First set of gear

bnboly · Post by **bnboly** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:29 pm

I'm getting ready to start getting my first set of gear. From talking with my LDSs and friends that dive, so far this is what I have come up with:

Halcyon 40 lb. Eclipse MC System w/ Aluminum Backplate
Scubapro MK25/X600 regulator
Suunto Vyper computer
Steel 80 or 100 tank

Am still not sure of an octo, spare air or wet or dry suit.

Any thoughts, suggestions or recomendations?

thelawgoddess · Post by **thelawgoddess** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:26 am

sent you a pm, but had another comment. it sounds like you are a new diver. (sorry if i missed that somewhere.) so ... did you wear a wetsuit on your ow dives? how cold did you get? if you plan to dive around here, i'd use that as a good gauge. i did my ow dives in a wetsuit (2-piece 7mm) and i lived. but a couple of those dives ended with me shivering (before i got out of the water, not to mention once i got out). i will be able to manage diving wet a few more times (and will have to until i can buy a drysuit), but i know i won't go diving much if i dread how cold i'm going to be before i even get cold.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:04 am

I dove at Mukilteo on Saturday in a 7mm wetsuit and was uncomfortably warm. I was unzipping, opening my hood, and taking my gloves off trying to cool off by letting water in.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:34 am

Sounder wrote: Are you getting your Halcyon wing from 5th-Dimension in Issaquah? If not, you should go there and talk to Mark about them - he's one of the largest Halcyon dealers.

Since his location is listed as Olympia, he's most likely dealing with Capital Divers. They'll take good care of him ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:38 am

bnboly wrote:I'm getting ready to start getting my first set of gear. From talking with my LDSs and friends that dive, so far this is what I have come up with:

Halcyon 40 lb. Eclipse MC System w/ Aluminum Backplate
Scubapro MK25/X600 regulator
Suunto Vyper computer
Steel 80 or 100 tank

Am still not sure of an octo, spare air or wet or dry suit.

Any thoughts, suggestions or recomendations?

Would need more info ... like ...

- male or female?
- size and weight?
- do you plan to dive regularly in Puget Sound?
- how often do you anticipate taking your gear on a warm-water vacation?

Like Sounder, I might want to recommend you consider a larger cylinder ... but it depends on at least a couple of the answers above. A stainless steel BP will cost more, but it also provides more versatility.

Good choice of reg and computer ... you are obviously looking at quality gear.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

thelawgoddess · Post by **thelawgoddess** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:38 am

Sounder wrote:I dove at Mukilteo on Saturday in a 7mm wetsuit and was uncomfortably warm. I was unzipping, opening my hood, and taking my gloves off trying to cool off by letting water in.

while you were diving???
if so, i'm guessing your internal heater works much better than mine!
how's that for diplomatic? ;-)
me ... i seem to have one made for a mouse. :-(

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:40 am

thelawgoddess wrote:
Sounder wrote:I dove at Mukilteo on Saturday in a 7mm wetsuit and was uncomfortably warm. I was unzipping, opening my hood, and taking my gloves off trying to cool off by letting water in.
while you were diving???
if so, i'm guessing your internal heater works much better than mine!
how's that for diplomatic? ;-)
me ... i seem to have one made for a mouse. :-(

He was working that heater pretty hard, actually ... between struggling with gear that didn't fit quite right and chasing crabs ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:21 am

Well, yes I was chasing crabs (first time on scuba) - they're faster than I thought they'd be! Yes, my gear wasn't fitting quite right (BTW GD, got that all fixed and tested it off my dock).

Then there's the extra insulation some of us are blessed with... that helps A LOT! Similar to marine mammals, some of us have extra insulation to keep us warm. In the same kind of suit, my wife would have been frozen.

thelawgoddess · Post by **thelawgoddess** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:45 am

Sounder wrote:Then there's the extra insulation some of us are blessed with... that helps A LOT! Similar to marine mammals, some of us have extra insulation to keep us warm.

*LOL* yeah; i was just trying not to go there. ;-)

perhaps once i can control my buoyancy a bit better, i too will get to chase crabs!

