sometime in late May. I need to check out Ouachita this summer. I've heard it's the best around up here. Anywhere nice in Texas to go diving?