A newbie asks.....

[ancl]

Apologies if this has been asked before but looking to put together my first diving kit, looking at diving in the UK so here's the list....

Apex ATX50/40 regs + 2 gauge console
Suunto 1000 BCD
Suunto Vyper Dive Computer
Moby drysuit
Fins - not decided what make.

I'm that keen, I'm selling my motorbike to finance the diving !!

The local dive shop is doing a deal for the reg / bcd / mask / snorkel / fins for about £650, the drysuit for about £500, the divecomputer I've seen on the net for £200.

I'm doing my last two open water dives on the OW course in a couple of weeks, and want to get some dives under my belt before going onto the Advance OW, would the above kit be suitable for a newcomer to the sport ?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

ancl.

[Gavin Yates]

<font color='#000F22'>What's a Moby drysuit?

Never heard of it - the rest is all decent stuff tho'

[ancl]

Not sure, its what the local dive shop sells, *think* the company is in Northants ( Banbury or Brackley ? ) &nbsp;Off to google.com methinks.

thanks
ancl

[Mark Chase]

Get DIN regs they are much better.

Get the new regs and the computer both excelent choices (seen it cheeper than 200 at the dive show in London) might be worth hanging on for the Birmingham dive show. but why not go SH for the BCD there are loads on the market.

Mares Avanty Quatro fins are rated highley and have been for years. Also they are a bit cheeper than the new split fins. You should be able to get some new for about £60.00

One thing missing from the list was a good tourch. Get the best you can afford and again go SH. There are a lot of perfictly good Haligon umbilicals on the market at the moment with divers upgrading to HID. In the UK a good tourch can make the diferance between a good and a bad dive.

Dry suit sounds expensive for a make I have never herd of. Look at Otter suits which are V good and cheeper or for that money you could get and off the peg O3 (Otter from Divers Wearhouse)


Good hunting


Mark Chase

[daz]

Agree with Mark, especially on the drysuit comment...

I do take reviews with a pinch of salt but this is a review of the Moby I found on Dnet

Moby Review

HTH,
Daz

[richarddbarker]

£650 seems pretty good for the bulk buy kit. I just got the same set of Apeks regs and so far so good.

Same comments as above, think you'd be better off investing in a better dry suit. I've just bought an Otter Skin (you can see a review from the page that Daz linked too in Divernet). It was £500 as I was buying other kit too. I got the drysuit, 200g undersuit, boots, hood, bag, hose, shoulder dump. I got one off the peg with the extra rugged boots/proper heels for no extra cost. Divers warehouse are based in Bradford not sure how far that is from you.

[LesleySS]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Mark Chase @ Aug. 13 2003,20:55)]Get the new regs and the computer both excelent choices (seen it cheeper than 200 at the dive show in London) might be worth hanging on for the Birmingham dive show.

I got my Suunto Vyper at the dive show in Birmingham last year and managed to get it for £185 - £100 cheaper than my dive shop wanted me to pay! &nbsp;Defo worth having a look there and take cash to get the best deals. &nbsp;Mares Quattro fins highly recommended by Mr Lesley, but I love my Scubapro Twin Jets (although not everyone gets on with them).

[Spike Jackson]

I've seen avanti quattros for £45. not sure where though! Definitely always worth shopping around, very good deals out there. I've also got the otter skin, like it a lot but got the cheaper, flimsy boots - worth getting the tougher ones!

[paul-gte]

duck and dive in bradford are selling otter drysuits at nearly half price at the moment well worth a call to garry hudson

[Conor]

Dont' know if you would consider it but I went for ATX40 DIN with octo and double console and got it for £289 including reg bag.

Once you have got your list together try godive and kent diving for a package price, they seem to always be willing to knock a bit off or beat someone elses offer.

Happy hunting

Conor