Hi all

[djsmokyc]

Hi everyone,

Just joined, first post. Been lurking here a little, been a frequent reader of scubaboard since i got certified in June. I've been getting the itch to dive more lately, and the dive buddy that got me hooked has been too busy lately to give up a weekend.

Bought most of my gear right after OW and the peer pressure on scubaboard has made me regret most, if not all, of my purchases, already, so I'm thinking a little about moving towards a techinical / DIR - type setup.

I live in Saint Louis, and have been diving at Bonne Terre, Mermet Springs and Norfork Lake. I'm going to the Dominican Republic for Christmas break, which is why I really started diving in the first place. I even just bought a new truck since hauling my wet gear in the trunk of car wasn't fun anymore.

Hope to maybe meet some new dive buddies. I'd really like to do some Lake Michigan / Chicago area diving, since that's where I grew up, but I don't really know any divers in that area either.

[steve2281]

Welcome to the board, dj; we're glad to have you. There are several St Louis area divers that hang out here and several from this board that dive locally year-round. You're sure to get some "invites". Make yourself at home. steve

We're expecting a report from the DR. Have fun!

[theskull]

Phooey on peer pressure from ScubaBoard!! There is a very vocal minority over there with an agenda.

There are very few bad gear purchases. All the brands are good and all styles of gear have a place. The diver is the thing! Dive safe, stay within your comfort area and level of training, and always try to improve your skills.

Hope to see you in the water somewhere soon. My next 2 weekends are planned cave dives, or I'd invite you along. Many local dive invites are on the way for you.

Welcome aboard,

theskull

[theskull]

. . . but if you do want to go that way, I have a dive buddy who is looking to sell some DIR-style gear for a great price. Let me know if you're interested.

theskull

[steve2281]

. . . but if you do want to go that way, I have a dive buddy who is looking to sell some DIR-style gear for a great price. Let me know if you're interested.

theskull

You're not talking about Brian's gear, are you; I saw it over on SB.

If I had the cash, I'd buy the whole rig.

[theskull]

You're not talking about Brian's gear, are you; I saw it over on SB.

If I had the cash, I'd buy the whole rig.

That's the stuff. He has it up for sale on TheDecoStop, too. Top quality barely used gear. I bought a pair of the fins he was selling, the Rondines.

Yeah, it's an attractive price. I thought about it seriously, but already own 2 of everything (or 3 or 4). Ya gotta stop somewhere . . . my wife told me so.

theskull

[MgicTwnger]

You're not talking about Brian's gear, are you; I saw it over on SB.

If I had the cash, I'd buy the whole rig.
Are you talking about Quarrior? I've got to go over to the dark side and check this out.

[SLIM]

Yeah, it's an attractive price. I thought about it seriously, but already own 2 of everything (or 3 or 4). Ya gotta stop somewhere . . . my wife told me so.

theskull[/quote]

WOW she did. Or is it because you no longer have room in the garage. YOu know that you could get a small storage shed and keep it al lin there or have it farmed out to your friends to keep it for you. What are buddies for? Just think, you could leave a set in FL and they could get to do all kinds of cool dives with you and you could get a post card of all the places.

SLIM

[Atlaua]

Sombody post a link so we don't have to waid through the rest of the mess ;).

[MgicTwnger]

Yeah, it's him. Here's the link:
http://www.scubaboard.com/search.php?searchid=2191042

[theskull]

WOW she did. Or is it because you no longer have room in the garage. YOu know that you could get a small storage shed and keep it al lin there or have it farmed out to your friends to keep it for you. What are buddies for? Just think, you could leave a set in FL and they could get to do all kinds of cool dives with you and you could get a post card of all the places.

SLIM

Yep, I remember when I bought my first set of doubles (before I even told her I was looking at them) and you so graciously offered to keep them in Branson for me so noone would need to know. I think you even offered to dive them occasionally so they wouldn't get too dry! You definitely are willing to go the extra fathom for your dive buddies.

theskull

[Atlaua]

Hmm 2 6 year old tanks, Couple of used regs, not so great wing and a plate for $1100....Where's the bargain? I could do this new for close to that. Is it just me or are those 95's closer to 80's now, or did he get the "legal" overfill on the hydro?

[steve2281]

Hmm 2 6 year old tanks, Couple of used regs, not so great wing and a plate for $1100....Where's the bargain? I could do this new for close to that. Is it just me or are those 95's closer to 80's now, or did he get the "legal" overfill on the hydro?

