northerner

Might not be the right forum, but I know there's a few divers out there amongst the BE community....

We're newish divers off to Sydney (hopefully) in a couple of months and are slowly building up our kit. We've decided we now want to go the whole hog and get full kit for both of us as we know we're hooked and will be diving regularly in Oz. Also would be a complete waste not to go to the dive show in October and get it all there...

So has anybody got any recommendations?? We've already got wetsuits, masks and booties so will need;

• Computers
• BCs
• regs/octopus
• Fins

Being beginners we don't need a £400 BC etc. but also don't want cheap stuff which we will regret buying in a 6 months time. No idea about BC's, regs etc (except that Mares has been recommended), top of the list for computers are Suunto Gekko or Vyper.

Any advice or recommendations gratefully received so I can direct the credit card in the right direction at the show....

Graham

The Bloke

Hi, I have been out of the dive scene for quite a while, but if you would like to PM Crest57 or 232Bar, they would probably be in a better position to let you know what sort of gear you can get, just in case they miss reading this thread.

cresta57

Computers, the easier the better, much cheaper to buy in U.K The Uwatec smart pro from Denny Diving retails @ £199 from Pro Dive in Brisbane it's $1000 bucks.
BCD Mine's an old Buddy Commando Auto air from http://www.apvalves.com/ Love it though need the fat bastard size now
My occy set is AP Valves as well though after seeing the nice titanium sets I may have to upgrade
Fins whatever your comfortable with, mine are Avanti Quatros big and ungainly if it's warm I ditch the booties and use my sons U.S Divers ones.

TeresaG

We went up to the dive show last year. Its really good.

We've been diving for about 5 years now and apart from when we go on holiday, most of it is done here along the south coast.

I've got Mares wetsuit and booties. I also have Mares regs but did get a cheapish set when I'd only recently qualified. I'd like to upgrade to a titanium set but they are a bit pricey. If I get to the show this year, I might have a look there. I've got a Seaman Sub BCD which seems to be really good quality and still looks almost new even though its gone through 150 odd dives now. I really like it although when I got it, I did want a mares one but couldn't find one small enough for me.

Suunto is good for dive computers. My H has got the Vyper and I've got the Mosquito. I've got the Mares Volo fins and really like them.

You might also want to think about getting a kit bag. We got two last year at the show for £30 and they are really good.

northerner

Thanks for the info. Cresta, do you find that most stuff for diving is more expensive in Oz? As I said, hopefully we'll get pretty much everything before we go but would be interesting to know.

If they're asking $1000 for something which you can get for the equivelant of $490ish in the uk is it easy to get it shipped over? Massive difference ain't it!?

Graham

cresta57

232bar and myself asked the bloke at Pro Dive to justify the massive difference in price his best effort was that here in Australia GST @ 10% made everything more expensive. We had a great time informing him of the U.K's 17.5% VAT. He just crumbled and whiffled about taxation and importation costs so we pointed out that Japan was a lot closer to here than the U.K. He then reckoned that U.K was number 2 in the world behind the U.S in sales of dive gear. That could be true as any Aussie with internet is going to buy and pay shipping from U.K or U.S.
The upshot is most stuff with the exception of wetsuits is considerably more expensive here. Don't buy cylinders over there though you'll have to buy them here, if they're not Australian they're not good enough to test. A second hand computer from a dive school is more expensive to buy at a year old than a brand new one in the U.K.
Another very annoying thing is the fact that nothing in Australian shops is ever priced online you always have to "ring for best quote"

Speargun

Definately worth buying all your kit before going my brother in law (who I learned to dive with in Newcastle and lives in Cairns) Said all kit is more expensive out there and it was best to get it all in the UK - strongly recommend Suunto Viper - not too expensive but does "eveything it says on the tin" and well reliable - Im taking Apexs Regs which far surpass any of the conditions you will find in Oz (Temp tests etc) but as you rely on these for your life its better to get a quality reg...

matt-and-jenny

Don't know if you know this already, but don't buy a tank in England, get one here. There's different standards, and no one'll fill it for you. You should get a decent "package" price if you're going to a show tho, with most stuff you need thrown in for one price.

YoSemite

you might also want to check http://www.watersportswarehouse.co.uk/

I got some gear from there before I came to Oz (for 3rd visit!) and they were the cheapest by far!

they've always got some really good deals on (espeically heading into winter UK), and always found their shipping prices very resonable, fast and reliable!

got a couple of small things from there after I moved over here.... was in australia within a week, so they must have posted it straight away.

