mcohen1021
Contributor
Hahahaha
New divers and buying equipment
- Thread starter GlennL
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Hahahaha
mcohen1021
Contributor
That reminds me, it's been a long time since I was in Cozumel, I need to get back there
T-minus-35 days and counting!
Good point. I haven't been there for a couple of weeks. Looks like time to plan another trip. I may have to wait until after surgery, but I'll be there as soon as I'm well!That reminds me, it's been a long time since I was in Cozumel, I need to get back there
Cheers - M²
p.s. How about those Astros!!!!!
mcohen1021
Contributor
I regard this as a bit of an evolving process. I bought all my initial gear (except wetsuit, mask and fins) second hand. Used it well. Some stuff wore out, some stuff ceased to fit and some stuff I decided I would like something different. I'm still changing things out some 20 or 25 years later. This year I bought a new mask (my 3rd prescription mask because my prescription keeps changing), a much warmer 7 mm wetsuit (because as I age, I chill sooner), and some full foot fins (just to try out...I can always go back to my other fins if I find these uncomfortable). I don't even want to count the number of cameras and housings I've had. Along with all of the other smaller accessories like pockets, lights etc. etc. etc. It's like anything else in life. You grow, you add, change, adjust, and grow.
gcarter
Contributor
I have logged 309 dives, including my cert dives. 305 of those have been in my own gear. Other than tanks and weights, I have never used rental kit outside of my cert dives, even when traveling.
My first BCD / reg set was gifted by my brother, who I cert'd with. SeaQuest Balance and Apex ATX 40 / ds4 reg set. My wife bought me an Oceanic Veo 2.0 that same Christmas. Both were well recommended brands / kit. I bought everything else, but was quite happy with the head start, cost ~ $1,500 CAD (Do I or do I not have awesome family? )
What I changed:
Around dive 100 or so I switched to a BP/W. I wasn't dissatisfied with my Balance in any way, but I liked the clean lines of my son's BP/W which we had bought him straight out of OW. I keep my Balance as a backup and do not consider it money wasted. The 100 dives or so as my main kit paid for it easily compared to renting.
I recently switched my regs to TX 50 / DST. I was looking for a 1st for an AL40 stage/pony I bought and came across a killer deal at DRIS on the TX50 set. So I bought it and moved my 40's to the pony. The only difference is the user adjustable venturi. No issue with the kit, the buy was really more of an extension of a gear than a replacement.
My fins changed from Mares fins to a tech fin. That was a straight upgrade (for me - my son did the same thing, but has since reverted).
Around 200 dives I changed from the Veo to a Petrel. That was once again not a need or dissatisfaction, it was a pure want. But I love it And I still have the Veo as my backup.
I was lucky in that some of my first gear was gifted by people who looked for good rather than cheap. Nonetheless, the many thousands I have spent since have been more in the vein of addition rather than replacement, i.e. 9 tanks, multiple exposure gear for different conditions, lights, cameras, etc. What I have replaced has been because of "ohhh, shiny!!" more so than need and so really cannot count towards an "issue" with the initial gear.
All of my initial gear I still have. I occasionally still use the BCD, and have loaned it to friends. The computer is my backup, and the regs are on a pony. The fins have been used to save a dive for a friend, but I admit I haven't used them for probably 150 dives.
I consider none of it money lost / wasted. Even if I never used any of that first kit again, it long ago paid for itself relative to rental costs. And having my own kit, that I am used to, that I know the condition of, is priceless.
My end point recommendation would be to buy your own early, don't be cheap about it, but get the best advice you can. And when it comes to "required upgrades" don't kid yourself about the difference between needs and wants.
My first BCD / reg set was gifted by my brother, who I cert'd with. SeaQuest Balance and Apex ATX 40 / ds4 reg set. My wife bought me an Oceanic Veo 2.0 that same Christmas. Both were well recommended brands / kit. I bought everything else, but was quite happy with the head start, cost ~ $1,500 CAD
(Do I or do I not have awesome family? )What I changed:
Around dive 100 or so I switched to a BP/W. I wasn't dissatisfied with my Balance in any way, but I liked the clean lines of my son's BP/W which we had bought him straight out of OW. I keep my Balance as a backup and do not consider it money wasted. The 100 dives or so as my main kit paid for it easily compared to renting.
