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#181
Best bang for buck
dayton72 - 4/05/2009 2:10 PM
Category: Equipment
Replies: 9

Me and my wife are new to diveing and still trying to get all the gear we need. We would love any information we can get on what to buy as well as what to stay away from. We are looking at an Aqualung set up, BCD, Reg, Comp, etc... but would love any and all input that anyone can give us. We are both on the slim side, with me the male being very slim IE 5’8 135lbs. so no gear seems to be built for my size no surpise there but can anyone give me a good place to look thanks Dayton
#1135
Triggerfish - 4/06/2009 4:52 PM
Go to your local dive shop that way everything will be under warranty and they can speical order your suits, BCD,Regs, The works its worth the little extra
#5919
SCUBASMITTY - 4/06/2009 10:15 PM
LOOK ON CRAIGS LIST !! there are alot of good deals there..
#5471
DiveBuddyChgo - 4/07/2009 6:37 AM
Used Gear, Craigs List, LeisurePro.. And LeisurePro is a dive shop in N.Y. So you do have a warranty...
#3673
Bigdogdown - 4/07/2009 8:04 AM
Two words for you and your wife DIVE RITE. Look into a trans pac II with a Venture Wing and you both can’t go wrong, you’ll be able to size them to any way you want and it’s a rig that can grow with you as you progress with diving. You simply won’t be able to out grow it’s usefullness, even people who dive doubles will use the same trans pac they use for singles. You can buy it in a store, there are lots of retailers, or order from Dive Rite Express (fill express) in FL. Dive Rite also has some of the best customer service for any equipment related problems you may have. Best Bang for the buck that I can think of for a new diver with fitment issues.
#545
trimixdiver - 4/08/2009 7:57 AM


Hello Dayton


Sounds like your at the cross roads, what to buy ?


Don’t limit your diving to your gear. I work at a shop that carries all the major lines, warrenty is extreamly important! some stores say they are authorized and lie ,look up the Manufacturer and ask them directly. In AquaLung the Pro QD BCD,Regulators TittanLx old style, you should be able to find it discounted,Computer Old style Vyper Wrist the only diffirance beteewn the new one is digital compass.


But for what you spend, consider the following


Zeagle Ranger BCD,Zena BCD for her they have Excellent warrenty and good price


TittanLX good performer parts program


Callypso Octo Good breather and inexpensive


ProPlus 2 computer Air integrated good warrenty easy to read.


hope this helps.


 Hector


 


 
#6072
scubaclay - 4/08/2009 12:50 PM
Dayton,


Best advice I can give, is to read a lot, look at as many brands as it takes, go to you lds and question them about package deals. Talk to other divers about their gear, and then check on line.



Scubaclay
#1380
DavidNorcross - 4/08/2009 8:41 PM
Many of the dive shops have rental equipment. If I was thinking about a specific item, sometimes I would try to find a dive shop who rented that equipment and try it for the day. That seemed to help me a lot when I got started.
#28739
RAWalker - 4/10/2009 3:35 PM


In a BCD brand and model mean little as long as it is from one of the well known brands. That said I tend to stay away from the brands that overly regulate the price they allow dealers to charge. Manufacturers Authorized Retail price (MARP) This isn’t the same as MAP Minimum Advertized Price. The difference allows dealers to discount gear as long as they don’t advertize for less than what the manufacturer authorizes.


Also some internet retailers are fully authorized by manufacturers while others are not. This may have it’s reprocussions if warranty coverage is needed. You do need to be aware of these issues even when purchasing locally.


My advise about BCDs is fairly simple otherwise. Purchase a BCD that uses some form of back inflation and get used to using it from the get go. This type of bladder or wing has much better swiming characteristics than the jacket BC with it’s wrap around bladder. Jacket style tend to squeeze the diver when inflated. Many people prefer them because they will keep you higher out of the water on the surface. This type of use is a flaw at any rate since the BCD should only keep your head out of the water. Back inflator styles do this perfectly if you don’t over inflate them. If you do overinflate them they can tend to lean you forward unless you lean back considerably to counter.


Many people seem to go through a progression of BC first purchasing a jacket style then a hybrid Jacket back inflator and often later moving to a Backplate and wing design of the type used for tech diving. Their is no reason not to skip to the later styles. The Backplate and wing is more versatile as it is a modular system and can be altered and adapted to more types of diving environments. It does however require the diver to become more knowledgeable about the equipment and it’s proper set up for these varied environments. Hybrid back inflator jackets give you the same basics as a standard jacket style with the better swimming characteristics. These may be a better overall choice for a beginner since they require no more knowledge of the equipment than the standard jacket BC.


Hope this helps. Have fun shopping.
#200
coldwater - 4/26/2009 10:16 AM
If you are looking for a BC look at one that you can size I know the Sherwood Avid you can size it has inside ajustments. The other thing is what kind of diving are you going to be dowing, this is a big factor for you. You can spend a lot of mony on a BC. Hving a budget is the best plan. For regulaters you need to know what type of water temps your going to be diving in. this is big factor for regs. also your wet suit one that works for you. Good diving have fun Tony