If you're ever going to head up north then defo get a pair of full foot fins - I tried 3 days on the GBR with my tusa x-perts and boots and it was just too hot!

also managed to pick up 3mm Gul shortie for the GBR for about £45... they're now down to £39!!!!



saying that.... there's a dive shop right over the road from me and it seems to do some pretty good deals. I think the independent shops do, do better deals on some gear (and the shops in cairns have to as there's so much completition!), but the chains /franchises (like ProDive [who i learnt with!!]) do seem to be more expensive!

northerner

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Matt-and-jenny - yeah I have heard something about the tanks so won't bother with them until we're in Oz.

Watching a few Vyper's on ebay at the moment - what do you think would be a reaonable price to expect at the show?? I remember last year when we went (not really knowing what we were looking at!!) they were selling Gekkos for £120 - cheapest online is about £150. Also, I guess that as we'll be buying two of everything (although DEFINITELY NOT MATCHING!!) we might be able to barter them down a bit more?....

Possibly Mares Vector 1000 at top of list for my BC.... Hmmm, decisions decisions....

Graham

spottydog

We have Buddy BCD's with auto airs, Apex regs & Suunto Computers (although had Aladdin before these) and I would recommend all of them. I used to have avanti quattro fins but found they tired my legs so not have force fins (very much a case of love them or hate them).

Last weekend the water temperature in Sydney was 16C so either a good thick wetsuit or a drysuit may also be a worthwhile purchase (I was in a drysuit and I'm going to use a hood and possibly gloves next time and the thicker undersuit is definitely coming out, our few wetsuit divers were in at least 2 layers with hoods and gloves and were sdtill pretty cold lus drysuits here start at about $2500!). Make sure you buy fins that take booties and buy booties too if you don't go for a drysuit

For a computer I would ensure you get one with Nitrox and decompression capabilities so it will cover all your diving whatever level you take it to.

I woulds suggest don't buy a compass unless you're buying an electronic one which you can calibrate (Suunto do 2 computers with electronic compasses, the D9 and a cheaper non-titanium one, I've got the D9 and love it). If Robin Hood are at the dive show try and sneak a look at their full diveshow price list for computers, I got out D9's from them when they were just out for £500 when everyone else wanted closer to £700.

Definitely don't buy tanks, they will just turn into exensive doorstops, get them from Dive Imports in perth when you've arrived ($350 for 12l fabers inc delivery, cheapest we've found in Oz).

It's also worth buying little dive bits as they are expensive to here so go for knife/net cutters, spare fin/mask straps & o-rings, gloves, hood, DSMB & Reel (very useful), lead weights & belt (if you're shipping stuff across, bit heavy to fly), torch (the little PCa lite are excellent for a BC pocket and won't break the bank). If you're feeling really extravagant go for a digital camera & housing too.

When you get to Sydney if you fancy meeting a friendly dive club come down to Moretons on Sussex Street on a Wednesday evening where Sydney Sub Aqua Club meet for a few beers we're a BSAC club with expats from around the world along with a couple of Aussies and dive regularly.

Buzzy--Bee

My 2 cents - fly via the US and buy all your gear there. If you stopover in LA the shop to go to is in Irvine - www.scuba.com. This will be cheaper than the UK or Oz. While you're in LA you can dive Catalina island which IMHO is one of the best dive sites in the world.



Buzzy

232Bar

Ok - my 2 cents as well

Go to the dive show, buy one lot of everything and then buy a second set as well. It's bloody expensive here.

FWIW - we (me and the mrs) both dive Buddy Commando TD with auto air (you'll not find them easily here but there's a local place is an AP Valves authorised service station), but they are an excellent BCD, both use Cressi Ellipse Titanium reg/occys, also with Cressi Airtech sets for a pony rig. Computers are Uwatec SmartPro nitrox compatible (Crestas info is good - 199 quid at Denneys). Wet suits ok price over here - but if you're going Sydney way I'd get a good 5mm semi-dry before you leave, or even a dry - again, bloody expensive here. Go to the show, find Chris Denney and tell him Graeme who moved to Oz sent you LOL. One piece of advice - DON'T BRING NEW FABER CYLINDERS FROM TEH UK WHICH HAVE THE /7 CODE. You can't get tehm tested/filled here without loads of hassle (says the man with 4 bright yellow steel garage ornaments )

AndrewJacks

We've been using the Vyper since 1999 and it's never let us down.

With regards to Regs... Most important part of the dive kit regardless of experiance. Buy once last for years.

Enjoy your diving.

Andrew

Crazy Diamond

Hi, just wondering, is it easy to hire all the gear for diving out there instead of buying it? We are all qualified divers (me, OH and 2 kids 11 & 12) we got qualifed earlier this year as the children can't dive unqualified in Australia until they are 14/15ish. Obviously they are still growing so buying a complete kit for them could be more of a waste of money.

What would you recommend? BTW we are heading to Brisbane October, any good dive sites round there?

Cheers