Newbie Questions

[Finless]

No ............... lobbocks to the advice .................. just go out and buy what you want ................. buying dive kit is the only time I ever really enjoy shopping ............... OK, I made mistakes (but not with my first BCD and regs) ............... but that's some of the fun .............. when you know something isn't right for you then you know you are gaining experience AND you get to go out shopping again. Purchasing dive kit is a rare pleasure for me!

You will never really be sure if you have the right stuff so ............... brand loyalty for me because, as I mentioned earlier, my Mares stuff was cool and worked well.

Go and SPEND SPEND SPEND ........... you know you want to.

[PapaBear]

I'd like to change my advice, I like Finless's better, in fact its so good I think I'll follow it myself,

where is my credit card......

[hyweldavies]

With the caveat that I'm only a couple of years ahead of you, albeit now with twins and stuff, but novice compared to most here. As others have said, there's lots of choice, but here's some of the advice which was given to me, and which I'm particularly grateful for (no particular order), along with bits and pieces of my own thoughts ...

DIN fitting regs - clearly a superior design, so no reason not to.

Don't get a dangly console, just a pressure gauge - and get a nice big one eg the 63mm one from niknaks.co.uk. Compass and computer go on the wrists out of the way. This was very good advice I got early on.

Regs: Must be "cold water" models. I was advised to get Apeks, and am happy with mine. I've got their cheaper ones TX40 and TX50 and they're fine. A TX40 2nd stage with DS4 1st is only about £130 quid. You'll need and extra 2nd stage for octopus. The twiddly thing on the TX50 is the only difference - crank it down in cold water to reduce risk of free-flows. That said other regs no doubt also fine, but nearly every diver I know does seem to have Apeks or Poseidon. And do choose DIN fitting. 2nd hand regs always seem far too expensive, add in cost of service and new would be cheaper - especially given how cheap the basic Apeks regs are.

Read up on the "long hose" thing. ie having a 2m hose on one reg. There's lots on this, and which to breath off and which to donate, so you'll have to decide for yourself. The 2m bit seems unarguable, though there's debate on which one you use and which one you donate.

Flippers - make a big difference. I previously had Mares Quatro (supposedly well respected), but have now changed to Turtle fins very similar to Scubapro Jetfins (not to be confused with twinjets) having lost one quatro. I was skeptical of all the pro-Jetfin stuff on the web eg in DIR-land, but having got them, they are great and do make a difference. My own experience only based on quatros, Turtles, and some no-name cheap ones, so not comprehensive survey.

Wings / BCD - I started with a BCD, but bought wing when I got twins. The wing is better, but jacket-style is fine. A 2nd hand jacket style BCD should b £50 to £70 tops, and can be sold on at no loss. They're all much of a muchness - and sizing is just small, medium, large level. I'd get 2nd hand BCD cheap, then work out what you want later. I sold mine on ebay for slightly over the £50 I bought it for. A decent wing set up is going to be £250 to £350 with all sort of decisions on one-piece harnesses, size of wings, bungied non-bungie, so you can put all that worry off for a bit.

Safety Sausage - I like my Apeks one with a little tank on for around £75 quid. There are those who are unconvinced and prefer a plain one, so it's not clear cut, but twist-and-go has a lot to be said for it. There are hazards for the unwary with either type, so get someone to show you and practice.
Need a reel to go with it. I carry mine all pre-attatched - no clipping this to that underwater. Don't do what I heard someone did - gave the reel to one person and the sausage to his buddy. If seperated, then neither of you have a full kit !

Drysuit - I bought an Otter membrane suit and am very pleased with it. It's nicely made, robust, and the bloke in the Otter shop in Bradford very helpful - well worth the 300mile round trip. Cheaper ones seem decidedly flimsy in comparison so Otter seem good value at £500 to £600 including undersuit etc. Go for pockets on the sides, rather than front of the legs, ideally velcro-flapped. Pockets on the front cause drag in the water, are a pain for climbing into a RIB, and stuff like spare mask can get broken whilst lifting cylinders etc (I've done this, twice). Mine are on the front - bah!
Doubtless various other makes (but not all) are also good, but I'm happy with my Otter. Need to understand how to work the suit, and the various hazards. I've known a lot of people buy dud suits 2nd hand, so I doubt there are bargains. There are views on suit versus BCD for boyuancy too !

Computer - a bit tricky this. A Nitrox capable Suunto Vyper 2, or Vytec DS is around £300 and would be great and last well beyond what you're doing. If cost is an issue, then an air only one isn't silly if cheap enough - dunno, perhaps £150, as it can then be backup if you go further. If spending much more than £200 and you might as well get the full-on Nitrox models such as the Vytec and be done. Not saying Suunto's any better than anyone else's, this is just for comparison. Note battery swap is cheap on Suunto, but you have to send some other makes off to the factory.

Compass - Suunto SK7. Cheap enough at £30, nice and big to read.

I recommend elastic housings for compass and computer - from niknaks.co.uk. Make them much easier to take on and off, and less likely to lose your expensive computer.

Torch - the best value dive torch is probably the UK D4 rechargable at about £70. I've since upgraded to a £300 umbilical torch, which is more handy, but only a little brighter. You can probably get by without a torch for a bit, or perhaps get something smaller like a Q40 , which will be a backup later. I've managed to wreck all my backup torches so can't really advise on that.

I think a spare mask in your pocket is a good idea, and learn to swap underwater - whilst floating.

Knife - a cheapish small one, somewhere you can reach eg on BCD or belt, not on your leg where it risks getting entangled or out of reach. A scissors is an alternative, or useful extra item.

Ebay - most things seem really expensive, other than simple stuff like knives, so not really recommended.

Anyhow, that's what I've got, and hopefully some help.


Hywel

[bluefishman13]

seems like good advice hywel,ive got my kit well most of it need to get a drysuit, but my wife is doing o/w course at the moment so will need to get her regs and bcd for red sea trip at end of july, andy. warm water love it.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by bluefishman13

warm water love it.

As I often say about warm water; I love it once a year when I have a bath (whether I need it or not)!

[recurve]

Originally Posted by Juz

For me it's simple.

Apeks regs - they will be good for recreation stuff and useful right up through tec diving if you end up going that way. They are excellent regs, easily serviced and I think you'll find no-one would 'not' recommend them.

I'd go for a Buddy wing if I were you, because it's cheap, one size fits all, it's much smaller and lighter for travelling than a traditional BCD and it will be fine from where you are now right upto twin 10s with a stage.

You will not be disapponited with any of the above and if you ever did decide to change, it's all very easy to sell on.

Juz

With Juz on this one. A wing will fill your requirements whether you choose to stick with singles or go the twin route. They are simple, easy to configure, almost guaranteed to fit properly and completely flexible. Wings are no more complicated to dive with and (IMHO) will help you get your trim spot on.

Apeks regs you will not go wrong with, even the base line models are well built and reliable. I replaced my Mares Proton Ice set with ATX40's at half the price, and if anything get an even better breathe.

Don't discount ('scuse the pun) buying from abroad, either Europe or the States have some very good deals.

Just my two Yen.