Man, I wish I had seen this post earlier....I have a bunch of dive gear I want to sell. BTW I would love to do a dive trip, have been working on my NAUI Divemaster cert. and can use all the open water dives I can get.

A lot of great advise - I'm not sure I could add anything except a couple pics;)


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1257451403.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1257451431.jpg

One more - I won the Atlanta Journal Travel photo contest with this one taken in the Cayman Islands :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1257451591.jpg

Ok guys.. Going to Blue Water in OKC to look at gear after a PCA meeting Saturday...

I lived in hawaii for 2 years and have 117 dives logged. I was certified by a crusty old diver that pretty much tossed us overboard and said follow me.

I can vividly remember the first time I came face to face with a reef shark, sunning itself on a small patch of sandy bottom in a ray of light comming down from above thru a hole.... in a lava tube.

Thought I was going to swallow my regulator. LOL.

I have been diving for over 20 years, I have not bought a BCD, Regulator, tank or weights. Everwhere I have been you can hire these. Unless you are going to dive off your own boat or with friends privately I would just do as you propose, mask, snorkle, fins and watch. If you do get keen I would suggest a dive computer. Saves you having to keep track with the dive tables and lets you have more dives/bottom time per day with safety.

Sorry Bruce, but I have to 200% disagree with your on your "rent or hire all your equipment" statement....

whether you've dove for 20 years, or 20 months, or 20 days. Rental gear is typically hammered on old stuff that has been marginally maintained, even at resorts or big Aussie great barrier reef operations.

Yes if over the 20 years, you've only dove 2-3 times a year while on holidays or vacation, then maybe that makes sense for the infrequent diver. But I want/NEED to know that my air delivery device and regulators are mine, Heck they're ONLY your LIFE support equipment, and may have in the days or week before you Rented/Hired them they could of been drug through sand or mud or stepped on or crushed under a couple air tanks.

Just like a Rental Car, how many people treat them like their own? No, people thrash on them in general in a rough and tumble way....put it this way! Would you buy a Rental Porsche, BMW, M-benz, Vette, or Dodge Viper? 98% of people would say heck no, they've been rode hard and put away wet in horse terms. A regulator that fails or free flows at depths can kill you. Simple as that. It's worth my LIFE to spend the $400-500+ on a good regulator set-up.

Rental gear adds up quick. $20-25 a day for a regulator X times 20-25 days dives = that you could of gone out and bought your owned for the same money. Same thing with Wetsuits or other stuff.

All depends on how often you want to dive, once/twice a year as a tourist, or more often.

to my students and newbie divers, yes I suggest renting equipment for the first little bit to make sure Diving is for them as a sport/hobby, and THEN to drop the big money on buying their own equipment, but renting long term gets you upside down costs wise and you coulda/shoulda just bought equipment much cheaper up front.

Cheers!

Ok went and looked at Dive gear... there was a dive shop right across from the PCA breakfast... How convenient .


What say you on the Mares Liquid Skin Mask? That thing fit amazing... I feel like it is worth the 25 bucks more....
The place I went didn't have much in the way of fins other than the 200 split fins that are all rubber... Can't recall the name... I may still go to blue water next week when I am back up there....

The Mares Liq Skin IS a very nice mask, fit is everything! do not skimp on your mask what-ever brand.

I prefer a black skirt, keeps all the distracting reflections out that clear skirts give and they annoy the heck out of me.

The x-vision Mares series has "good" all around view, you want a low profile wide angle view, especially downward and upward.

That said I just bought a Tusa "visulator" mask, super wide all-around vision. I have a wider face, and those narrow small fitting masks just don't work for me.

fit is everything, I can't stress that enough.

Try on many many masks at different stores, look as far downward as you can with your chin on your chest, and move your finger up till you can't see it anymore through the mask (nipple level or lower or where-ever) THAT is the true judge/measurement of where your lower viewing levels are while checking gauges or finding a clip on your BCD.

keep the questions coming, you're asking the right stuff. For regulators, Scuba Pro, Atomic, Oceanic, Zeagle, in that order..........

Hey Rusty is the leisurepro site working for you? I can't get there...

Scubapro Twin Jet Max Full Foot Split Fins
Scubapro Twin Jet Max Open Heel Split Fins

What would be the advantage of the adjustable ones....



Mares X-Vision LiquidSkin Two Window Mask
Really liking that and that price is a little more my speed. Didn't really notice the clear in the store...
ScubaPro Solo One Window Mask
I think thats the one my room mate has... I will play with it this week and see what I think...

