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If anyone is interested in diving the southern/eastern carribean my wife and I will be on the feb 14-21, 2016, san juan/sea/barbados/st lucia/st kitts/st maarten/san juan carnival cruise. PM me. http://www.carnival.com/BookingEngine/cruise-search/?ptPort=SJU&dat=022016&
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Apr 6, 2015 02:13
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MrNemo posted:Quick question on backplate and wing, I've ordered one from the States as I really prefer them, my own in the UK is for doubles and dive centres pretty much never have them as rental gear, but after clearing customs and everything, turns out the shop forgot to include the waist buckle and the bolts for attaching the plate to the wing. It's an Oxycheq wing and light plate, it's got 2 cambands so I'm wondering if anyone here has experience and could tell me if I need the bolts to keep everything stable or if it should be ok when the tank is strapped on. It's an issue since if the stuff doesn't arrive in time (it's en route but I'm expecting customs here to keep it for a couple of weeks because of course they will) then I'd still like to be able to dive with it. The buckle is a standard weight belt style one so no problem borrowing a replacement. If the wing has slots for the cam bands you can use those without bolting the wing to the back plate. You can pass the cam bands through the slots in the wing and the wing will be held in place when the tank is strapped on with the bands. With my singles wing I do not bolt the wing to the plate. The wing is not as stable when the tank is off but you can adjust the placement of the wing when you are attaching the tank.
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Apr 6, 2015 22:25
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Awesome thanks. Yeah it does feel fairly stable on land when fastened onto something, just wanted to make sure I wouldn't die when doing it at depth. Super excited for my trip next week, although one of my friends informed me he managed to get stung by a box jellyfish in the same place last year. It was not so fun apparently.
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Apr 7, 2015 04:42
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Having been diving yearly for the past 7 years I've gathered a fair bit of equipment along the way. I figure it's about time to get a regulator, as that's the next big thing that'd save me quite a bit on rental fees. Any advice as to which make / model? Any thoughts on buying used? Is it a hassle to service them? I know most manufacturers recommend yearly servicing, but not sure if that's to cover their rear end or not.
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Apr 7, 2015 04:53
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Trivia posted:Having been diving yearly for the past 7 years I've gathered a fair bit of equipment along the way. I figure it's about time to get a regulator, as that's the next big thing that'd save me quite a bit on rental fees. I don't know a huge amount about it but I think yearly servicing is probably critical, I mean this is life support equipment we are talking about. I know that it is always recommended to get second hand regs serviced which you should factor into your costs. But I think as long as you buy gear that you can still get parts for and people will service them then there should be no worries. I hear good things about ScubaPro, Aqualung and Apeks but really regs all kind of breathe the same (at least at recreational depths). I think from a reliability stand point companies really put the effort in given that they are life support equipment so you probably can't go wrong.
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Apr 7, 2015 09:43
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Yeah, the yearly servicing is why I pushed them to the bottom of the To Get list. At this point however the only other thing I could get (but probably won't) is a blade. How much does servicing usually run?
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Apr 7, 2015 09:49
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Trivia posted:Yeah, the yearly servicing is why I pushed them to the bottom of the To Get list. At this point however the only other thing I could get (but probably won't) is a blade. I'm in New Zealand so it would likely be much higher here and it depends on the model and brand. Somewhere between NZD $150-$300 though.
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Apr 7, 2015 10:16
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Servicing costs aren't huge, generally, and annual servicing isn't 100% necessary but definitely a good idea and shouldn't be left too long. It should also be done if it's been a while since the regs were last used. Reg servicing, generally, will be replacing all the wearable parts (like O-rings and valves) and cleaning the metal parts to get rid of corrosion, dirt or whatever. It is definitely intended to be preventative and if you've got a sonic bath you could do most of it yourself. Not something I'd do personally. Brand wise I'd always recommend Subapro or Apeks, both brands do well priced lower end models and are popular enough worldwide that you can be pretty confident about getting parts or servicing wherever you are for a reasonable price. I've got a set of scubapro R95s and they're great. I've also got a Mares Proton metal which is shiny and I love but it's pricier to service and a little more finicky. Also since I moved to Malaysia, parts for it need to be ordered from Italy if the service centre or shop doesn't have them in stock and it can make finding places difficult. If cost is a big concern, don't be at all tempted by shininess or lots of techinical jargon. Basic entry level regs from any of the big manufacturers will work pretty much as well as the higher end ones. Swivel turrets and other things, personally, are more things to go wrong so I'd really say see what deals you can find on basic scubapro or Apeks and just get that.