If you can do that "new" for close to $1100, I need to get off E-Bay and start shopping where you shop at. Apeks and Zeagle regs always bring a good price even if they're a few years old. They never wear out cause you can always get parts, easy.

Those 95's are closer to 120's with a good fill on them, and just to educate me: what's wrong with the wing????

[Atlaua]

If you can do that "new" for close to $1100, I need to get off E-Bay and start shopping where you shop at. Apeks and Zeagle regs always bring a good price even if they're a few years old. They never wear out cause you can always get parts, easy.

Those 95's are closer to 120's with a good fill on them, and just to educate me: what's wrong with the wing????

Don't get me wrong. I love both (old) Zeagle and Apeks regs. I wish my LDS sold them. I'm not so sure about newer Zeagle regs, the jury is still out since they changed. But I could put together a similar set of gear for less than $1500 new with some carefull shopping ($1200 for tanks and regs, $60 for a plate and then the accessories). To me $1100 would be a decent price for used gear, if the tanks were newer. IMHO it's far from a "bargain" at that rate.

As for DR wings, nothing is wrong with them, but they don't IMHO, excell. I should have said ok, instead of not so great. But I think that there are at least 3 other manufacturers with better wings. It's just an opinion. I've never been really happy with the DR equipment I've owned but I don't want to, and didn't mean to, start a manufacturer war.

And yea, we can get those 95 filled right at our LDS, some local quaries and in cave contry, but legally, they are 80's now... That's a truth in advertising thing for me. He should either spell out that they don't have the plus rating or that they do.

[theskull]

Hmm 2 6 year old tanks, Couple of used regs, not so great wing and a plate for $1100....Where's the bargain? I could do this new for close to that. Is it just me or are those 95's closer to 80's now, or did he get the "legal" overfill on the hydro?

6 year old steel tanks are as good as new if they've been treated decent. The plus rating is gone after the first hydro, but only the biggest dork of a tank monkey won't fill them to at least 3000 psi for you. Used steel tanks are the best buy in SCUBA.

I have been very pleased with the DiveRite wings I own and have owned--at least as much so as with my Halcyon wing. The wings, backplate, and harness might as well be new--have only been in the water a couple times.

As for the pricing, only the lucky handful of us who are on staff at dive shops can buy new for near cost--and then we're limited to the few brands that our shop carries. For tech gear, I won't limit myself that way--the brand I want is the brand I get.

theskull

[Atlaua]

As for the pricing, only the lucky handful of us who are on staff at dive shops can buy new for near cost--and then we're limited to the few brands that our shop carries. For tech gear, I won't limit myself that way--the brand I want is the brand I get.

I was not refering to keyman discounts when I threw out the figure above. $1500 was a guess, but I just priced this exact configuration and came up with $1478:

2 Steel 95 Tanks: $410
Zeagle DS-IV: $285
Apeks DS4: $160
DiveRite Classic: $299
DiveRite BP/Harness: $136
Scubapro Isolation Manifold: $188

These are all prices anyone can get. I just don't consider 75 cents on the dollar to be a bargain for used gear.

[steve2281]

I was not refering to keyman discounts when I threw out the figure above. $1500 was a guess, but I just priced this exact configuration and came up with $1478:

2 Steel 95 Tanks: $410
Zeagle DS-IV: $285
Apeks DS4: $160
DiveRite Classic: $299
DiveRite BP/Harness: $136
Scubapro Isolation Manifold: $188

These are all prices anyone can get. I just don't consider 75 cents on the dollar to be a bargain for used gear.

You forgot the bands: $100, and you need 2 first stages and 2 second stages, Apeks regs will run $150 per stage and add a long hose and spg another $100-$125.

[steve2281]

Hey yall, this has been a good thread, l love a gear discussion but we are way off topic. I think we were welcoming DJ to the board.

[djsmokyc]

Well, thanks to everyone for the welcome and don't worry about the hijack. I like reading threads about technical equipment.

theskull, thanks for the lead on the gear, but I don't think I'm quite ready to jump in for a full package. I will probably follow up about the tanks, though.

I couldn't get that link to work for the gear, but this one does for anyone else who might be interested.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=119918

I just ordered my dry suit, so it will be a couple weeks before I can even dive locally. I guess I'll have to hold out until vacation.

[Captain Caveman]

Bought most of my gear right after OW and the peer pressure on scubaboard has made me regret most, if not all, of my purchases, already, so I'm thinking a little about moving towards a techinical / DIR - type setup.

I live in Saint Louis, and have been diving at Bonne Terre, Mermet Springs and Norfork Lake. I'm going to the Dominican Republic for Christmas break, which is why I really started diving in the first place. I even just bought a new truck since hauling my wet gear in the trunk of car wasn't fun anymore.

