Your thoughts

[Houseplant]

regarding BCDs, there's a lot going for the buddy range and people rightly recommend them. however, they never felt right for me and there are other BCDs out there. i dived with a scubapro BCD for 7 years. it never let me down and i subjected it to quite a lot of abuse including sticking a twinset on it for a while

from what i've seen, cressi BCDs are well made too. if you get a chance, try both the cressi and buddy for sizing and feel.

at present, i dive a single wing which i put together for well under £200. i imagine they'll be a shit storm if i recommend the same to someone who is just starting out, but just a thought

[Paul Oliver]

Does that £430 include the undersuit? If you are just getting a basic suit i would suggest a pocket on each thigh, the cargo type ones, i would not be without mine now.

If you Rhib dive get them on the side as on the front can make it a lot harder to get back into a Rhib.

As for the other packages, i would go for the Buddy BC, but then i used them for many years, and still do now for single tank diving.

Apeks are certainly my reg of choice

Quantum's appear to be good 'puters, a Gekko would have been my suggestion but then i doubt there is any practical difference.

Overall they look like very good packages whichever you go for.

Edit: I should add that i will be teaching my daughters to dive in a few years and this is very much the type of package i will be looking at for them, and infact would be very happy for them to dive with.

[Barbel]

I have a Mares Vector BCD and think it is great untill i checked out a club members Buddy. The arm holes are a lot deep cut which aids BCD removal and refitting when doing skills. So worth trying them first as i wish i had spent the extra £150 on the Buddy.

[Swish_101]

Think i'll pay the extra £100 and get the buddy package and look for a computer on ebay or see if anyone at the club is selling one. Thanks for all your information its been very helpful

[Paul Oliver]

Computers often go for more on ebay than they do in the sales, check out the January Sales offers:- SDS Watersports, Kent Diving and Divers Warehouse are all good starting points.

[Lou]

I'm going to add my voice to the "opposition" and say I tried a Buddy on when I first started and hated it. I went for a Seemann Sub in the end, a very untrendy brand, because it felt right. Try on the BCDs you are looking at and see which feels right for you.

[Twinsetmad]

I'd buy the ATX40 package from Go-Dive for £205 and ask for a single gauge. I'd then find a good 2nd hand Vyper and Buddy Pineer/Commando/Ranger from ebay and would expect to pay £250-£270 for both..... Then spend the rest on an SMB and reel.

Suit sounds great...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Buddy-Commando...1%7C240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUUNTO-VYPER-D...1%7C240%3A1318

replace the battery yourself ... £5 kit from ebay

[Stesh]

Me and Sandie have Cressi Aquapro R5 BCD s and their a great BCD for holidays as there light and fold up small in your suitcase, but to dive in the UK we found the Buoyancy too low and have since bought a Oceanic FX for Sandie and a Mare Vector for me of eBay for £60.

Just one other thing, Sandie has used my Cressi BCD when her Oceanic was being serviced and found it fitted fine over her drysuit and also the buoyancy was fine too, My BCD is a size large compared to her normal small.

[Treerat]

My thoughts and options for you.

Regs
ATX 40 triple set inc console- Go dive at £205

BCD - Buddy Commando, basic module - add bits later if you so wish - Go Dive £325 OR a Scuba pro T sport at SDS for £165

Total of £505 or £370

Vyper showing as £211 but I picked one up at £180 from SDS.

This should give you enough for an SMB and reel from one of the Yd'ers.

You may even be able to pick most of the above up from here if you request it

[Dyson Diver]

just a thought , i think that commandos lost a lot when they went away from the solid handle , it was a gift for moving them , even in commercial guise , ie a 15 and a pony , for my money id go for one of the older models , with the hard handle . ive a twenty five year old slimline , one of the nearly white ones , ok , it started life a bit more vibrant , but its nearly white now , last week , i walked into dv and picked up a hand full of spares ,,, jacket as good as new , twenty quid , all the bits still available , thats service.