The scuba diving thread

[Supa Dexta]

Just thinking I may get a set of equipment.. I've never done it before, but with the ocean at my doorstep I wouldnt mind having a set of gear to go explore a little bit..

I've been keeping an eye on used gear, but I may just use an online store to get a set, suggestions?.. I just have to do some homework on what to get and where to get it....

Tips?

[arian_ma]

Where are you living? NS? You'll probably need a dry suit and such to dive there. I'm not too familiar with the diving there...but personally I'm of the type to go for reefs and generally warmer water climates so I can't help you much with that info.

In case you're going with a dry suit setup, I'm pretty sure that the certification for it is completely different than a wet suit setup and costs quite a bit more as well.

Diving is amazing no matter what kind you get into.

[Supa Dexta]

When I am in NS, I'm the north shore, so the water is decent.. Surface temps in the 70's... Wont be diving very deep around there.. 30-40 feet tops maybe.... And only in the middle of summer, so a wetsuit would likely do me.

[D'z Nutz]

I was just about to start a thread on this too.

I got my PADI certification earlier this year in Jamaica and just came back from a dive in Mexico a couple weeks ago and I'm fucking hooked. I'll probably be doing another dive in Florida before the year's over.

I searched and it looks like there's a few experienced divers on here. Anyone recommend any of the dive shops here in Calgary? I'm thinking at the very least I should have my own goggles, snorkel, and flippers.

[C_Dave45]

I'm going to go for mine as well. Looking at that place in Marda Loop. IIRC, they have a dive tank plus do a couple of "open water" dives for your course. I've heard of some places that will rent all the gear you need (minus your personal fins,mask and snorkel) on a "per season" basis.

[TYMSMNY]

Should probably go get your cert first. I did my in class sessions at the now called Talisman Centre and did my pool stuff there as well. For my open water test I went to Horseshoe Bay just north of Van. Not much to see but got it done in a dry suit.

I would probably rent your equipment for now.. it's pretty expensive just to purchase it for the sake of it. If you want, just purchase a mask and a pair of fins but those can be rented as well.

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by C_Dave45
IIRC, they have a dive tank plus do a couple of "open water" dives for your course.

Yeah, four open water dives are required for your open water certification (at least for PADI. I think NAUI is 5). If the water wasn't so fucking cold here, I'd go for my advanced open water certification over the summer.

[Phenix]

I did all my basic certs here and also sat in on a bunch of rescue diver courses.

I get sick of all the heavy equipment and all the prep you need to do. It's more fun just to grab a torpedo and throw a large spare air tank on it and fly though the water.

So much fun

[FraserB]

I did mine through Adventures in Scuba on Macleod by the Canadian Tire. Definitely do your open water cert dives in the summer, I did mine in the last week of October in Chaparelle, cold as fuck.

[Aerobat]

The Dive Shop by the back alley is definately the best dive shop...adventures in scuba is way overpriced..i have my advanced open water and a dry suit course..going to costa rica, antigua and all over the carribean this october...whale sharks ahoy!

[austic]

I prefer Aqua sport in marda loop. They just has a massive sale this past weekend...

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by austic
I prefer Aqua sport in marda loop. They just has a massive sale this past weekend...

Damn it, that would've been really nice to know...

[austic]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz
I was just about to start a thread on this too.

I got my PADI certification earlier this year in Jamaica and just came back from a dive in Mexico a couple weeks ago and I'm fucking hooked. I'll probably be doing another dive in Florida before the year's over.

I searched and it looks like there's a few experienced divers on here. Anyone recommend any of the dive shops here in Calgary? I'm thinking at the very least I should have my own goggles, snorkel, and flippers.

You should prob add a wetsuit to your list. Renting them adds up quickly and if your mostly warm weather diving you can get away with a 3/2mm for not a bad price.
I would check out aquasport and see if anything is still on sale.

[Freeskier]

Originally posted by Aerobat
The Dive Shop by the back alley is definately the best dive shop...

This. The one in Marda Loop is also really good. If you're looking at diving on the east coast, I think you'll end up in a dry suit at some point, it's just a lot more comfortable. Under PADI, drysuit diving is a specialty course, but some shops can even do your open water certification or advanced open water in a drysuit, so you get both certifications at the same time.