Hope to maybe meet some new dive buddies. I'd really like to do some Lake Michigan / Chicago area diving, since that's where I grew up, but I don't really know any divers in that area either.

welcome, congrats on Ow in june. so you want to go tech. so far im just starting tech and haveing a blast. did you go with the hargithon set up?
Bp-wing and continous harness 7ft hose.

I would go with TDI and not DIR. TDI is alot closer and your freer to what you want and you dont have to lissen to DIR pressures. im running the bp-w exe but i can change things when i want to.

hove fun in DR im thinking of going there next year so post a dive report.

im from chicago area and your welcome to come dive with me any day, you might have to take me diving down im ST.lous were my brother lives.
maybe this summer for a day???????

chris

[scububa]

Store it at SLIM's ! I hadn't thought of that one...opens up a whole new world :-D

Jim

Yep, I remember when I bought my first set of doubles (before I even told her I was looking at them) and you so graciously offered to keep them in Branson for me so noone would need to know. I think you even offered to dive them occasionally so they wouldn't get too dry! You definitely are willing to go the extra fathom for your dive buddies.

theskull

[scububa]

Oh, I got off topic too...where are my manners ?!

Hi ya *smoky*

St. Louis here, too. Hope to be a DS diver before long and beginning to work with SLIM on tech. If I get a DS, it will be nice to have close partners. SLIM and theskull have both offered to pull me back to the bottom ;-)

Welcome aboard. Congrats on OW. Remember, this is not a foot race, enjoy have fun, don't worry about every opinionated SOB that comes along, heck, you'll be one yourself before long :-D

[nauifins73]

Hi DJ and welcome to MWD.

[djsmokyc]

welcome, congrats on Ow in june. so you want to go tech. so far im just starting tech and haveing a blast. did you go with the hargithon set up?
Bp-wing and continous harness 7ft hose.

I would go with TDI and not DIR. TDI is alot closer and your freer to what you want and you dont have to lissen to DIR pressures. im running the bp-w exe but i can change things when i want to.

hove fun in DR im thinking of going there next year so post a dive report.

im from chicago area and your welcome to come dive with me any day, you might have to take me diving down im ST.lous were my brother lives.
maybe this summer for a day???????

chris

I haven't bought any technical gear yet. I bought a weight integrated jacket BC, regs, console air integrated computer right after OW and thought I would have all the equipment I'd ever want for years and years of diving.

I suppose that's all I'll ever NEED, but after taking Peak Performance Buoyancy, I found that to get anything close to trim, I could only put 2 lbs in my ditchable pockets, 10 lbs in my trim pockets and still needed 6 - 10 lbs of clip weights on my shoulder d-rings and ankle weights around my tank valve to get horizontal. (I also needed 2 lbs more on my left than my right, which I still can't understand). That weight was for a 7mm farmer john + 5/3 mm hooded vest.

Doing that crazy weight setup helped my buoyancy and trim skills during AOW, but anytime I would look to my right or left, I'd get hit in the chin with a 2 lb clip weight. Lots of fun.

I was able to deal with my buoyancy a ton better in a pool in a dry suit w/ no undies, since I only needed 10 lbs, but when I got into open water and needed 24 lbs again, same issues as well as dealing with floaty feet.

After reading about BP/W's on scubaboard, I figured having weight right on my back would be better than strapped all over me, and a steel tank could also resolve some issues. I'd like to try out a BP/W setup before I bought someone else. I figure if I'm going to switch to that, I might as well do it while my jacket is new and still has some ebay value. The two dive shops I talked to don't rent BP/W however, which I guess would be difficult because they would have to adjust the harness for each renter.

If I did a BP/W, I would get the hog harness setup. I've got a long hose kit coming in the mail as we speak, but I'd like to practice that in a pool before I dove in OW on vacation.

Chris, as soon as I get my drysuit, I'm up for diving in Lake Michigan, and I'll be taking you up on your offer.

[Captain Caveman]

thanks DJS, if we get a chance you could try out mine in the pool and find out taht weight on your d-rings will go away. if you ever up here give me a pm and we can meet up and get some pool time in. doing OOA dills and doing boyancy.
chris

[DeepDiverBob]

I haven't bought any technical gear yet. I bought a weight integrated jacket BC, regs, console air integrated computer right after OW and thought I would have all the equipment I'd ever want for years and years of diving.

