Equipment recommendations

ghostsquad · Post by **ghostsquad** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:46 pm

I'm looking to get some good used gear in the next couple months.. college student so funds are small. The things I need are BC, I'd like to get either an al80 or high pressure steel (smaller is better), some good fins, weight belt and Reg.

Oh, and the drysuit I have is good, they have built-in boots, (not the ones with a flimsy sleeve and you put a roc boot over). But they are too big, and my feet fall out of them every once in a while. I had an interesting experience in Alki a couple weeks ago @ 30ft, (no deco dive), flipped upside down, couldn't get any air out of my drysuit/bc, shot to the surface.. and well the dive was over, had to be towed back, lost a fin.. guh.. need to know if anyone has any ideas on how to prevent that from happening again.. (thank god I was at a shallow depth!)

Thanks!

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:30 am

I'd keep an eye on craigslist to find a good deal on used gear.

the drysuit I have is good, they have built-in boots, (not the ones with a flimsy sleeve and you put a roc boot over)....... flipped upside down, couldn't get any air out of my drysuit/bc, shot to the surface..

This doesn't happen with the suits that have socks/rock boots, that's one advantage they have.

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:28 am

I have narrow feet so even with heavy sox, air would get trapped in my feet. To prevent this, I got some rubber gators. Trident has them and they go over your arch, and your heel. Most dive stores have them for about $8-10.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 9:16 am

For a feet-first ascent due to trapped gas in your legs/feet, there is a technique taught in drysuit orientation/specialty that fixes that problem. It's difficult to explain without a demonstration but basically it's tuck your head into your stomach and use your arms to get started in the head-up direction, then kick like hell until your feet come around (below you). Then vent your suit, check your buoyancy, and try to figure out how to prevent that from happening again.

Learning to dive in your drysuit from a qualified instructor will go a very long way and I highly recommend it. There are several instructors here who can provide proper training.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:48 pm

Besides the trident fin keepers, there are gators that wrap around your lower leg. Those may help keep things in place.

In fact, I have a pair of Dive Rite gators I'd sell you-PM me if interested.

RE BC, if on a budget, and if you like the BP/W setup, you can find used rigs on TDS and other places for $300 or so.

RE Regs. This would be one area I wouldn't skimp on, buy new, buy local because you'll want the LDS to be there when you need service, and buy quality. Apeks, Scubapro, Aqualung and Atomics are four brands that are widely trusted. Dive Rite rebrands some nice regs that are not too expensive, and Salvo does the same. If on a budget, I'd look at those or the Zeagle regs, which I've heard good things about. Don't spend too much on a fancy computer/console, you can get a $60 SPG and a wrist-mounted $250 nitrox computer and be fine.

RE Tanks. HP 80s can be had off of Craig's List. Be careful, check hydro dates and vis, and don't overpay. People tend to ask for lots of money for tanks, imho, if you are only saving $50 over the price of a new tank it doesn't make much sense to buy used--my LDS includes O2 cleaning and two years of VIPs when you buy from them, plus a free fill (cound on $10-15 if you have to vis it, and hydro costs can be around $35-$45 total if needed). If it is in good condition and say, $100 less than retail it may make sense to buy used. One thing I would recommend is buying steel rather than aluminum, the buoyancy characteristics are much more favorable for diving dry.

diver-dad · Post by **diver-dad** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:14 am

dsteding wrote:... RE Regs. This would be one area I wouldn't skimp on, buy new, buy local because you'll want the LDS to be there when you need service, and buy quality....

Right! ... that's your immediate life support ... plus, in buying from a LDS, they ensure the reg is assembled and operating properly, and you get the full manufacturer's warranty. Most internet dealers you can get regs from will offer a shop warranty ("grey market") - not the manufacturer's warranty.

Also - some reg manufacturers now offer free software (o-rings, seals, etc) that are replaced when you bring it in for the annual maintenance. That can save considerable $$ over time.

Hope this helps!