New Diver

[Nick999]

Hi all,
I am a new diver looking for advice and tips on it all.
Having read a few threads I seem to fall in to one of the hated catagories. I learnt to dive on holiday in the Dom Rep doing a PADI open water course. My Partner Sally didnt like diving and gave up after a short while. I was offered the Advanced course free as compensation. So I am now an advanced diver with no experience.
I was also advised to always purchase the best kit I could afford. How do I avoid looking like a prat?, all kit and no experience.
The kit I have provisionally chosen consists mainly of Mares. The hub advant guard, Mares icelandic suit, Mares mission 3 instruments. I have yet to buy a computer, Any reccomendations?. I have a pair of Beaver fins is it worth buying others. Tusa mask and snorkel which I am very happy with.
Any advice on other kit required for a start up kit, SMB etc.
As to the debate on training I was very happy with my courses but that may be as I was the only student so got one to one tuition.

Hope to hear from some of you.

Nick999

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

Practice make it all

Hi,
forget about what you ear around you about training agencies. It's mostly all stinky politic. MY training is better then YOUR training etc...etc... The only way to be a good diver is to dive. The more you do it, the better you'll get at it, it's like other thing.

For the equipment question, the more basic, the better. Keep it simple. I've seen too many divers coming in with all the latest hype in equipment. The big problem is that they spend to much time on the equipment and not enough on diving. If you don't dive that much, rent all your gear, less maintenance and trouble. Once you start diving a lot, get certified as a rescue diver, very important. Then, start buying stuff. Rodale's scuba diving (www.scubadiving.com) as some very good equipment review, you can check there for info on what to buy.

As for the advice to get the best, well, your life, confort and pleasure depend on being able to rely on your gear and felling confortable with them. So i would say, go for something good.

If you really want to get all equiped right away, look in the used add in newspaper and ebay etc... Most people get really excited when finishing theyr first course and get all the gear, only to leave it in the closet afterward. That way you can get all for cheap, and resell everything back if you're really serious about diving and really know what piece of gear you need for YOUR type of diving.

Just my 2 Euro

 

[Amphibious]

Mares makes some great kit, and a great way to stay "in" with the ever present StylePolice. a little overboard on thir pricing, but none-the-less, great kit. one thing though, pitch the H.U.B. !

for full list of safety/tech concerns with H.U.B. units, email me - I don;'t want to fill up the bandwith.

all the dive shops I work for/with have either stoped selling them or just not ordering any more.

Computers? I'm found of Suunto and Uwatec/Aladin, both are a little $$$ but I've never used anything more dependable.

other kit? invest in a good knife, just nothing Rambo-esque, small is fine, you wont be hacking at sharks ;-) just keep a nice, thin coat of greese on the blade to keep it from rusting

be sure you're serious about the sport before you drop the $$$ for new equipment.

depending on how much you're droping on a Mares wetsuit ($$$ if i remember), look into dry suit alternatives - probably won't be to much more and you'll be FAR more comfortable on longer/deeper dives.

oh yeah - GO DIVE!! get in some local dives before you decide weather you like the sport or not. Coldwater diving is a whole new world from the Dom.


Willer

 

[Cheaper]

Hi
As you live in Cardiff why not come along to our club Diving Dragons which meets at Howells school on Thursday evenings from 7.30 pm, you would be more than welcome and you can try other peoples kit i you want to come along call us on 08707 456800 durring office hours.

Kevin
or log on to www.divingdragons.co.uk

 

[M-2]

I won't take up a lot of space here. The others have given good advice. I'll back up the sentiment on both Suunto and Uwatec computers. I'll never buy anything but a SeaQuest BC. I've put probably close to 1,000 dives on the one I have now and it doesn't even have a rip in the stitching. In my opinion they make great BC's that are obviously rugged, but also comfy and dependable. I like Sherwood regulators and when it comes to mask and fins, I'm a Cressi man all the way.

Just some other lines to check out. Hope it helps.

Cheers,

Michael

 

[Troy S]

Hey, it's cool to get to give my point of view here too - which differs a little from others. First off - everyone has to start somewhere. The better equipment you can get the better off you are - it's what keeps you alive. The only "prat" is the new guy w/adv cert that thinks he's a great diver. I think the experience will make you more advanced however than the cert hype BUT the cert/training is important. I LOVE my atomic B2 regulator - in my opinion the best (other than the T1/2). I LOVE my Oceanic VT Pro computer and consider it a must have. The graphs are the best way to display the info I've seen yet. Just do some comparison research before buying anything else.
Along the lines of another thread I've been reading "diver dies in costa rica" - keep your eye on the group at all costs and pay attention. Don't depend on dive masters, guides, or whoever to keep you alive.
Happy Diving

 

[reefsavers.org]

welcome to the elite. I would suggest you give Suunto dive computers a look.
they are reliable and they boast many features including interactive p.c. options. My best suggestion to you is get some dive time in. You should not have jumped right to advanced and who ever pushed you into it was wrong you need to first work on your open water skills first in order to prepare you for your advanced. Try diving as much as possible and working on your skills.
Air consumtion and Boyancy are the two topics you should focus on first along with safety stops and what to do in emergency situations.
As for being in the hated group? I think you're over reacting to the term.You are not hated its just that nobody wants to dive with newbies because of their lack of expierience. Keep diving and soon you wont be a newbie anymore.... By the way Mares is the most over-rated equipment you can buy the most exspensive is not always the best as you will learn.

 

[mps798]

when you are buying something , you dont buy the "best" , you also dont buy what you beleive you might use now and probably later find something better .What i mean is , you have to see what your needs are .
Let say , are you gonna do trimix , nitrox or just air dives do you aim to do anything of this in the future ? find the coordinate throw your aims and what is offered by -let say- computer do you need a vr3 , do you need a suunto or a mares titanium watch comp or an m1. It will be easier for somebody to help you if you specify your needs , what you are going to do

 

[Sander]

No one had problesm with the Suunto computers? My Mosquito isa giving me a really hard time...

Greetz

Sander