Starting my OW certification!!

[newdiverAZ]

Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum and have spent a good bit of time reading thru here. First I would like to commend all of you for being not just friendly divers but outstanding people. The way you are so supportive of everyone who posts here and the true joy you seem to get from each new accomplishment. My hat is off to each and every one of you.
I would like to share my story with you and then ask some of your opinions. My scuba experience started with a resort course dive in Cancun, last August. My wife and I decided to take a resort course at a great place called Aquaworld. When we started doing are very abbreviated pool session my wife was having a hard time not breathing thru her nose. So the instructor got the rest of the class into the deep end and throwing around an overweighted ball to keep us busy while he worked with my wife a bit, and before you knew it here she came down the descent line. To make a very long story short, once we got out on the boat she was a bit nervous again but once in the water it all faded. What an incredible time. Cancun underwater is ABSOLUTELY!!! beautiful!! And no sooner did she break the surface and get on the boat was she asking me if we could dive again the next day
Now we are starting to take our open water cert at an LDS, starting sept 13. I am so excited cause not only are my wife and I going, But our 11 yr old godson is going with us
We have already purchased all our personal gear, and my question is I am definitely wanting our own lifesupport gear before our OW dives. My LDS only rents 2 different types of bcs and regs, Can anyone suggest a good setup for newdivers. I'm not really concerned with price more so quality, and should I be considering dive computers at this early stage of the game. I plan to continue training till atleast divemaster, I am so hooked from just the few short dives. I spend all my spare time and even some not spare time reading and trying to learn about diving.



Thanx in advance.
Brian


P.s. I would be honored to dive with anyone of you
once i get certified

 

[Dryglove]

Welcome aboard!!

My advice is to look through the board here for opinions on different equipment.A lot of it depends on your style of diving.I am the average openwater diver slowly moving towards DIR style of diving.Once i get all my equipment needed for the GuE class im gonna take one.What im trying to say here is buy right the first time not the 2nd time like so many of us.

Dont let the dive shop talk you into buying whatever he sells.Also dont overlook a backplate and wings.I have a scubapro knighthawk which is considered a good bc by sport divers but kick myself and wish i had known about a bp and wings.All i can say is research this board and ask lots of questions before you buy gear.

 

[Ranz]

G'Luck on your OW!

 

[FloridaSpork]

It's always good to see another person bitten by the diving bug!

The kind of gear you get really depends on the type of diving you're going to be doing. For me personally, since I'm in Florida I plan on doing mainly spring diving and tropical ocean diving. The gear set up I've got works just fine:

SeaQuest Pro QD bc
AquaLung Titan LX reg
AquaLung Octopus octo
Suunto Vyper computer console

Everything works great and is very comfortable. The gear I have is plenty suitable for the diving I've been doing. I also plan on moving up to at least Divemaster. At that point I'll probably move more towards a DIR setup, but that's still a ways off.

I'm not sure what kind of diving you're going to do, but the one thing that I would highly recommend is a computer. Looking back, I wish I had one for my advanced open water dives and the few OW dives I did before I bought the thing. It's made life so much easier and safer as well: I always do my safety stop, always ascend slowly and know exactly how much time I've been down.

Just as lal7176 said, check around the board. You'll get a very good idea of what the best gear setup would be for different diving situations.

Good luck, have fun and dive safe!

 

[newdiverAZ]

Thanx lal and floridaspork for your insight, I really appreciate it. I am actually planning on diving in both of your areas. Shooting for a dive at Catalina island in october and a trip to Ft. Lauderdale in November. Most of our diving will probably be in a local lake here for all certs and in California due to proxomity. Prolly 2-3 trips to tropical waters a year I hope. Can either of you maybe pass along some ideas for good dive sites for newbies from either of your states.


Thanx again for the help
Brian

 

[Wildbill]

Good luck on your OW, let everyone know how it goes.

Wildbill

:copper:

 

[CuriousMe]

Hey Brian,

Welcome to the board. I definately agree with what everyone else has said about checking out the equipment area's of the board to get some info before making a purchase. The other place I'd recomend either you or your wife checking out is the Womens's discussion area. Three's a lot of good info on gear choices and other things that affect female divers.

I also do tropical diving

I have a SeaQuest Diva LX
Apeks ATX 50, and TX 20
Sunnto Cobra and Mosquito

They've all served me well

Best of Luck to you!

Peace,
Cathie

 

[newdiverAZ]

I was curious if it is just me or did anyone else think the time was dragging up intil there classes begin. It's about all I can think about lol. The wife gonna start gettin mad if i don't get summthin done lol 11 days can't go by fast enuf

 

[rusky4u]

Hi there newdiverAZ!

Greetings from Madrid!

So far as dive computer is concerned:

Yes, you should have one, not now (for the course, I mean) but for your dives!
It’s not going to teach you how to dive but will certainly help you to increase the safety side!
Apart of all the depth, time and no-deco info, a dive computer is very useful for new divers because it will help you in avoiding yo-yo profiles or going up to the surface too fast at the end of the dive. Both situations happen a lot in the beginning of every divers career!

Have fun & dive safe!

By the way, I can’t get diving out of my mind! Should we all join any therapy?
And, yes, same as you, I’m overwhelmed with this forum!

bye 4 now!

 

[Aquamaniac]

And welcome aboard, ( or welcome overbaord!!! )
Most important thing.

Research Research Research , then Research a bit more.
Most of the answers you will find in this board.

Dave