SoCal scuba gear

[rort]

I am continuing my certs with NAUI and decided that it is time to stop renting and start collecting some gear! Anyone know a good place or website to hit up to find some used or even new gear for a little less than the brand new stuff? This hobby is already breaking the bank, and now I have to pick up SCUBA!!! haha

thanks

 

[billsreef]

Leisure Pro is a good mail order source if you know what you want.

http://www.leisurepro.com/

 

[dahenley]

what are you looking for?
also, what type of diving are you doing?
what are your expectations?

i ask this, not because i know what i am talking about, but others here are great and will want to know. they will help you out and give you suggestions on equipment.
good luck!!

 

[SD-Scuba]

I just picked up all my scuba gear for diving off the coast of San Diego and I did it for pretty cheap.

My mask and a Body Glove 7mm wetsuit new from Sport Chalet for $40 + $180. And I got a new set of gloves for $5 on closeout at the LDS.

Used DUI Delta BC off craigslist for $150, great deal.

Used Mares Fins, a mesh bag, booties and 18lbs worth of weights came from the swap meet: $15, killer deal!

I also got three aluminum 80's at the swap meet for $60. I did a personal inspection and they looked immaculate, just gotta get them hydro'd now.

You can use a rubbermaid tote to haul your dive gear around, but if you want to get a proper dive bag with wheels, check out an army surplus store. I got a great bag for $30.

If you're going to be diving without a dive master, or if you'd rather be safe than sorry, you'll want to have some safety equipment too...safety sausage (SMB), whistle, etc. Buy that new, it's not very expensive and worth the piece of mind... and get DAN insurance if you don't already have it!

Hope that gives you some ideas.

Cheers,
Ryan

 

[SeaJayInSC]

I am continuing my certs with NAUI and decided that it is time to stop renting and start collecting some gear!

Why? Any specific reason?

Anyone know a good place or website to hit up to find some used or even new gear for a little less than the brand new stuff? This hobby is already breaking the bank, and now I have to pick up SCUBA!!! haha

thanks

Heh - boy, don't we all know that too well.

There's a number of websites and places to get great gear at great prices. There's too many to list - it really depends on what you're looking to achieve anyway.

What sort of "gear" are you looking to start to collect? Fins? Masks? BCs? Regs?

+1 on the Leisurepro recommendation.

Sexy new avatar, Bill.

 

[Acillaton]

How about eBay?

 

[rort]

I am currently looking for an Apeks regulator, and a newer balance BCD w/ Airsource.

I would like to pick up my own gear as I want to become more comfortable with it on my dives, and not have to worry about always have different bcs. I also really like the back inflated vests!

thanks for the heads up

 

[SeaJayInSC]

Purchase Apeks from DiveInn: http://www.scubastore.com/ Their prices are unbeatable. They're in Spain, and your local dive shop will give you all kinds of "fluff" about "warranty." Despite what they say, you're buying from an authorized dealer if you buy from DiveInn, and your regs ARE under warranty.

What they are not is under a "service plan," which is to say that most local dive shops will work a deal where parts (but not labor) are given to you free during your annual services. That's got a cash value of about $60 per year, at best. Based on that, decide if your local dive shop should be the place where you purchase or not.

Ignorant dive shop workers who don't understand the difference between a "warranty" and a "service plan" will often mistakenly tell you that if you buy regs online, they are "not under warranty." This is wholly incorrect, but don't get into an argument about it with them. They will hold onto a false belief with abandon that will shock you.

Believe me, no matter where you buy them, your local dive shop will service them just fine - just expect to pay for o-rings and such, rather than having them given to you for free during your annual service.

If I were looking to purchase a SeaQuest Balance, I'd look no further than Leisurepro: http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?op=dtSearch&Term=seaquest balance Leisurepro is fantastic to work with and provides an "in-store" warranty that far exceeds anything that the manufacturer gives you.

Interestingly, it appears that they have a few used ones for sale, too... So if you're looking for a bargain, that's it.

 

[clayw]

Leisure Pro is a good mail order source if you know what you want.

http://www.leisurepro.com/

+1 thats good advice Bobby, also give Laguna Sea Sports a call. theyre located on PCH, not sure how they are about deals or used gear but its worth asking, i know they have a TON of dive gear, Im in and out of there quite a bit for small stuff and I've got a couple Riffe's from them.
-Clay

 

[billsreef]

Sexy new avatar, Bill.

Does Kym know you call middle aged bald guys sexy? :eek2:

 

[SeaJayInSC]

Hahahahahaaaa... Let's keep it our secret.

 

[SeaJayInSC]

Edit: It appears that DiveInn has dropped their Apeks line.

Apeks are still available at Leisurepro: http://www.leisurepro.com/Cat/Context_954/Filter_1=707/Page_1/Regulators/1159.html

A vote for my all-time favorite reg, the XTX100.

That said, I own several XTX50/DS4 combinations, since they're a lot less pricey than the XTX100, but otherwise the same reg with slightly different hose routing.

 

[hypertech]

I'm hoping that's just a glitch. I just bought a set about a month ago from them. The items still show up if you click directly through google search results and you can add them to the cart.

 

[rort]

Whatdo u guys think about the XTX200?

 

[hypertech]

I have a XTX200 first stage, 2 XTX50 second stages and miflex hoses. I've got a couple ice dives on them now and they are fantastic so far.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, the second stages are all identical except for some stickers.

 

[SeaJayInSC]

+1 with what hypertech says. The XTX50, XTX100, and XTX200 are all the same except for a couple of cosmetic pieces - stickers and slightly different plastic covers.

The first stages are that way, too... Internally, the DS4, XTX100 first stage and XTX200 first stage are identical, too... Except that in some models there's two high pressure ports instead of just one. The XTX200 first stage is actually mounted upside-down as compared to the other two. All of them are excellent, with the biggest difference being cosmetic.

Personally, I prefer the diaphragm on the first stage to be mounted UNDER the first stage, as it is on the DS4 and the XTX100 - it just appears to be in a safer spot than on the XTX200 first stage. However, I've never had a problem with the XTX200 first stage that I own, even after thousands of dives on it... And I dive in pretty rough conditions. So they're all excellent.

The location of the diaphragm is the reason why I like the XTX100 so much - but really, it's just a cosmetic thing, as clearly it's not a problem. I like the DS4's "hiding" of the diaphragm also, but the hose routing (tilted ports) on the XTX100 and XTX200 first stages is a little cleaner, IMHO.

That said, most of my regs are DS4's - the price difference is tough to justify for a little angle in the ports.

I'm not a fan of the LCD screen that tells me when they're supposed to be serviced - you may be, but I'd be frustrated by a reg that told me that it needed to be cleaned, since I typically run my regs waaaaay over their recommended service intervals. If I had that screen on my regs, it'd start screaming in less than a month - 'cause we dive full-time for work.

 

[SeaJayInSC]

I'm hoping that's just a glitch.QUOTE]

Me too. They were giving an awesome price. That's probably why they took them off of their main site - likely, their super-low price was causing a stir amongst other Apeks retailers.