Bad advice, trust me I used to work on Dive Boats, you are trusting your life to gear used 1000's of times badly, bad air consumption rate = less time in the water
Secondly, you don't need split fins, they are bad in a current or bad water conditions, buy some Mares Avanti Quatro they will give you control and power. Obviously open heel with bootie configuration. They cost less $$$ too.
I got caught with a friend diving in Sudan Red Sea, (very unpredictable water) with my Mares AQ I could have got to the wall to get into the slower water, buddies Scuba Pro splits just don't have concentrated power when needed.
Have you ever seen a tech diver in split fins ?

Split fins are fine, and are more efficient and easier to kick, no they don't give the same "thrust" and push of solid fins, but just like a 10 speed bike, the split fins are more like pedaling/swimming in 2nd or 3rd gear, instead of 7th or 8th gear. So while they don't have the same "speed" they also don't tire you out as much or as quickly.

Tech divers use them because they NEED them, as they have wear much more gear and tanks and drag through the water. They also are advanced stronger divers who have more leg muscles more likely.

Yes for a new diver, open heel fins, split or solid, so you wear booties for walking on rocky shore dives, or while on a boat too for more protection and saves you from blisters.

The other thing with fins is stiffness and floating/sinking. A stiffer fin is heavier to travel with and may sink, where lighter fins float. I dive with both types, Apollo Bio Fins, and the Scuba Pro Twin Jet max.

spring clips instead of rubber straps on fins are nice too, as they auto adjust to your boot size and are easier to don and remove.

as with most things, there is no "one perfect answer" as to what equipment to buy. Different strokes for different folks (corny swimming joke right there........)

Sf
 

Sorry but split fins are for sashaying around on gentle dives in the caribbean, and I have never once, on any of the tech based liveabord trips I have been on seen a technical diver with them on.
Agreed to each his own and if you think they are for you so be it, but for a new diver I think a bad purchase. Also If the weight of your fins is bothering you in the water then you are not weighted correctly. new divers should be aware of what can happen, down currents, heavy surge etc and the need for good fin control in sandy or overhead obstructed conditions.

Ok, thats all well and good on tech dives... I will be diving in lakes in OK and the surrounding area... Not exactly the same...

too funny. Hcariss, you keep bringing up Tech diving and a whole different level of experience.............so be it. This guy, a newbie diver isn't even certified, so listen to your audience before you start spouting off and thumping your testosterone filled chest. Too funny......

Obviously you're not an instructor or have much experience in the general public that no aren't pushing 200 foot on Tri-mix.

All the better for the general public to try more equipment, learn, and experiment and see what works for them. All peoples milage and application do vary.

Me? I live and dive in Seattle in Puget Sound 5-10 foot viz, wearing drysuit, lots of weight and gear, 34 F air temp yesterday, 45 degree water temp, all while doing Rescue dive classes and working with students.

So listen to the people you're giving "advice" to.

Cb
 

"chest beating" ?
You are talking crap and should know better. He is a newbie diver. I don't care where you dive in what viz, split fins are a gimmick and not for newbies. I am a certified DM if you want to start listing qualifications & dives go ahead I could not care less that you are an instructor and were teaching in water that you know well. I worked in the industry too and have met many like you before, they usually press something hard when they are selling it in the dive shop.

Diving should be kept simple when you start out, so that you can concentrate on what is most important Buoyancy & control which you should know is the most critical element in the equation

This new guys gear should be cheaper and simpler so that he can concentrate on what's important. My point about TD's wearing regular fins has nothing to do with the fact they are doing tech dives, its simply because professional divers have adapted the gear configuration to be the most efficient, and best all round setup suited for anything you might encounter, if you are teaching you should know how quickly situations can change and potentially deteriorate for the worse. There is a lot for 'fun divers' to learn from the tech world in terms of gear setup weather you do the course or not.

TBH I don't give a hoot what newbie diver chooses to do, if he & you for that matter don't like my advice ignore it, there are many different opinions in the sport. I know you can talk some more and keep banging on giving examples from your teaching and trying to be the biggest voice here but really as an 'Instructor' you should know that getting so worked up just wastes air.

Listen to the pro's, with facts and data on timed slalom course swim throughs and best thrust for effort extended.

SmileWavy

:D

Fins | Scuba Diving Magazine

+1
That's why I bailed from this thread too.
Hey, you can watch me get DCS on the Millitay Channel "Seabattles" "Topedo Alley" Always use your own gas analyzer. :D
I still use a pair of Mares Power Plana Graphite fins. :eek:

Mares Essence Liquidskin. Masks Masks, Scubastore.com, buy, offers, scuba-diving


What say you about that mask... And that retailer...