Wanting to buy my first reg and BCD

[tominabox1]

Also a new DFW diver - my regs in service at Scubatoys right now actually heh

we need a SB group trip to the Ranch methinks...

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Also a new DFW diver - my regs in service at Scubatoys right now actually heh

we need a SB group trip to the Ranch methinks...

Agreed. I've been out there.....3 times in the last few weeks? Most recently to do my Rescue Diver course.

 

[tominabox1]

Agreed. I've been out there.....3 times in the last few weeks? Most recently to do my Rescue Diver course.

cool! As soon as my reg service is done I need to get out and try everything out before my trip to Bermuda on Aug 31.

 

[teonchagi]

I am going to the scuba ranch on August 5 (Sunday) and am planning to meet with a couple of people I've never met before from the diving club based out of Adventure Scuba (never been there either lol) and would love to have more people to meet up with. Or if I don't get creeped out by the lake, I'll probably go the week after too. I want to dive as much as possible before it gets too cold for me lol. I've never worn a wet suit in my life so I'm not sure how that's even gonna work...I gotta lose weight.

I have a concert to go to on Sunday but Scuba Toys says they're open 12-4 so I may try to work that into my day too and at least see about trying some gear. I see online they have a back inflate BCD made custom for them by Zeagle and it looks pretty spiffy.

 

[tominabox1]

I did my OW cert with Adventure Scuba. Had good experience with all the professionals involved. If my reg is done by then I'll see about making it out but my guess is it wont be done (Scubatoys said 3 weeks).

You definitely will want a full suit if you're going deeper than ~25' out there. At least when I was out there, there was a very definitive thermocline where the temp drops about 10+ deg (aka 70s or lower). Its pretty bad vis although I heard it has gotten better.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

I am going to the scuba ranch on August 5 (Sunday) and am planning to meet with a couple of people I've never met before from the diving club based out of Adventure Scuba (never been there either lol) and would love to have more people to meet up with. Or if I don't get creeped out by the lake, I'll probably go the week after too. I want to dive as much as possible before it gets too cold for me lol. I've never worn a wet suit in my life so I'm not sure how that's even gonna work...I gotta lose weight.

I have a concert to go to on Sunday but Scuba Toys says they're open 12-4 so I may try to work that into my day too and at least see about trying some gear. I see online they have a back inflate BCD made custom for them by Zeagle and it looks pretty spiffy.

It's the Zeagle Brigade, which is what I dive. It's a Ranger BC with a smaller 32 lb lift bladder. I love it! But I'd recommend the Zena for women because of how it fits.

Definitely don't expect crystal clear visibility like you had in the Caribbean at the Ranch. About the best it gets is 15-20 ft. But there some cool stuff to see. Plenty of platforms around 20-22 ft for training, etc., Cisco, which is a 50 ft long metal "shark" you can swim through, a couple of sail boats toward the far end, a couple of cabin cruiser type boats near the entrance, a Cessna hovering about 20' near the middle, a silo near the middle that drops down to about 65 ft and then an American Airlines simulator fuselage at the far end that you can swim through and climb in the cockpit if you're so inclined. There are certainly worse ways to spend a day. Right now, I'd say plan on wearing a 3mm wetsuit. Won't really need a hood or gloves unless you're planning to go deeper than 30 feet. I was there doing my Rescue course at the end of June and that's what we were diving so you should be fine in that. One thing I'd say invest in is a dive skin. You can find them at the dive shop of course, but you can find them much cheaper on Amazon. I think I paid about $30 for my NeoSport (made by Henderson) on Amazon. They make getting a wetsuit on/off a heckuva lot easier. And when your'e diving warmer waters, such as Cozumel, they'll help protect against jellyfish like the one I got hit by last year. And yes, ScubaToys is open Sunday 12-4. Those hours are fairly new and were originally put in place for OW students coming back from the lake to drop off their rental gear. But if you get a chance, definitely go by and give them a shout!

