Which BCD and regs???

[peter]

Hi all,

Wanted a few opinions before my wife and I go out and buy our first set of dive gear. I live down near Poole so have a large number of dive shops fairly close by, so went round 5 of them !!! Very useful, but also a bit confusing because of the huge choice. At the moment I am torn between getting Oceanic's Oceanpro FX and Alpha 8 regs/guage as a package for £450 (seems very reasonable), but after a really good sales pitch at another shop they recommended the Mares MR12 Rebel package with guage and a Seemann Blac Jac V8 BCD because of its excellent size/lift capacity especially in the smaller size for my wife ( probably around £650). I can find quite a few retailers and info about the Oceanic BCD on the internet, but other than the shop that recommended this I can't find anyone who sells it online in the UK, or even a review ( my German is non existent and most info seems to be German !!!) other than on there own web site.

Is there any one out there who has tried one or heard good/bad things about it ??? Would love to have a few opinions, and dare I say suggestions for BCD/regs/guage that would come in at under £650, just please don't confuse me any more :confused:

Thanks

Peter

[Chris Cherrington]

Most folks find they change their kit shortly after buying it! I've never heard of this stuff to be honest. All I would say is to avoid anything non-standard (like the mares hub). If I were starting out again I would go for a basic reg like the Scubapro Mk2/17 and a basic stab. I guess it all depends on what you can afford and whether "image" matters to you. The Oceanic alpha regs are well regarded and last a lifetime, so i would err towards that package if it were me.

Enjoy whatever you buy and have some great diving! Remember there is ebay for the mistakes :p

Chris

[Rick]

if you are a member of a club why not try out various regs/bcds during pool sessions to see what you get on fine with before splashing out

[Woz]

Well seeing as you are on a BSAC forum:

AP Valves Buddy Commando (£120 2nd hand- loads come up for sale)
Apeks TX40/DS4 reg (£125 brand new from SDS) or
Apeks ATX 100 reg (£185 brand new from www.atlantis-dive.de (http://www.atlantis-dive.de))
Gauge (SPG) £30 from wherever.

There you go. Will last for ever and ever and ever. I'm sure there will be lots of opinions on comfort and whatever but, for the money, you can't go wrong with that lot. Will see you right up to the end of sport diving and into the realm of technical if you ever go that way.

[David G]

Have a look at the packages here:

http://www.deepbluedive.com/category.aspx?id=676

No connection with these guys although we, as a club, have bought several reg packages from them.

A Buddy Commando BCD will be bulletproof and last for ever and apex 40s or 50s are great workhorse regs....

They have some ladies BCs in packages too...

Hope this helps,

David.

[Gordon]

I would suggest looking at the NDiver Guardian and all the buddy ones as BCs.
Both seem bombproof and reasonably priced.

[peter]

Wow, people are quick off the mark here, thanks for the advice :) ( Woz, you are correct, I am a new bsac member, how does this differ in the advice given, or should I not have said this as I am about to stir up a hornets nest :eek: !!!) I shall look into these new options, had a suspicion this would happen, and see if I can get them locally, from a servicing point of view.

Peter

[Woz]

Woz, you are correct, I am a new bsac member, how does this differ in the advice given, or should I not have said this as I am about to stir up a hornets nest :eek: !!!Not really- it's just that over the years UK divers tend to buy from a UK manufacturer as some of the foreign makes just aren't up to the punishment kit gets in the UK- if you get a Dacor reg and drag it down Stoney car park it will be a sorry collection of bits. But drag an Apeks or a Poseidon and it will keep on working. We use Apeks TX40 regs in the club kit and they get used and abused but just keep on going. They are great workhorse regs that take alot of punishment. Poseidons are good, too, but are not a "beginners" reg- they need regular use, proper tuning and servicing from someone who knows the inside of them and how to set them up. Some people like them, others don't.

