Dive Equipment

Weekend after next I will, provided I pass the test, be a certified open water diver. As I approach that happy day I find myself thinking about equipment more and more frequently. To have a full rig I'll need to acquire:

• Buoyancy Control Device
• Regulator
• Octo
• Gauges (pressure, depth, and compass)
• Dive Computer

In my normal fashion I have spent altogether too much time researching my options. I've talked to everyone I can find at my lds (local dive shop) and have combed scuba sites like ScubaBoard. After much consideration I am leaning towards a non-traditional version of a backplate and wing setup for the BCD. This setup is favored by technical divers and is becoming more common for recreational divers. The specific model I'm looking at is the Dive Rite Transpac. Technically it's not a BP/W since it doesn't have a hard backplate; however, it is a wing setup with a bit more padding than normally found on a BP/W rig. With the Transpac you take the harness and attach a wing. The wing I'm currently looking at is the Trek wing although the Venture is also a contender. The thing I really like about this setup is that the harness is very simple, it's a modular design that can handle a variety of setups, and it makes buoyancy control in a prone position easy. The Trek wing can handle single or double cylinders which is a nice bonus.

The regulator and octo I'm looking at are also made by Dive Rite. The regulator is the RG2500 and the octo is the RG1215. The RG2500 with optional environmental package can be used in any condition including freezing cold water. It's Nitrox ready and breathes very easily. There are several other regulators I'm still considering including the XS Scuba Seaair Tri-Metal which also looks good and was a Scuba Labs Tester's Choice and Best Buy.

The computer I'm looking at is the Dive Rite Nitek Duo which supports two different gasses (for example 40% O2 for the dive and 100% O2 for the deco stop). It has all the bells and whistles (some literal) that one would expect to find on a full featured dive computer. The Oceanic Versa Pro is also a contender and is a bit cheaper. I am certain that I want to go with a wrist mount computer. As one person pointed out, "sometimes I have trouble finding my console in a hurry but I always seem to know where my wrist is." I was originally considering the hoseless air-integrated computers but decided against them based on interference concerns.

For gauges I'm leaning towards a wrist-mount compass or a compass clipped to my harness on a retractor. Either would keep it off the console, thereby limiting the size of the console I need. The console would have only the SPG (pressure gauge) and possibly a depth gauge. The depth gauge is dependent upon whether I also pick up a bottom timer with depth gauge. I'd like to have a backup depth monitor so that if my computer was to die I'd be able to continue the dive off tables.

For now I'll continue with the rental equipment and investigation. Soon, but after my cert dives, I'll look at buying some or all of the equipment. Until then I'll continue to look at the pretty pictures and hang out at the lds.