Your scuba set-up

[diver 85]

Please post your diver set up here, but be sure to state WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!

Also post the advantages and disadvantages of your equipment, this is a thread to help people decide what gear to buy and what gear NOT to buy!! I'm sure alot of people would be grateful for your opinions on this (including myself!) as im sure theres plenty of people who have spent alot on the wrong type of set up.

Please be sure to post what type of climate you dive in too. (i.e. temperate, medditeranean(sp?) etc..)

TIA

Dive Ireland

Hey, ordered a(my 1st) BP/W(DR plate/wing with Oxy harness) today---can't tell you "WHETHER I LIKE IT OR NOT!"..............don't even know anyone with one.......strickly a toy for now, I'm tired of reading about them.....lol

 

[Sas]

Oh noooo this thread reminded me about all the money I wasted on my first setup

Exposure protection: Beachat 7mm semidry, 2.5mm hooded undervest, 5mm boots and gloves. Keeps me warm enough for about three 40-60min dives in 11C water so pretty happy with the suit. Gloves are too thick for me though (I have an ongoing hand injury so really need the dexterity - had to cut the tops off the fingers in my right hand). I have a 0.5mm Scubapro diveskin now too, which I like as it can be dried out between dives so I am not putting on a sopping wetsuit for my second or third dive. Getting a drysuit at the end of this winter though, when they are cheaper, as I do not want to do another winter wet!

Hmm anything below 17C is a drysuit now, no more 11C wetsuit dives . I have Northern Diver neoprene one. Seems fine, don't get cold but it sometimes leaks in the wrist and neck if I move too quickly (neoprene seals, latex are better I heard). Beuchat is fine 17C+. I have turned into a massive drysuit woos now

Regs: Scubapro MK11, S555 + R295: Really like my regs, easy to breathe at depth compared to the rental ones I had in the past. Have tried out my occy too on dives and again, no resistance when breathing. So no complaints there.

Well at least I got this right, regs still going strong Though I have to say Scubapro's "annual servicing at Scubapro authorised repairers" to maintain the warranty is a real PITA as the repair person I use is not a Scubapro repairer and also I am not convinced that annual servicing is necessary. In Australia I don't get the free parts for life deal too, and Scubapro repairpeople charge a much much higher rate than the reg person I would use for servicing. Enough to make it more financially viable to void the warranty and take them elsewhere.

Computer: Scubapro Smartcom. Got this second hand and I really like this computer as it is air integrated and I can download the dive data to my PC for my dive log. Also numbers are big and easy to read, and it can be detached easy from the hose. However it is a console so I will need to get a wrist one when I eventually start getting into cavern training and so on in a few years. I hate stuff around my wrists actually but guess I'll have to get past that

Wrist computer (most basic Uwatec model that I use for depth + time only) + SPG as of recently. I got used to a wrist computer after about 10 dives and now much prefer it. Going to sell the Smartcom or keep it as a spare as I no longer like consoles and really don't need a fancy computer.

BC: Scubapro Ladyhawk BC. Very comfortable and I much prefer the backinflate style over the jacket I used during OW. However, again I will need to upgrade in a few years to a BP/W that can take doubles. In the mean time, however, this one has been really suitable for me.

Well I use a BP/W now (OMS 32lb wing + SS BP). Ladyhawk is a comfortable non BP/W BC but BP/Ws I find way more comfortable so switched earlier than expected.

Tusa Imprex TriEx fins.

Jet Fin type fins now (though not the Scubapro ones but very similar) as they are much easier to manouver in.

The morale of this post is to not listen to the first dive store you walk into and try out heaps of gear before buying. On the plus side my friends who don't have enough cash to buy their own gear get free loans of all my replaced gear