Buddy kit isn't the most stylish or the most comfortable but again it takes a hell of a beating- look at some of the older club members and I bet you they'll be diving a faded Commando that just keeps on going. Plus if anything goes wrong, AP Valves have a lifetime warranty and brilliant customer service, as do Apeks.

There are other makes, of course, like Seac Sub (who do a quality BC) but Buddy and Apeks and Poseidon are all heavily tested in the UK diving scene and have an excellent reputation. We have a stack of BC's in the club and all the Scubapro ones are dropping to bits but the Buddy jackets are like new. Even the ABLJ toilet seats we have are all still serviceable. They are like the bloody Terminator except I'm sure they would even survive being squashed in a hydraulic press. Mind you being dipped into molten steel might test them to beyond the manufacturer's warranty. Just.

[Ben Thompson]

We've found in my club the cheap Scubapro regs (like the R190) are fairly bomb (and student, which is probably more damaging) proof, but we've also got a few TX & ATX40's, which always get taken first- and pretty much all the instructors are on apeks :)

I've got a few ATX40's, and they're lovely- from tropics through to -2 degrees (yes, negative) with a centimeter of ice surrounding them :)

[Matt-75]

Our club uses a lot of aqualung regs and we dont have many problems with them.

For my first set of regs im looking at this package:

http://www.kentdiving.co.uk/prod.asp?partno=Legend%20Supreme%20Pack

If i'm getting something i want something that will last, and be good for diving in coldwater.

From what i see and read, everyone uses Apeks.

BCD wise, consider a buddy tekwing. Ignore the whole tech diver/sport diver hangups, the tekwing is the best buoyancy aid/jacket i've ever had. Its lovely and stable, has decent lift, and lacks the roll element i get with conventional jackets. Plus if you ever decide to go to twins it can be converted to twin 10's really quickly. Currently i dive mine with the travelwing config, ie, single cylinder, but i ordered it with the twin cylinder config so i can convert it quickly back when i make my way down that route.

[Garry Whyke]

The advice I always give is to think about what diving you ultimately want to be doing as this may well impact the kit you end up purchasing.

Some jackets on the market for example may look good but they don't have the lift to say deal with twins.

About 8 years ago I purchased a Commando TD second hand (it was about 1-2 yrs old) originally dived it with a single cylinders, then with a Pony, then independent 10's and a stage - it has the lift to be able to handle all of this). When I moved to twin 12's and multiple stages I ended up purchasing OMS but never sold the Commando.

I currently dive on an Inspo but will not sell the Commando, as I use it now for teaching.

Key thing here is that its still as tough and reliable as the day I bought it (if a bit faded in colour).

I'd also suggest seriously considering an Apex (I use the TX40). I purchased mine over 5 years ago. Used it on deep air and Trimix. Good breath and very reliable at an excellent price.

Once you do decide on a set up, make sure you shop around for the best price as shops can vary quite a bit.

Cheers

.............. Garry

[Adrian Kelland]

The advice I always give is to think about what diving you ultimately want to be doing as this may well impact the kit you end up purchasing.
A bit tricky when you are new to the sport Garry. I doubt if many coming into the sport have an ultimate aim, other than enjoy it.

With the right setup and intructors, there is no reason why a wing should not be the BCD of choice. It's just there are more jacket style BCDs around, thats what people expect. 20 years ago you would have probably been recommending a Buddy Double Gold :D

Adrian

[Woz]

Buddy Double Gold :D
AdrianI'm flash. I have an Arctic. So ner.

[Adrian Kelland]

I'm flash. I have an Arctic. So ner.
I started on a Fenzy, but a double gold became available. :)

[Woz]

I started on a Fenzy, but a double gold became available. :)Bet you don't have a single skin black wetsuit with a beaver tail and yellow stripes down the arms like a proper James Bond baddie.

[Adrian Kelland]

Nope, but friends did :) Mine was made in a factory, not by myself. Cor.