I would highly recommend starting with mask, fins and snorkel. Having these fit correctly can make or break a dive. Having to clear your mask every couple of minutes is just a pain in the ass and will definitely take away from the dive. If you're thinking about travelling a lot for diving, I have found it is quite often easier and more economical to rent. Most shops have decent rental packages. If you're diving from home, then getting all you're gear can make sense. You'll end up with gear that you know, that fits and that will last you decades if well taken care of.

Some things to think about when buying new gear.

Mask, fins, snorkel:
These are the very basic gear and usually the first thing people buy. There's a ton of choice and basically you want something that will fit and that you like. Fins come in every shape and size, some are more suited to a really strong scissor kick, others frog kick much nicer. Split fins tend to be pretty powerful for less effort input, but less maneuverable than solid fins.

BCD:
There are two general types of Buoyancy compensators, jacket style and wing style. Jacket provides flotation at the back, as well as air pockets in the front of the jacket. Wing BCs have an air cell behind the diver around the cylinder, but no flotation at the front. There is a huge amount of debate as to which is better. A lot of this is pissing in the wind as it boils down to personal preference. Many recreational BCs are jacket style, and the more technical rigs tend to be wings. The short version is that wings keep you more streamlined in the water, but have a tendency to pitch you forward on the surface. Jackets keep you much more upright at the surface, but some people think it's harder to swim underwater. Basically again, you're looking for a good fit and something you like. I'd say try and rent both styles, find out which you prefer and then make a decision based on that. Keep in mind that in cold water, you need a lot more weight to sink thick wetsuits or drysuits. Therefore you need a BC with more flotation than a tropics only jacket.

Regulators:
Basically all the regs on the market are tested to the same standards, so safety wise, all are equal. As with anything, you get what you pay for. As reg prices go up, they become smaller, lighter and made with more exotic materials. If the majority of your diving will be cold water, I'd recommend getting an environmentally sealed reg, they're designed to stand up to the extreme cold of Canadian waters. If you're planning of diving drysuit, make sure you have 3 low pressure inflator hose ports. Some regs only have 2 and can only be used with a wetsuit.

Sorry for the essay, but I figured I'd give a bit of a break down for people looking at buying a setup.

[Phenix]

Chaparral is always cold as fudge. lol

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by Freeskier
I would highly recommend starting with mask, fins and snorkel. Having these fit correctly can make or break a dive. Having to clear your mask every couple of minutes is just a pain in the ass and will definitely take away from the dive. If you're thinking about travelling a lot for diving, I have found it is quite often easier and more economical to rent. Most shops have decent rental packages.

Yeah, that's why I figured I'd get at minimum these three. I want to have a set I'm comfortable with, especially the mask. When we were on a dive in Jamaica, visibility was pretty poor and I couldn't see shit. It wasn't until after everyone was talking about how amazing the view was did I realize my mask was the reason for the "murky water" even after I cleared it a few times!

Originally posted by Freeskier
Sorry for the essay, but I figured I'd give a bit of a break down for people looking at buying a setup.

Awesome post! This is exactly the type of info I'm looking for.

[Freeskier]

Glad it helped. I've been diving for awhile now. I'm doing my scientific diver cert at Bamfield Marine Station as we speak. It's unreal, 3 dives a day for the past 2 weeks, with more to come. Feel free to fire me any questions regarding gear, west coast diving or whatever, I'll try my best to answer em.

[D'z Nutz]

How *is* west coast diving anyways? I'll be heading to Vancouver in September. If there's anything to see and the water's not too bad, maybe I'll try squeezing in a dive or two.

[Freeskier]

I haven't done any diving from the mainland, but I hear it's comparable to the island. Diving out here is unreal, so much life it's crazy. If you're diving with someone who knows the site, then octopuses can be found almost every dive. If not, then just look for piles of broken crab and mussle shells and you can usually find a den fairly easily. Visibility can vary. In the winter it's usually around 20 feet, but in summer due to algal blooms it can drop to 5-10 feet. Right now on the west coast of the island, because it's been raining so much, we've got 40+ foot vis, which is fuckin epic. That's really the only drawback to diving out here though, I've heard that Jacques Cousteau said it was the second best diving in the world after the Red Sea (lol sort of debatable IMO), but as far as I know it's generally accepted as the best cold water diving in the world. Yesterday we were diving a huge wall and saw 3 octo's, a baby wolf eel, as well as tons of rockfish, sea stars, cucumbers and shit.

[Supa Dexta]

In my limited time looking around I've been thinking of getting:

Mares X vision liquid skin mask
Mares quattro fins
And Aeris cuda dry snorkel..

Even that will get me started in the water I want to explore out my front door.