Tech gear

[swimmer_spe]

After several posts, and thinking of what I really want to do, I am realizing that eventually I will be going Tech.

Cave diving, deep diving, long diving, wreck penetration.... All are Tech.

I will not be making the switch till I truly can afford it.

I know some certification agencies require specific gear. As in, this reg, this mask, this fin, this.... Are they all this way?

I know that there are going to be specific specifications. I dive cold water and will not own a reg that is not rated for cold water. However, many companies make regs that are good for that temperature, so I can pick and choose between them.

What agencies are that way?

 

[decompression]

I genuinely know of no agency that you must use a specific brand of gear. Which are you thinking of? Regardless, a sensible choice of taking your time aquiring your "tech" gear. It can be done quite easy with few mistake purchases with thorough research and advice from an instructor you've chosen or other instructors. This approach works for many of my students.

You can start now by focusing on skills/knowledge that will serve you well when you take your courses. Buoyancy, balanced rig, gas selection and deco theory are all things you can tackle now for little to no cost. Enjoy the journey!


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[Tickler]

The only one that is remptely that way seems to be GUE and it isn't even mandatory for you to buy their Halcyon gear but they will push it harder than any other agency will push a brand. Get what works for you and is affordable. Shop around, wait for sales, and buy bits and pieces at a time. If you wait to do it all at once, you will be out a years salary in a week.

 

[swimmer_spe]

I genuinely know of no agency that you must use a specific brand of gear.

I was under the understanding that GUI was one that was overly specific on gear. Are they no different than other Tech agencies?

 

[tbone1004]

GUE is very specific but they do not require any specific brands models.

I.e. must have blade style fins, doesn't matter if they are OMS Slipstreams, Scubapro Jet Fins, Dive Rite XT/EXP, Mares Avanti Quattros etc, most will be in Scubapro Jet fins
Must have backplate and wing, most will be in Halcyon systems, but others are fine, they are restrictive on which harness you go with though, but is still not brand model specific.

Other than that there aren't a whole lot of specific requirements and unless you are aiming for GUE training it's not specific. UTD is worse about pushing their gear than GUE with Halcyon, but odds are you won't be doing training with them. Proof is in the pudding on GUE, here is their official gear recommendation page
https://www.globalunderwaterexplorers.org/equipment/config
You will see Halcyon BP/W's, Scubapro or Apeks regs, etc, but none are specifically mentioned *Halcyon is mentioned once in the BC section*

Good quality gear will work with any tech agency, follow that GUE equipment guide unless you want to go sidemount which will obviously change your gear quite a bit, and their opinion on dive computers is still pretty tight, but support local business and buy a Petrel and be done with it. GUE/UTD/NAUI are much tighter than the others mainly in the harness required, GUE and NAUI only allow one piece harnesses on their rigs, the rest of the agencies just want a backplate/harness/wing system, doesn't matter if it is a soft Transpac with a complex harness, or a one piece harness on a bent stop sign. Plenty of threads on here about pros and cons of each system, and lots of threads on specific equipment, so do some reading. Cave Diver Forum is a good place to read a lot since most things that work in caves will translate back to other styles of diving.

 

[decompression]

That's a bit of a myth....there are recommended styles of gear and some that are "verboten", but mostly you'll find instructors (myself included) that if the gear works, it works.


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---------- Post added February 12th, 2015 at 02:16 PM ----------

GUE is very specific but they do not require any specific brands models.

I.e. must have blade style fins, doesn't matter if they are OMS Slipstreams, Scubapro Jet Fins, Dive Rite XT/EXP, Mares Avanti Quattros etc, most will be in Scubapro Jet fins
Must have backplate and wing, most will be in Halcyon systems, but others are fine, they are restrictive on which harness you go with though, but is still not brand model specific.