[Woz]

A real old timer used to recount stories of buying army surplus underwear, stretching it over a frame then painting it with latex compound to make a drysuit. Put the trousers on that came up to your armpits then the top on that came down to your thighs and roll the whole lot together in the middle to make a waterproof seal. Zips? Whassat then? Inflator valve? No idea.

And own up. Did you have one of those homemade plywood BSAC reels?

[Ben Panter]

And own up. Did you have one of those homemade plywood BSAC reels?
*cough*

Ben

[Tony Dwyer]

Bet you don't have a single skin black wetsuit with a beaver tail and yellow stripes down the arms like a proper James Bond baddie.

I want one to go with my Merlin Twin Hose, round mask and brick fins. I had one many moons ago, but it became unwearable.

I have a man on tap to make me one if I can find the right neoprene.

I used to have an Aqualift horsecollar, but it rotted away.

regards

Tony

[Woz]

I want one to go with my Merlin Twin Hose, round mask and brick fins. I had one many moons ago, but it became unwearable.

I have a man on tap to make me one if I can find the right neoprene.

I used to have an Aqualift horsecollar, but it rotted away.

regards

TonyI'll drag it out of the loft. I've also got a FFM with inbuilt snorkel with a ping-pong ball in the top if you want to kill yourself. And a Namron Snark which still works "as new" (i.e., very badly). Do you think I can get a DIN conversion for it?

[Martyn Ward]

[QUOTE=Woz] if you get a Dacor reg and drag it down Stoney car park it will be a sorry collection of bits. But drag an Apeks or a Poseidon and it will keep on working. QUOTE]

Anybody who treats scuba gear in such a manner (a) shouldn't be diving and (b) was taught by someone who isn't fit to teach. In my (anything but humble) opinion that is.


[QUOTE=Woz]We have a stack of BC's in the club and all the Scubapro ones are dropping to bits QUOTE]

On the other hand, me and SWMBI are still diving with the same Glide 2000 bcd's and Mk20/R380 reg sets that we started out with in '98 and have never missed a beat. Mind you, we don't drag them on the floor......

Martyn.

[Garry Whyke]

A bit tricky when you are new to the sport Garry. I doubt if many coming into the sport have an ultimate aim, other than enjoy it.


Adrian


Hi Adrian,

As a general statement I'd disagree with you here.

I have had many join our club who do have aims other than just learning to dive. We need to appreciate here that learning to dive may be a necessity to a larger goal. I have seen many for example who are facinated with wrecks when they join. In fact they learn to dive so that they can get onto these wrecks, diving in many cases can be regarded as a means to an end.

The same applies with say photography, archaeology etc. etc.

To be fair, I have been teaching for well over 6 years and cannot remember anyone wanting to dive just for the sake of it, there is always a larger goal and we need to understand this when we are asked for advice re: development, kit etc. etc.

My view anyway.

Cheers

.......... Garry

[Woz]

Anybody who treats scuba gear in such a manner (a) shouldn't be diving and (b) was taught by someone who isn't fit to teach. In my (anything but humble) opinion that is.

On the other hand, me and SWMBI are still diving with the same Glide 2000 bcd's and Mk20/R380 reg sets that we started out with in '98 and have never missed a beat. Mind you, we don't drag them on the floor......
Have a shuftie at the Wookey Uncovered DVD. They are all on Buddy Commandos and Cyklons. And you don't get anywhere tougher than that. If you can slime out of a narow passage covered in mud head to foot with your 1st stage covered in thick goo and it still works, there has to be something in using a robust reg.

Our Scubapro jackets are all faded, the webbing has worn and crushed, the cambands are a PITA when swapping between different diameter cylinders and the material appears to be made from Tescos bags. Admittedly they are a few years old but Buddy kit of a similar age stands up much better to week in, week out useage.

The scubapro regs we have, however, are going strong and are a Good Bit Of Kit.

[Gordon]

IIRC The other advantage of buddy BCs is that they will practically rebuild them for you if they get a bit worn.