I recently switched my regs to TX 50 / DST. I was looking for a 1st for an AL40 stage/pony I bought and came across a killer deal at DRIS on the TX50 set. So I bought it and moved my 40's to the pony. The only difference is the user adjustable venturi. No issue with the kit, the buy was really more of an extension of a gear than a replacement.
My fins changed from Mares fins to a tech fin. That was a straight upgrade (for me - my son did the same thing, but has since reverted).
Around 200 dives I changed from the Veo to a Petrel. That was once again not a need or dissatisfaction, it was a pure want. But I love it
And I still have the Veo as my backup.I was lucky in that some of my first gear was gifted by people who looked for good rather than cheap. Nonetheless, the many thousands I have spent since have been more in the vein of addition rather than replacement, i.e. 9 tanks, multiple exposure gear for different conditions, lights, cameras, etc. What I have replaced has been because of "ohhh, shiny!!" more so than need and so really cannot count towards an "issue" with the initial gear.
All of my initial gear I still have. I occasionally still use the BCD, and have loaned it to friends. The computer is my backup, and the regs are on a pony. The fins have been used to save a dive for a friend, but I admit I haven't used them for probably 150 dives.
I consider none of it money lost / wasted. Even if I never used any of that first kit again, it long ago paid for itself relative to rental costs. And having my own kit, that I am used to, that I know the condition of, is priceless.
My end point recommendation would be to buy your own early, don't be cheap about it, but get the best advice you can. And when it comes to "required upgrades" don't kid yourself about the difference between needs and wants.
I too have met some divers who rebought their equipment as they gained knowledge of the kind of diving they like.
My gear collection has grown considerably and it turns out if I don't need a particular piece anymore, someone near me does. It's one of the pleasures of diving to pass on equipment to other's who need it.
All in all I'm fine with 'starter kit' and being willing to upgrade and specialize when the time comes.
Fortunately I still love my ovel mask, seaking fins and conshelf regs. My double hose regs I save for special occasions but treasure it.
I'm a used gear purchaser anyway so anything I buy I "could" resell without a loss. Enjoyable trying tons of equipment.
Regards,
Cameron
My gear collection has grown considerably and it turns out if I don't need a particular piece anymore, someone near me does. It's one of the pleasures of diving to pass on equipment to other's who need it.
All in all I'm fine with 'starter kit' and being willing to upgrade and specialize when the time comes.
Fortunately I still love my ovel mask, seaking fins and conshelf regs. My double hose regs I save for special occasions but treasure it.
I'm a used gear purchaser anyway so anything I buy I "could" resell without a loss. Enjoyable trying tons of equipment.
Regards,
Cameron
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Reading the op’s first post I have to agree with this 100%.
Besides renting for a while, my suggestion is to get out and dive a lot with as many different people as possible. Get on charter boats, join dive clubs, do beach dives with weekend groups, or whatever you can to expose yourself to what everybody is using and how they dive. Ask a lot of questions.
Borrow gear that shops don’t rent if you can.
One thing about gear and different diving styles today is there are so many different ways to do things and the gear configurations that match. The internet is a great place where information flies freely around the world, but it can also be very confusing and overwhelming. I’ve seen brand new divers not even certified yet get on the internet and get so wound up and advised in so many directions that their head winds up in a knot.
Their initial goal is to bypass the whole buying the wrong gear problem and end up with their last set of gear first. Sometimes this works, but sometimes in doing this they don’t fully understand what it is that they bypassed, and there is always a doubt that maybe they missed something better.
The sport of diving is a cumulative activity where learning takes place over time and during each dive session. Renting/borrowing and trying as much different gear as possible is the slow growth method, but also allows you to fully absorb information and make informed decisions on what you like, don’t like, and how to change it. As experience builds so can gear preferences. What seemed fine when diver started may need to be changed later.
Buying used gear is also a great way to save money. But you also have to know what to get and how to shop. This is also a learning curve and requires experience.
Some choose to just let the dive shop outfit them and don’t care what it costs. They just want to be taken care of and enjoy the customer care. This is fine for people with deep pockets and don’t particularly know or care about the style of gear. They just figure that the dive shops are the experts so they will go along with whatever they recommend.