Other than that there aren't a whole lot of specific requirements and unless you are aiming for GUE training it's not specific. UTD is worse about pushing their gear than GUE with Halcyon, but odds are you won't be doing training with them. Proof is in the pudding on GUE, here is their official gear recommendation page
https://www.globalunderwaterexplorers.org/equipment/config
You will see Halcyon BP/W's, Scubapro or Apeks regs, etc, but none are specifically mentioned *Halcyon is mentioned once in the BC section*

Good quality gear will work with any tech agency, follow that GUE equipment guide unless you want to go sidemount which will obviously change your gear quite a bit, and their opinion on dive computers is still pretty tight, but support local business and buy a Petrel and be done with it. GUE/UTD/NAUI are much tighter than the others mainly in the harness required, GUE and NAUI only allow one piece harnesses on their rigs, the rest of the agencies just want a backplate/harness/wing system, doesn't matter if it is a soft Transpac with a complex harness, or a one piece harness on a bent stop sign. Plenty of threads on here about pros and cons of each system, and lots of threads on specific equipment, so do some reading. Cave Diver Forum is a good place to read a lot since most things that work in caves will translate back to other styles of diving.

Ok, I can't let that go, what do you mean (evidence) that UTD is worse about pushing their gear......


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[ddmattos]

GUE equipment list.

The above list will get you were you want to go.

They all require specific types of gear and configuration but not brand specific. You do want quality though. Get the basics now. Wait for the other stuff such as doubles, can light till you can afford it.

I would buy in this order as funds permit.

• Backplate and wing
• non spit fins such as jet fins with spring straps
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]A low profile mask that fits you. A black low volume type preferred but not mandatory by any means.[/FONT]

• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Long/short hose[/FONT]
• Regs rated for cold water. (Environmentally sealed first stage.)
• An intro with a tech instructor that you researched to go over long hose/short hose use and finning techniques.

You can dive the above for any rec or tech dive.

I would be asking Scubaboard and people in your area that do the type of diving you want to do for respected/recommended tech instructors in your area. Talk to him/her about your goals, timeline and willingness to start accumulating gear over time but not sure what to buy.

High quality instructors would welcome encourage the call.

Good luck.

 

[tbone1004]

UTD sidemount and Z-system.... The few UTD instructors I've met have pushed UTD's gear hard, AG included *obviously*, everything from fins to regs, I'm sure they'll let you take the courses in other gear for backmount courses, but I'd be shocked if you could take their sidemount course without the manifold *again could be wrong their, but I imagine the manifold is the only reason you'd take their sidemount course*, but I've never seen a GUE instructor push Halcyon gear unless the student asked for recommendations.

GUE does not allow multi-piece harnesses in their gear configuration. NAUI requires NTEC which is the Episcopal version of GUE's gear configuration, but neither can be done in sidemount or independent doubles, and I don't believe either will allow you take the course in fins without spring straps or split fins, at least not officially. Neither do metal valve knobs on the manifold, consoles instead of SPG's, etc etc.

So I still stand by what I said, blade fins, doesn't really matter which ones, backplate and wing of some sort, some agencies allow soft plates, others don't, but you aren't getting through in a stab jacket with a console hanging off the regulator, and the hose configurations are all pretty standard

 

[rivers]

The only one that is remptely that way seems to be GUE and it isn't even mandatory for you to buy their Halcyon gear but they will push it harder than any other agency will push a brand. Get what works for you and is affordable. Shop around, wait for sales, and buy bits and pieces at a time. If you wait to do it all at once, you will be out a years salary in a week.

That's a load of crap. I haven't seen or heard Halcyon or any other brand specific gear being pushed on anyone by a GUE instructor. I have heard them say things like "I like x brand for these reasons" or "I prefer x over y for these reasons, but you may feel differently so try out various versions of (insert whatever)". I have seen halcyon, frog, ist, hog, tecline, dirzone, agir, light monkey and a slew of other wings on GUE boats, most regs tend to be apeks, halcyon, or scubapro (even mix), all manner of torches (light monkey, halcyon, light for me, ammonite, salvo, greenforce), turtles, jets, f1s and knock-offs for fins, various drysuits (santi, otter, dui, seaskin, ursuit) front and back zip, masks are just as diverse, most blobs tend to be Halcyon, but they are brilliant.

 

[PfcAJ]

The only one that is remptely that way seems to be GUE and it isn't even mandatory for you to buy their Halcyon gear but they will push it harder than any other agency will push a brand.

Inaccurate. GUE instructors don't push any brand at all.

Source: I've taken 6 GUE courses