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Just chiming in as someone crazy enough to try to make a living out of this amazing sport. I'm on an island outside of Seattle, WA. All open circuit, boat, shore, always looking for dive buddies. Some underwater photo experience. I'm a PADI divemaster, technician, and dive shop lackey. I can answer questions about dry suit, cold water diving, regulator / tank repair, and what it's like be female in a fairly male dominated work environ (short answer: doesn't even come close to mattering among the kind of divers you'll want to be around!) My $.02 on the whole rent/buy debate on gear comes down to fit, safety, and where you're going to be diving. Mask? Definitely a need to own. Spend the $40-100 and know that it's going to fit your face, won't be leaking, and you can use a good silicone mask for decades. Decades! Notice I said silicone; not just for sex toys anymore. A lot of the cheap masks (Wal-mart, Costco, etc.) will smell like a shower curtain. This is because it's made out of PVC. Gross. It'll be cheap, sure, but it'll also last you about 2 years before it warps and won't fit. Most everything else? Take the time to try out your shop's rental fleet. Figure out where you'll be diving. Then start accruing all that gear. Though one anecdote of rental gear in tropical places that gives me pause. I worked for a very busy dive shop in the USVI that made me the tech after only seeing on reg be taken apart. The owners had no idea what an annual service was about and I was set loose with tools and the book. I literally poured water out of 1st stages on more than one occasion. There were pieces so corroded that it took all of my weight on a 1.5' wrench after vinegar soaks to get it to move. All of this was done after customers had 'problems' with the reg. Never preventative. Terrifying. So go home, hug your reg, and consider renting for vacation from your reputable local dive shop! /end soap box.
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Feb 27, 2012 18:08
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 23:53 |
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MA-Horus posted:Here's a question. My dad was a diver in the 70s/80s and has a lot of his own equipment, such as reg/bcd/tank. Problem is they haven't been serviced in 30 years. Are thy junk now, or can thy still be refurbished? As Crunkjuice said, the tank should be good if it passes hydro/visual inspection. BCD should be good as long as the bladder doesn't have any holes. The power inflator can usually be serviced if its gotten crusty over the years. As for the reg, it depends on the condition and brand. Dacor is really the only older common brand that cannot be serviced any longer. No parts! Your local dive shop should be able to tell you more/give you a cost estimate to make it functional again.
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Feb 28, 2012 02:00
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I just moved to California and am looking for a (socially distanced, of course) dive buddy to show me where to go in Monterey-ish area. I'm an instructor with 2000+ dives and cold water experience, having last dove a year ago, so I don't need my hand held. Just need to get back in the water, ASAP. Anyone with advice or a need for a buddy who's good on air?
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Feb 8, 2021 03:05
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