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Apr 7, 2015 10:23
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Trivia posted:Yeah, the yearly servicing is why I pushed them to the bottom of the To Get list. At this point however the only other thing I could get (but probably won't) is a blade. While I wouldn't necessarily buy locally (since Dive shops charge a lot), I would make sure that you're buying a brand that can be serviced nearby, every shop will list what brands they're authorized to service. Apeks was out for me for that reason (no one in Central PA services them) but ScubaPro and Aqualung are pretty ubiquitous, even here. I needed a cold water regulator since, again, I'm in Central Pennsylvania, and got a really good deal on a Titan LX Supreme since Aqualung is currently rebranding them as the 'Core' line so the Titan's are cheap.
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Apr 7, 2015 14:17
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I've got an Oceanic reg that has worked out pretty well so far (over 14 dives). I'm still feeling it out a little bit, but it's definitely an improvement over my old one. My last one was a Dacor, but they've been out of business for over a decade now 
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Apr 7, 2015 16:36
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Poseidon are 2 yearly servicing and I love the jetstreams I got second hand as they're a bit different. Check out HOG branded regs if you're in the states, they are pretty cheap and I've seen some great reviews.
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Apr 7, 2015 18:19
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Has anyone here done the AAUS Intro to Research diving course? My school is offering it next fall and I'm seriously tempted to get in on it.
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Apr 8, 2015 01:55
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Quasi-related to the reg discussion, picked up a used BC at an estate sale because it was $15 and the right size and why the hell not. It's a US Divers Sonic 2, which I can't find much info on, so I'm assuming it's at least a few years old. Manual inflation is fine, no leaks apparently with manual pressure applied, deflator and dump valves seem to work. Can't really test the power inflator without a reg and tank, obviously, but nothing seems out of place visually. Should I just bring this drat thing on my next set of dives -- with a rental as a backup -- or get it more seriously looked at by a shop prior to that? I'd absolutely go the latter route with a regulator, seems like there's less to go wrong (and more easily checked) with a BC, though.
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Apr 8, 2015 02:12
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Trivia posted:
$90 + Parts not covered under warranty at my LDS.
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Apr 8, 2015 12:10
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Hmmm, at that price and the amount of diving I do in a given year, it doesn't seem cost-effective (unless it's a biannual service).
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Apr 8, 2015 12:36
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Howdy posted:Quasi-related to the reg discussion, picked up a used BC at an estate sale because it was $15 and the right size and why the hell not. It's a US Divers Sonic 2, which I can't find much info on, so I'm assuming it's at least a few years old. Manual inflation is fine, no leaks apparently with manual pressure applied, deflator and dump valves seem to work. Can't really test the power inflator without a reg and tank, obviously, but nothing seems out of place visually. The only things my local dive shop checked were that it didn't leak air and that the connections/buttons on the inflator were still good. They tested it with a tank/reg setup for me, but that was all they looked at. I'd keep a spare on hand if you could, that's how I did with my BC on the first few times out with it.
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Apr 8, 2015 13:33
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Howdy posted:Quasi-related to the reg discussion, picked up a used BC at an estate sale because it was $15 and the right size and why the hell not. It's a US Divers Sonic 2, which I can't find much info on, so I'm assuming it's at least a few years old. Manual inflation is fine, no leaks apparently with manual pressure applied, deflator and dump valves seem to work. Can't really test the power inflator without a reg and tank, obviously, but nothing seems out of place visually. I had to cancel one of my advanced students dives while we were on the boat 2 days ago because of a faulty second hand BCD. She had done shore dives with it the day before, but it was leaking air rapidly as I was checking her gear before a 130ft dive. Faults might not always be obvious (for example corrision inside the power inflator, might only become apparent during a dive) so with a very old bcd I would have it properly stripped and serviced if there's any doubt at all how it's been maintained. You can deal with a stuck power inflator or a leaking bcd in the water, but you don't really want to have to - especially on deep dives!