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:06 pm

The rig end up getting should depend more on your personal situation (body type, traveling vs. diving here, etc.) than what others use. I personally have a few different rigs. I love the combo power inflator/octo from Atomic, the SS1, but I also have another reg that has a traditional octopus. I don't dive with a 7' hose, but then again I don't dive in overhead environments or wreck penetrations. I have a dry suit, but I dive very often and through the winter. I have a 5/4mm suit for medium waters and a 2mm full and 3mm shorty for tropics. It all depends on what kind of diving you want to do and where. As Bob mentioned, telling us more about yourself and what/where you want to dive will help us to make recommendations.

sparky · Post by **sparky** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:05 pm

wel with guys like Gratefull Diver giving you advice any thing I could say would just be a eco of what he would tell you .

I would like to add if at all posabule dive it befor you buy it
even if you have to rent it .

had I done that I would have gone a compleatly other direction the I did with my gear.

as to your tank choice also look in to the steal 119 I have two of these tanks and why they may be a little bigger then some I find I realy love mine and would not trade them for any thing.

you will be over welmed by all the choices out there for gear

a nother peice of advice
Dont get in a rush to buy it all at once shop around because soon as yuo buy some thing youll find a better deal or a better peice of gear

keep us posted on your progress
Sparky

bnboly · Post by **bnboly** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:18 pm

Would need more info ... like ...

- male or female?
- size and weight?
- do you plan to dive regularly in Puget Sound?
- how often do you anticipate taking your gear on a warm-water vacation?

-male
-5'10' 190lbs
-most of my diving will be in Puget Sound - however by brother is planning a few trips to Mexico, Key Largo and possibly Australia.

The choices out there are overwhelming! I had one dive shop tell me to not worry about corrective lenses for my mask - said all he needed to see was where the needle was! I would prefer to know what number the needle was on!

I am working a lot with Capital Divers - great staff, very knowledgeable and they definately give me a good feeling.

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:57 pm

I would work with Capitol Divers. First, because they are close to where you live and when you buy your gear from them, they can service it for you. The last thing you want to do is buy equipment, and if you have a problem or need service, you have to drive back to where you purchased it or have to wait weeks to get it returned to you.

While there is good deals on Ebay and on-line dive stores, unless you really know what you are doing, I would spend your money at your local dive store. Many manufactures void warrenties if purchased on-line and you may have a difficult time getting service in the future.

Many LDS will also give you air cards and other great incentives for purchasing with them. It will all balance out in your favor.

bnboly · Post by **bnboly** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:10 am

Olympic Sports also gives store credit for some of their larger purchases - plus they will let me try out the various pieces of equipment before buying.

I definately agree with mail order - ya may save a few bucks - but when ya need service quick - forget it!

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:08 am

If you can make it up for the gas management seminar next week I can show you some gear and discuss with you some choices ... I'm in Federal Way, about 10 miles north of Tacoma ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:51 am

I have the Cobra Computer and It is a great Computer!

I am looking into a Back Plate and bladder? But need to considder what my weight positioning options will be. I currently use a Weight belt and some intigrated weights in my BCD.

Other Financial onbligations are a huge factor

](*,)

I am looking fwd to talking to Greatful Diver about that stuff @ the gas managment seminar.

Wet or Dry?
Crushed neoprene or shell type?
are some important questions

I agree, I wish I would have been in less of a rush to get some of my gear. But then again, I think you can get a better price with a whole package deal thru your LDS.

My LDS took $300.00 right off the top and worked down from there.

bnboly · Post by **bnboly** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:27 am

Yea - I'm not looking to purchase till maybe mid September - but the more I look the more choices I have.

Now looking at the ScubaPro computers along with the Oceanic.

lamont · Post by **lamont** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 11:04 am

bnboly wrote:I'm getting ready to start getting my first set of gear. From talking with my LDSs and friends that dive, so far this is what I have come up with:

Halcyon 40 lb. Eclipse MC System w/ Aluminum Backplate

i would suggest stainless steel to prevent feet-down trim. generally Al backplates are used with steel doubles.

Scubapro MK25/X600 regulator
Suunto Vyper computer
Steel 80 or 100 tank

Am still not sure of an octo

get another quality regulator for the octo second stage, don't cheap out on it.

spare air

definitely avoid this. its a $200 way to run out of air twice.

or wet or dry suit.

drysuit around here, particularly in the winter time.

Any thoughts, suggestions or recomendations?

Northwest Dive Club

First set of gear

First set of gear

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Re: First set of gear