 

[ams511]

Hi everyone! What a great idea for a new forum! I am a freshly certified diver and because I'm a gear junkie for anything I do, I neeeeeed my own gear for scuba too. I'm looking at getting the Mares Dragon BCD with the SLS weight pockets for a few reasons. It's in my budget, is the same brand as the other things I already own (mask, fins, snorkel, computer), can be serviced at a LDS near me, and has features I think I want based on the rental gear I used. I am a fluffy person, so I used 16lbs of lead during my OW class, but my instructor wanted me to take out 4lbs and try 12 for my last dive...and we both forgot, so I'm not sure how that would have gone. I have a huge rolling bag just for dive gear, so the space it takes up when traveling is not a big deal. I didn't find a very large number of reviews on it though, so opinions are welcome.

For my first reg, I've been looking at Deep 6 for the past few years, since long before I was certified. My hesitation is that I doubt I could have them serviced locally, and if something went wrong I'd be up the creek without a paddle. But then again, on vacation dives, I'd probably be up the same creek with any brand. I would love to do the service myself at some point, so Deep 6 would be the way to go for that, but I'm sure that's quite a while in the future.

I plan to dive annually on vacation in St Thomas USVI, but I also plan to dive locally (TX lakes unfortunately) as much as I can to keep skills fresh. Any other destination diving would be a bonus, but would be tropical.

I would normally suggest a BP/W for the diving you do. You can use a stainless plate for the cold water diving and an aluminum or fabric plate for the travel diving. However, if you want a BC, then the best BC is the one that fits you underwater. If it is reasonable to rent a BC and the shops in your area have a selection then I would try before you buy. If not, you may want to invest in something inexpensive to use until you decide what you want. A BC does not require maintenance. If the inflator works and it holds air then you are good to go. You can try eBay, Craigslist, Facebook for used gear or Leisurepro from cheaper newer gear. For example, I prefer this one over the Dragon. It is cheaper, foldable, is back inflate, and has a smaller aircell. However, I have not dove either, but site unseen I prefer the Hybrid. Again, what fits you best underwater.

For regulators, again personal preference plays a roll. My recommendation is this. You may question an eBay regulator, but let me explain. First, I have two of these myself from the same seller. The seller is a dive shop. Second, TUSA is a Scubapro OEM. These regulators are a TUSA-branded Scubapro MK-17/S360. They can be serviced at any Scubapro dealer. Also if you want the second stages can be upgraded to an S560 or S600. Why are they so cheap, because they are an older model. The newer one has a black faceplate. Buy 2 and get a longer hose for one of the second stages and a SPG.

 

[teonchagi]

Thanks again for all the advice and opinions everyone! I went to scuba toys today and purchased my gear!

I decided on the Zeagle brigade (raised my budget to get what I really wanted instead of settling), and Zeagle envoy regs. They were awesome and got me what I needed for a good price. The envoy wasn’t in stock today but hopefully it will come next weekend.

They were kind enough to loan me some rental gear so I can play in the pool this weekend. I can’t wait to have my own stuff and dive whenever I want!

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Thanks again for all the advice and opinions everyone! I went to scuba toys today and purchased my gear!

I decided on the Zeagle brigade (raised my budget to get what I really wanted instead of settling), and Zeagle envoy regs. They were awesome and got me what I needed for a good price. The envoy wasn’t in stock today but hopefully it will come next weekend.

They were kind enough to loan me some rental gear so I can play in the pool this weekend. I can’t wait to have my own stuff and dive whenever I want!

Glad to see the guys @ ScubaToys took care of you! They've always taken great care of me and my family and I buy pretty much everything from them. I'm hoping to get out to the ranch in the next week or so. Thought about maybe this weekend, but I'm not sure what the nasty weather we've had this week has done to visibility so I may wait a week. I'm sure I'll be out there very soon anyway because I'm about to take the Master Scuba Diver course and I'm sure we'll do some of our dives out there. But I'm glad you found something you like and you're happy with. Did you end up with the Brigade or the Zena? Either way, it's great gear IMHO. I did the research, I asked the questions, I nitpicked everything before I decided what I wanted. And in the end, Zeagle won me over. Congrats on the new gear and possibly even finding yourself a great dive shop! They really are top notch!

 

[teonchagi]

Thanks! I went with the brigade. I tried it on and it was sooooo comfy. The price is nice too.

I’ll be at the lake Labor Day weekend. I may go next weekend Sunday but my moms birthday is Saturday so I doubt it. Two weekends in a row, she might kill me lol.

I just got an offer from high tide scuba in Mansfield to do nitrox with them so I may get that cert done Labor Day weekend too. Stoked!!