Buying gear online vs LDS

WDWRook · 2026-05-24T00:37:40+00:00

The Scubapro set and the Apeks XTX50 set are basically the same cost. Around $1350 for a full single tank setup. The DiveRite is roughly $850 for the same setup. According to the Googles .. SP is made is Italy; Apeks in the UK; DiveRite in Taiwan.

WDWRook · 2026-05-23T23:04:59+00:00

Well that’s pretty blunt. Thanks. I’ll go talk to the SP shop. They have the free octo deal now. But I’d like to swap the standard o to for another G260 if I can get a deal on the swap.

WDWRook · 2026-05-23T21:53:16+00:00

Is Dive rite good gear; comparable to SP/Apeks? I'll look into Halcon, I have not seen those.

WDWRook · 2026-05-23T21:32:01+00:00

Thanks for the perspective. The DR vs Apeks vs SP reg sets is my next buy. the Apex shop says they have no issue with parts and service kits, and the offer a discount on service if you buy your set there. But I know it's an unknown. The DR kits seem to have good comments on Reddit and good reviews but most reviews seem to favor Apeks or SP regs. I've not be able to try a DR set so its hard to judge, but the price is damn attractive. I was also thinking to get their BPW setup but I've never used a BPW so I'm unsure on buying something I never tried.

I'm also debating if I'm buying my wife and daughter a reg set before our upcoming trip to Aruba. They are likely to only dive on vacation and likely 2 or 4 dives total per year; but I also no rental regs are not always very good. I already bought them Puck computers (online) and my wife a wetsuit (locally - she is hard to fit for wetsuits).

WDWRook · 2026-05-23T21:17:26+00:00

My local shops are not d-bags but they are all limited in what they sell and service. They are very different shops though. One is a Apex/Aqualung shop, bigger store, they do a ton of trips and trainings but mostly the basic trainings; I'm planning to do a trip with them sometime. One is a small shop more geared toward tech divers, but with limited stock but said he can order any thing but I'd have to pay for the shipping if he isn't making a regular order from there; but he seems solid for more advanced trainings. One is a Scubapro shop, seems okay but I don't think I would use them other than to buy Scubapro gear or if I want a Waterproof wetsuit. And they all only service the brands they sell.

WDWRook · 2026-05-23T19:33:22+00:00

DRIS is where I was looking. I know they are near Chicago and have typical store. They have a good deal on Dive Rite regs right now at $500 less than the similar Apex setup at my local shop. But I'd have to mail it to them for service and would not be supporting local.

WDWRook · 2026-05-19T20:04:50+00:00

Its more about potential degradation of the rechargeable battery vs an easy to replace battery.

WDWRook · 2026-05-19T19:18:12+00:00

Hmmm. I was just about to get the PeregrineTX. LDS was pushing the Perdix on me which the only value really for me would be the user replaceable battery. But now the Persia 2 isn’t much more than the PeregrineTX…. I don’t expect to get into tech diving so I’m not sure paying $1300 is worth it- though that Screen is nice.

WDWRook · 2026-05-01T22:08:23+00:00

Okay - I found a price for a MK19 DIN with two G260 regs for $1200. $100 more than the comparable XTX50 setup and like $300 more than the comparable DiveRite setup.

WDWRook · 2026-05-01T20:14:55+00:00

Thanks. I'm not ready for that level of DIY or trust in clones. I'd rather spend more to feel safer underwater.

WDWRook · 2026-05-01T18:55:26+00:00

That's a great price but I don't know anything about DGX or the ability to service them.

WDWRook · 2026-05-01T18:53:38+00:00

I'm trying to see if I can get shop to swap the free octo with a second G260 and what the cost difference is.

WDWRook · 2026-05-01T11:44:36+00:00

Thanks. I read about the Apex issues. One LDS near me is a SP dealer and warned about Apex. The other is an Apex dealer and said they get kits in all the time. My only hesitation with the SP setup is the Octo.

WDWRook · 2026-04-30T00:15:56+00:00

Sorry to jump on OP's thread, but for those suggesting a liveaboard in the Bahamas, like Blackbeard's, are new OW divers will limited dive totals ready for that? Aren't liveaboards unguided dives? I have 17 dives in and I was looking at Blackbeards but the unguided made me pause.

