Hello everyone. This will be my first post in the SCUBA forums but I lurk around the hunting forums and post sometimes as well.
I have started a research diving certification class at my school, UCSantaBarbara, and I'm thinking about buying some gear. I have a nice wetsuit and all my skin diving stuff so the next thing I'm considering buying is a BC since I can borrow regs and cylinders from my instructor.
This is the type of diving I'm planning to do. I'm going to be likely at some point doing research underwater identifying organisms and logging observations etc at around 30 feet to start, then after 12 dives I will be certified to 60, then 90, etc. I don't imagine I will be going really deep but I would like to keep my options open for a max depth of 100'. Most of my dives will likely be in the California Channel Islands area for a while but who knows, maybe I will get to do some research on some coral reefs this summer or a year from now.
I am 5'10", 158 lbs if that matters and I wear a 5mm/6.5mm suit. Right now I'm looking at back-inflate stuff since it seems not to have problems with variable fit with depth. Also, I want something that is reliable, comfortable, and BASIC! I don't want more than two simple pockets and maybe a couple D-rings. I don't like clutter on equipment an I figure that if I needed another D-ring or pocket, I could sew them on myself to meet my needs. I also don't want any neon colors on my BC, although I guess I could fix that with a sharpie if I had too. 2 tank bands would be nice as well.
Also, I have a very limited budget so I'm looking at ebay etc to get the absolute best deal. I can't spend more than 300.00 and that would be absolute max.
I've been looking at the ranger but even on ebay prices are rarely below 300.00 and I think the BC might be a little too cluttered as far as pockets and such. I was also looking at the Oceanic Tour APS as a cheaper option but I've read that its hard to get the air out of the dragonfly wings. The Malibu RDS looks nice and uncluttered but I want to check with you guys to see if there is maybe anything better, or cheaper, that would fit my needs.
Thanks,
Chad Burt
bluewater@umail.ucsb.edu
I have started a research diving certification class at my school, UCSantaBarbara, and I'm thinking about buying some gear. I have a nice wetsuit and all my skin diving stuff so the next thing I'm considering buying is a BC since I can borrow regs and cylinders from my instructor.
This is the type of diving I'm planning to do. I'm going to be likely at some point doing research underwater identifying organisms and logging observations etc at around 30 feet to start, then after 12 dives I will be certified to 60, then 90, etc. I don't imagine I will be going really deep but I would like to keep my options open for a max depth of 100'. Most of my dives will likely be in the California Channel Islands area for a while but who knows, maybe I will get to do some research on some coral reefs this summer or a year from now.
I am 5'10", 158 lbs if that matters and I wear a 5mm/6.5mm suit. Right now I'm looking at back-inflate stuff since it seems not to have problems with variable fit with depth. Also, I want something that is reliable, comfortable, and BASIC! I don't want more than two simple pockets and maybe a couple D-rings. I don't like clutter on equipment an I figure that if I needed another D-ring or pocket, I could sew them on myself to meet my needs. I also don't want any neon colors on my BC, although I guess I could fix that with a sharpie if I had too. 2 tank bands would be nice as well.
Also, I have a very limited budget so I'm looking at ebay etc to get the absolute best deal. I can't spend more than 300.00 and that would be absolute max.
I've been looking at the ranger but even on ebay prices are rarely below 300.00 and I think the BC might be a little too cluttered as far as pockets and such. I was also looking at the Oceanic Tour APS as a cheaper option but I've read that its hard to get the air out of the dragonfly wings. The Malibu RDS looks nice and uncluttered but I want to check with you guys to see if there is maybe anything better, or cheaper, that would fit my needs.
Thanks,
Chad Burt
bluewater@umail.ucsb.edu