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Apr 8, 2015 15:11
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Trivia posted:Hmmm, at that price and the amount of diving I do in a given year, it doesn't seem cost-effective (unless it's a biannual service). Alternatively you can learn to service it yourself. Basic regs are not complicated at all and the service kits are $15-20.
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Apr 8, 2015 21:34
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Can someone please recommend me a dive light? I am doing my Advanced Open water next weekend and need one for that and generally. Would prefer something that isn't crazy expensive if possible. Do I really need a backup?
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Apr 12, 2015 09:50
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Red_Fred posted:Can someone please recommend me a dive light? I am doing my Advanced Open water next weekend and need one for that and generally. Would prefer something that isn't crazy expensive if possible. ~$60 is a pretty good deal on one of these for where I live (they're around $80 at our local shops). http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Ki...ving+flashlight You'll need a backup, at least for the course and definitely overall. I got my backup from a marina, they were selling LEDs that were reasonably bright for around $20.
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Apr 12, 2015 14:11
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Signed up to head to a local wreck this weekend! http://www.wilmingtondiving.com/hyde.shtml Probably too early in the year for any sharks, but it'll still be fun regardless 
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Apr 14, 2015 14:02
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Trivia posted:Hmmm, at that price and the amount of diving I do in a given year, it doesn't seem cost-effective (unless it's a biannual service). Scubapro updated their website somewhat recently to be every 24 months/100 dives for their regs. Don't know what would have changed that they feel you can go another 12 months though. http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/product-support.aspx?subject=care
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Apr 15, 2015 03:04
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Hmmm, that does sound better, though I probably only do maybe 30 dives (at most) a year. Most of my diving is done on holiday, as local diving in Japan is pretty drat expensive (and not the greatest).
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Apr 15, 2015 11:11
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Yeah I'd hold off then because you would need to buy an octo as well and get it serviced, most divers I know do one at a time so you would still be getting one done every year.
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Apr 16, 2015 03:59
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Why would you service your two second stages separately? Last night I did my drysuit pool session for my upcoming AOW. It was awesome, probably helped that I got to use a brand new Halycon wing and backplate. My buoyancy felt great and I don't think diving has felt that effortless. The only problem is I now want a wing and backplate and a drysuit. Goodbye funds!
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Apr 16, 2015 04:33
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Are wings a substantial improvement over a vest style BC? I've got pretty good buoyancy control but I am all for more maneuverability if I can get it.
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Apr 16, 2015 05:22
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Trivia posted:Are wings a substantial improvement over a vest style BC? I have both, I only dive the vest bcd for teaching open water courses or pool sesions, wings are just the best!
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Apr 16, 2015 05:46
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Wings are fun. It's like being a kitten held by the mother by the skin on the back. They're also very comfortable as you don't get squeezed when you inflate it - not that it should be a problem, but it feels better. The first dive might be funny with it, since you can't feel it inflating or deflating around you, but they're easy to learn. If it weren't for the cost, I'd even say that for beginners they're easier to use than vest Bcds.
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Apr 16, 2015 21:30
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Trivia posted:Are wings a substantial improvement over a vest style BC? Things I need serviced  6 first stages 8 second stages 9 tanks Plus my uwatec bottom timer finally died on me. Great and reliable bottom timer but you can't remove the batteries so once they are done its over. My canister light's battery might be nearing the end of its service life too which is terrifying. Bishop fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Apr 16, 2015 |
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Apr 16, 2015 22:42
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Bishop posted:i actually just use a vest BC for recreational dives. I've got a pretty standard DIR BP/W setup for deep or overhead stuff. I can pivot, back kick, and fine tune buoyancy better but it's not a huge difference in open water. He lives! Why wouldn't you dive a DIR BP/W all the time? I feel like they should be cheaper than regular BCs given how 'simple' they are.
