Choices, Choices, Choices

[CatB]

Originally Posted by littleH

Female specific stabs?!!! WHAT

OMG the marketing department are working overtime. Believe me i've got whoppers and i'm fine in a small buddy. get a second hand BCD and see how it fits if you don't like it try the 'girly' one, but beware of the marketing departments exagerated truths..............hmmmmmm

I have to admit that if it's marketing hype it's worked on me! I loathed our club buddy BC's found them uncomfortable and cumbersome. I now have a Seaquest Diva LX which I love (admittedly I have only worn it a couple of times and unlike a club one it is properly set up to fit, but it's great).

If you are interested I think there is a secondhand one of these (the model up from mine) going on YD - have a look at the personal adds forum (you can search inside a particular forum, that might help).

[jojac]

I agree with Wannabe, I have a Seaquest Diva LX and it is far more comfy than any of the club ones I used. I got mine off ebay for a fraction of the price I would've paid new and it was in perfect condition, my partner got his BCD off ebay as well which was also in new condition, never had a bad buy off ebay yet.

[ScubaSue]

Originally Posted by WannabeMermaid

I have to admit that if it's marketing hype it's worked on me! I loathed our club buddy BC's found them uncomfortable and cumbersome. I now have a Seaquest Diva LX which I love (admittedly I have only worn it a couple of times and unlike a club one it is properly set up to fit, but it's great).

If you are interested I think there is a secondhand one of these (the model up from mine) going on YD - have a look at the personal adds forum (you can search inside a particular forum, that might help).

It's the one mentioned in post #11 above - Choices, Choices, Choices

[purple vonny]

I have a Diva LX and love it, very comfortable, good lift, has a wing on the back but "cross your heart" stylee is good for women who have small shoulders. Normal BCDs come up round my ears when ascending! have done about 300 dives in it and it is in excellent nick so second hand would be fine.

[chas49]

Originally Posted by bex80

Computer - Geeko is still a fav but last night some of the club members had brought along their dive logs printed from the pc which looked great so now tempted to spend more!

Don't spend extra just to get the download option. Look at this thread first - it does work - I did it with the cable from this ebay seller - and I have no link to him other than as a satisfied customer.

Of course there may be other good reasons to buy a more expensive computer but if it's just the download thing, this'll do it for about £25 on top of the Gekko price.

[chrisch]

Bex the BCD is a matter of what fits is what fits - Jugs don't come into it

Have a look at the wing type as well - they leave the chest area clear and many folks (both geneders) prefer them.

I also agree that a secondhand one (BC) is fine. Just make sure it holds air and doesn't go down over about 5-10 minutes and you should be OK. Many parts (like inflators) are interchangable and easly replaced. (Scubapro inflators are pretty indestructable).

I am currently rebuilding two sets of kit after ours got pinched out the car. Ebay is fine if you are happy buying stuff you haven't seen. Just picked up a new drysuit and now looking at other kit.

The Mk25 reg is a great bit of kit but OTT if you don't want to buy top-of-the-range stuff. Look at Apeks TX40 (about 160 quid).

One other thing I would add to your shopping list is an Ortleib drybag. Find them in camping shops. Its a great way to stash your dry clothes somewhere on the boat. Keeps your sarnies and biscuits dry too...

Welcome to a great sport. Enjoy.

Chris

[EdHornby]

definitely leave the BC prchase till last, it;s only a cylinder holder with a bag bit....

the Gekko is a perfectly good computer also, I have a vyper and unless you really need the download then the Gekko will do all that you need - I have never needed to switch the backlight on ! (the gekko has a luminescent face that you shine the torch on to 'charge' it)

I'd agree about the apeks - the TX40 is a great reg and you can get some really good deals

[Magi]

BCD - Unless you are very busty and find the normal BCD's uncomfortable I wouldn't bother getting a female specific one. Some of them have less surface buoyancy and as far as I have seen you tend to pay more. You should be able to get one second hand to fit - try loads on and remember to leave extra room for a drysuit if you intend to dive in the UK. Once you find one that you like you could look on ebay or YD.
REGS - Expensive purchase - Look also at Apeks TX or ATX 40's or 50's. Excellent regs and will serve you well in the UK and abroad - maybe cheaper than the Scubapro ones you mention - I havent looked at the comparison on prices. I have the scubapro regs you mention and also the apeks and prefer the apeks.
BAGS - go for cheap and non-badged. Carry your computer in your hand baggage and the regs as well if you have enough room and weight allowance. If not wrap your regs in your wetsuit and inside your BCD.
Computer - Suunto is good. Depends what you want - you may want to look at one with a Nitrox capability for the future but most of the time I just dive with the computer set on air so that I have an increased safety factor for decompression even when diving with Nitrox. A lot of my diving is done in remote locations abroad and Nitrox is not available anyway.
Happy shopping

[Noel Johnson]

Hello there,

As far as female BCs go Dawn (SWMBO) swears by the Seaquest range which have the swivel buckles taking the straps away from your chest. She uses a PRO model without the integrated weights if this is any help. Dawn looked into female specific BCDs and found the difference in lift given by them compared to a standard one quite staggering.

Most important bits of kit IMHO are a good mask and good regs, cos if you can't see or breathe you're in trouble. Aqualungs are superb, I'm in a minority of people who dislike APEKS and I've never used scubapro I'm afraid but these days nobody makes a bad reg, It's just some a more well received than others.

Bags - already been said.

Computer? One choice - Suunto. I've had a vyper for 4 years and had to change the battery once. Simply brilliant, easy to read and very reliable.

HTH and good luck.

Noel

[StephM]

BCD - Buddy Travel 16 wing. Tough, comfy, adaptable and best of all new kit for the price of second hand.

Regs - Apeks DS4 with ATX 40 second stage, cheaper than Scubapro, just as good and will still be able to cope with any diving you will do in future.

Dive Bags - forget them, over priced and useless. A couple of plastic crates from B&Q do the trick, bung your gear in and keeps your car boot dry, also handy for washing the kit out afterwards, just fill with water, save carving up your bath or shower.

Computer - Apeks Quantum (reliability issues have now been resolved, apparently) cheap, will move with you as your diving progresses, user replacable batteries, cheap (again)

If you shop around on-line you can get the above for around about the same price as you would buy 2nd hand gear on eBay.. It's new and will progress with you so you shouldn't need to fork out again in a few years time.


HTH