But for the rest of us we need to find ways to get the best bang for the buck. Sometimes that includes an LDS and sometimes it doesn’t.
Besides renting for a while, my suggestion is to get out and dive a lot with as many different people as possible. Get on charter boats, join dive clubs, do beach dives with weekend groups, or whatever you can to expose yourself to what everybody is using and how they dive. Ask a lot of questions.
Borrow gear that shops don’t rent if you can.
One thing about gear and different diving styles today is there are so many different ways to do things and the gear configurations that match. The internet is a great place where information flies freely around the world, but it can also be very confusing and overwhelming. I’ve seen brand new divers not even certified yet get on the internet and get so wound up and advised in so many directions that their head winds up in a knot.
Their initial goal is to bypass the whole buying the wrong gear problem and end up with their last set of gear first. Sometimes this works, but sometimes in doing this they don’t fully understand what it is that they bypassed, and there is always a doubt that maybe they missed something better.
The sport of diving is a cumulative activity where learning takes place over time and during each dive session. Renting/borrowing and trying as much different gear as possible is the slow growth method, but also allows you to fully absorb information and make informed decisions on what you like, don’t like, and how to change it. As experience builds so can gear preferences. What seemed fine when diver started may need to be changed later.
Buying used gear is also a great way to save money. But you also have to know what to get and how to shop. This is also a learning curve and requires experience.
Some choose to just let the dive shop outfit them and don’t care what it costs. They just want to be taken care of and enjoy the customer care. This is fine for people with deep pockets and don’t particularly know or care about the style of gear. They just figure that the dive shops are the experts so they will go along with whatever they recommend.
But for the rest of us we need to find ways to get the best bang for the buck. Sometimes that includes an LDS and sometimes it doesn’t.
Roger Hobden
Contributor
I imagine that many LDS are in a bind because it just wouldn't be practical to sell the products of every dive gear company in existence. They have to make choices, and, once they do, they are stuck with the "low, medium and high" quality items that each brand affords.
60plus
Contributor
Has anyone any opinion on an Aqualung Axiom BCD and Aqualung gear in general?
I am thinking of spending about £750 to £800 on a BCD, regs, 15L steel cylinder, weights and weight belt. These costs are based on discounted internet prices. I will be buying new, my size means I would have difficulty finding used items and in any case would not buy used as I regard these as safety critical.
At this time I am only qualified to PADI Scuba diver but expect to get OW qualification by mid summer, or Autumn latest. My interest in diving (at this time anyway) is mainly in diving the Canary Islands, Madeira, Portugal and possibly the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt. The reasons for buying my own gear are to have something that fits well and I am used to, to reduce rental charges and do a bit of diving in the UK, this mainly being to keep me in practice. Anyone any thoughts / advice on this approach?
At times this topic seemed to be heading towards an argument between experienced and inexperienced divers. I have come across this before on other sport forums. The fact is the beginners requirements are nearly always different to the more experienced.
Regarding the yellow Octo I would expect this to become the standard alternate air supply for recreational diving as will / is the jacket type BCD. This is because PADI, and as far as I know most other initial teaching and certification bodies use these
I am thinking of spending about £750 to £800 on a BCD, regs, 15L steel cylinder, weights and weight belt. These costs are based on discounted internet prices. I will be buying new, my size means I would have difficulty finding used items and in any case would not buy used as I regard these as safety critical.
At this time I am only qualified to PADI Scuba diver but expect to get OW qualification by mid summer, or Autumn latest. My interest in diving (at this time anyway) is mainly in diving the Canary Islands, Madeira, Portugal and possibly the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt. The reasons for buying my own gear are to have something that fits well and I am used to, to reduce rental charges and do a bit of diving in the UK, this mainly being to keep me in practice. Anyone any thoughts / advice on this approach?
At times this topic seemed to be heading towards an argument between experienced and inexperienced divers. I have come across this before on other sport forums. The fact is the beginners requirements are nearly always different to the more experienced.
Regarding the yellow Octo I would expect this to become the standard alternate air supply for recreational diving as will / is the jacket type BCD. This is because PADI, and as far as I know most other initial teaching and certification bodies use these
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