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Apr 17, 2015 00:33
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If the wing is configured for twinset diving it may be too big for a single tank. It may also just be a an rear end getting the twinset off and setting it up for single tank diving, in which case there's nothing wrong with a jacket BC and it's easier. At least that would be my assumption for why you'd use a wing for deep/overhead stuff and a jacket for recreational open water diving. I've just gotten to try out my new single tank wing, with a lovely light backplate for travel, and it feels freer movement wise to me than my jacket. That said I find jackets tend to be quite loose on me unless inflated or I size down and then they're super tight when they're inflated, so if you've found one that's comfortable generally there's no great need to move to a wing set up. Wings take a bit more fiddling with to get set up as well, not very much and I think it's definitely worth it but if you're the sort of person who adamantly refuses to have to do anything with their stuff to make it work *insert Apple user burn here* then I can see why you might be leery of getting a wing.
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Apr 17, 2015 14:14
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How does everyone deal with logging dives? I have finished my first book. I kind of like the idea of going digital now that i have a computer but subsurface doesn't seem great as far as logging from a phone goes.
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Apr 21, 2015 03:36
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Red_Fred posted:How does everyone deal with logging dives? I have finished my first book. I kind of like the idea of going digital now that i have a computer but subsurface doesn't seem great as far as logging from a phone goes.
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Apr 21, 2015 03:37
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I know lots of people stop logging at a certain point but I like to keep it up if nothing else then for memory's sake, cuz after a while all the dives kinda blur together. One of my favourite instructors from my old shop still logs and he's probably at over 5000 dives. He does one liners for most dives and has a separate logbook for his fun vacation dives. The first half of his fun vacation dives logbook is logs of his dives with his dad, who recently passed away, so it's actually really cool to have for him. After about 100 dives, I started logging 1 dive per line: dive site, max depth, time in, duration, cool stuff seen (if very unusual or very cool).
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Apr 21, 2015 07:17
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Red_Fred posted:How does everyone deal with logging dives? I have finished my first book. I kind of like the idea of going digital now that i have a computer but subsurface doesn't seem great as far as logging from a phone goes. Subsurface is what I use and it's amazing if you can hook your computer to a desktop version. The phone version is only really good at logging GPS coordinates. I have all my dives auto-logged and just add site/buddies/gear/weight info. Really nice program in my opinion. Another good option is Diviac if you don't mind shelling out a monthly fee ($15 yearly, so not bad), and it can sync your computer from your phone. Squirrelo fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 16:42
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Red_Fred posted:How does everyone deal with logging dives? I have finished my first book. I kind of like the idea of going digital now that i have a computer but subsurface doesn't seem great as far as logging from a phone goes. I was big into keeping my physical logbook with all my cards in it, until it got stolen (more or less). I managed to get back all of my dives (though chasing down people for info/signatures 5 years later is a touch hard), but that was an asspain and I had it easy, since I've never really gone diving with random strangers before. I want to go digital, but I'll figure that out once my semester is done with.
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Apr 21, 2015 16:46
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I met a lady at a dive shop in Bali who drew all the fish she saw on a dive for her logbook. It was awesome!
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Apr 22, 2015 07:16
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I've looked more into Subsurface and I think I'm going to use that. It's annoying you can't get detail from your phone but you could always print or PDF your log prior to a trip. Are there any GUE divers here? I understand that you have to do a certain number of dives every few years to keep your cert. How do they track this? Is it honesty based?
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Apr 23, 2015 02:30
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I'm a GUE diver at the Rec 1 level. A certification is good for three years, and during that time you need to do twenty-five dives at your highest level of qualification. So to keep a Tech 1 certification you need to do 25 dives at Tech 1 depth and complexity and submit them through the online portal. I haven't had to submit yet so don't know the particulars, but it sounds like self-report plus possible audit. As a Rec 1 diver, pretty well everything counts, but as a Tech 2+ diver, the logistics are much more challenging to keep a certification current. All the GUE standards are published on the GUE website at: https://www.globalunderwaterexplorers.org/standards
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Apr 23, 2015 04:06
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We're going to Turks and Caicos tomorrow, it's gonna own. Dunno what sites we will hit yet, probably all west Caicos but maybe some off grace bay! The walls there are awesome
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Apr 25, 2015 04:43
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