Getting certified!!!

[Overboard]

Hi,

My wife gave me scuba lessons for my birthday!!

So, after making many under purchases in my reef keeping experience (and then spending more again) I want to get it "right" for scuba gear. Any basic suggestions or suggested websites for my education?

I live in Houston.

Any help is appreciated!!!

Mark

[Mad Scientist]

Hey Mark, although I'm not a full fledge tech diver (I'm not yet TRIMIX certified), I've been diving in the cold waters a new England for a while now and my suggestion for gear for (in the sunny south) you is as follows:

1.) Get a NICE reg, heck, this is life support stuff we are talking about here. The APEX 100 and 200 are great

2.) Get a weight intergrated BCD, weight belts are no good

3.) High pressure steel tanks with the DIN system are great (unless you're mixing your own gas in the garage with a Sears somppressor)

Good luck, I know there's some great diving out there (nad you're pretty close to Caymans).

A good web site is www.paradisedive.com, a NY store that will sell dealer only gear the internet (Dive Rite, OMS), good struff.

[REEF4LIFE]

You'll never regret it!!!! My wife bought me lessons for my birthday 6 years ago. Mostly dive in the caribbean (too cold in Wisconsin!!) Now she went out and got certified last year!!
Having a reef tank is nice, but there's nothing like seeing 10 pound parrotfish and angels!

[Mad Scientist]

One more thing. Today I attended the annual Boston Sea Rovers Convection, one of the people I listened to speak was Berine Chowdury, he is the author of a book titled "The Last Dive", it is an excellent book (true story) about a father and son who died diving the U-Who, a then unidentified German WW sub sitting on the bottom at 240', in the late 90s. Chowdury himself (a top-notch wreck/cave diver) was almost killed after missed over 2 hrs of deco time after diving while taking overthecounter cold medicine. His very sobering talk foucused on the fact that even if you are not (and never want to be) tech diving to the Doria, or Lustania, saftey should always be the first thing on everyone's mind even if the dive seems "shallow and easy".

I strongly reccommend that all new divers (and experinced divers) read "The Last Dive".

PS Bernies' Magazine "Immersed" is great too.

[billsreef]

Mark,

Quality and comfort are the two important things. Before you actually buy something, get the dive shop to let you try it out. There's no point in buying the latest and greatest if it causes you discomfort which will lead to stress while diving and possibly distress. If budget is a concern you can often get used equipment in good condition from dive shops when they sell their rental gear, usually every year.

MS,

Have you been around long enough to remember horse collars?

BTW I'm still diving with my weight belt (28lbs worth) and my 20 year old regulator, I'm starting to feel old here now that I think about that :eek2:

[Mad Scientist]

Bill,

What can I say, whatever works for you. I missed out on the days of double hose regs, no BCD, no SPG, no computer, etc, but, on the other hand, I dive (today) a lot on air with a single tank and I don't use argon for my dry suit, so I'm not totally "new school".

20 year old reg huh? What brand, aqualung/posidion? Do you dive any Jersy wrecks, the Mud Hole, or know any of those guys. I met Tom Parker and Steve Gatto yesterday, two of the most famous guys from your neck of the woods, pretty immpressive stuff they have done.

[billsreef]

It's a single hose sherwood ;) The double hose rigs where retired for several years by the time I was certified, I'm not quite that old :D

Most of my diving is done from the shore on eastern Long Island. Never got into the expense of heading offshore for the wrecks, save my money for the tropical trips :D It's nice to leave the wet suit behind on occasion ;)