I suppose that's all I'll ever NEED, but after taking Peak Performance Buoyancy, I found that to get anything close to trim, I could only put 2 lbs in my ditchable pockets, 10 lbs in my trim pockets and still needed 6 - 10 lbs of clip weights on my shoulder d-rings and ankle weights around my tank valve to get horizontal. (I also needed 2 lbs more on my left than my right, which I still can't understand). That weight was for a 7mm farmer john + 5/3 mm hooded vest.

Doing that crazy weight setup helped my buoyancy and trim skills during AOW, but anytime I would look to my right or left, I'd get hit in the chin with a 2 lb clip weight. Lots of fun.

I was able to deal with my buoyancy a ton better in a pool in a dry suit w/ no undies, since I only needed 10 lbs, but when I got into open water and needed 24 lbs again, same issues as well as dealing with floaty feet.

After reading about BP/W's on scubaboard, I figured having weight right on my back would be better than strapped all over me, and a steel tank could also resolve some issues. I'd like to try out a BP/W setup before I bought someone else. I figure if I'm going to switch to that, I might as well do it while my jacket is new and still has some ebay value. The two dive shops I talked to don't rent BP/W however, which I guess would be difficult because they would have to adjust the harness for each renter.

If I did a BP/W, I would get the hog harness setup. I've got a long hose kit coming in the mail as we speak, but I'd like to practice that in a pool before I dove in OW on vacation.

Chris, as soon as I get my drysuit, I'm up for diving in Lake Michigan, and I'll be taking you up on your offer.

I love the enthusiasm, but like was mentioned earlier, get a lot of experience before you go tech. The caves and wrecks arent going anywhere. Take your time and do it safely.

Welcome to the board. I'm STL area as well.

[djsmokyc]

I love the enthusiasm, but like was mentioned earlier, get a lot of experience before you go tech. The caves and wrecks arent going anywhere. Take your time and do it safely.

Welcome to the board. I'm STL area as well.

Taking my time and doing it safely is definitely my plan. My real motivation for moving towards a technical setup is really to get better skills to use in open water, recreational diving.

I always seem to have decent buoyancy control and trim when I'm following a DM or instructor, but when it's just me and my buddy, we're all over the place and finning the bottom like crazy.

My OW class didn't talk a lot about how to fix this (just a "Don't do it" ) and PPB helped, but hasn't solved the problem. I always think I'm doing well when I'm in a pool session, but then again, I'm only in ten feet of the water and have no feedback on whether or not I would raising silt off the bottom.

That's what got me interested in possibly taking DIR-F and thus, a DIR or technical setup.

My long term motivation is to do some decompression and wreck diving, but it is definitely long down the road, in a couple years and a few hundred dives from now.

[theskull]

I haven't bought any technical gear yet. I bought a weight integrated jacket BC, regs, console air integrated computer right after OW and thought I would have all the equipment I'd ever want for years and years of diving.

ROFLMAO!!

Been there! Said that!

Said it again after I upgraded my BC, fins, and regs.

Said it again after I got my doubles and 2 stage bottles.

Don't even think of saying it anymore!

Looking forward to diving Table Rock or Mermet with you next spring.

theskull

[juls64]

Hi DJ-

Welcome to the board! Forget the peer pressure and don't go racing out to buy more stuff.....just go dive! Get some dives under your belt, meet and dive with some "real" divers, not SB "cyber" divers, then decide what is best for you. Figure out who you will be diving with and where you will be diving, then you can decide the gear you will need.

In the mean time, just dive and have fun! Welcome!

Julie

[theskull]

. . . I always seem to have decent buoyancy control and trim when I'm following a DM or instructor, but when it's just me and my buddy, we're all over the place and finning the bottom like crazy.

My OW class didn't talk a lot about how to fix this (just a "Don't do it" ) and PPB helped, but hasn't solved the problem. I always think I'm doing well when I'm in a pool session, but then again, I'm only in ten feet of the water and have no feedback on whether or not I would raising silt off the bottom.

That's what got me interested in possibly taking DIR-F and thus, a DIR or technical setup. . . .

Great that you're aware of this.

DIRF is the last thing you need at this point, though, unless ScubaBoard has you brainwashed.

What you REALLY need is a bunch of dives with some skilled divers who are willing to give you feedback during and after the dives to get your skills more in tune. This will not cost you any course fees. You're already in touch with the right group of folks here on the board. Just come diving with us when the weather gets to your liking. Nearly all the members of this board are very good divers who would love to help you out. I only qualified that with a "nearly" because I haven't dived with all of them yet; all with whom I have dived are top notch.

theskull