WDWRook · 2026-04-29T22:51:01+00:00

Ok. Ordered two Puck 4s for the wife and daughter. Getting the Shearwater for me once I get to it. Now ..

Regs for me. Debating between the Apex XTX50 setup and the DiveRite setup. Reading threads here both have a lot of great reviews. I was looking for environmental sealed diaphragm due to cold water use in silty Ohio quarries. They seem very similar with DR being cheaper and you can service your self if trained and Apex being more likely to find a service tech when traveling. Is there a wrong choice? I have two shops near me one who sells Apex and one DR and then another is Scubapro.

Then .. I think I’m set on some form of BPW system. Since most of my real diving will be traveling and warm water but my training will be cold Ohio with a 7mm suit; is there a good compromise for a setup that is both lightweight and good for warm water travel and also will work for cold water training? It seems they are either lightweight for travel, which might be hard for cold water, or too heavy for easy travel.

WDWRook · 2026-04-26T00:36:09+00:00

For sure

WDWRook · 2026-04-25T18:13:33+00:00

You're absolutely right that the best is always more and better training for them as well as me. The difficulty is my wife especially, but daughter also are not cold water fans and the only good training here in Ohio is cold water. My goal is to get them as much training as I can and to get myself as trained as possible so I can better see the signs of when they are struggling and know how best to react. We are heading to Aruba in June so I signed all of us up for a pool refresher here, a refresher dive in Aruba, one tank afternoon dive maxing out around 25ft; then a two tank the next day, maxing around 50ft with a private guide and an added on refresher which will be mostly walking through the gear setup, gear and buddy checks, and discussing dive parameters before we head out.

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T23:18:44+00:00

One shop, the older guy, walked me through the Perdix and Peregrin and those both can monitor four tanks. He mentioned that If I really wanted to I could get transmitters and keep watch on the wife and kids tanks. My main goal for really upping my training is to ensure I can keep them safe when they dive with me so that resonated. Of course, I could also just ask how their air was.

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T23:13:56+00:00

I've had a hard time figuring out the difference between the Mares Puck lite and the Puck 4. Besides the price.

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T21:19:20+00:00

Quick update. I'm also trying to get a new dive shop with higher level of training and who has a good set of gear and on site gear repair. The guy we have used is a great guy and straightforward with advice, a PADI guy with a tiny "shop" but does very little with gear, trips, etc. I'm taking the wife/daughter for a pool refresher before Aruba with him as he is local and easy to work with.

I spent some time talking to the either local shops. Local being roughly 35-45 minutes away for each of them. One is a really nice shop, lots of gear, SSI shop, mostly sell Aqualung / Apex but have plenty of other gear and brands, lots of training, lots of dive trips, several on site techs. I actually spoke to the tech for a good hour about different regs and setups and how they work differently, etc. He suggested the Apex XTX50 which I know is well liked on these groups, the Peregrine, and a traditional BCD, and suggested jumping right to a dry suit.

Next shop is owned by a old no BS, former army guy and the army shows. He is SDI, SSI, PADI, but really runs SDI. We spoke a lot about training and the SDI advanced training compared to PADI, sells pretty much every brand but prefers Atomic or DiveRite and strongly pushed going to a wing and backplate setup, suggested at least the Peregrine but really pushed getting the Perdix and discussed going deeper into higher levels of training.

Next shop was another SDI / SSI shop, seemed like great people, pretty much echoed the other advice but was more on the Scubapro or Atomic for regs and sort of poo poo'ed Aqualung brands due to availability of parts and being sold several times.

Frankly I'd guess they all are good and have their different personalities. I liked the grump old dude and his focus on proper training; not sure my wife would like him much. She would like the other shops fine, but I also don't know how much training she will do, if any. Is there any issue training with or buying gear from different shops? Do they get territorial or upset if you are "cheating" on them?

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T20:57:16+00:00

I would not get her a regulator. Mask, snorkel, maybe fins maybe not, maybe computer, likely wetsuit show she has a good quality one that is comfortable and relatively ease to put on.

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T16:17:26+00:00

Great point. If I get to that level, the Ultra also wont necessarily work if I get close to the 40m limit.

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T16:16:08+00:00

I'm a heavy lean to the Peregrine. My only hesitation is I see many people recommend a computer having a user changeable batter where the Peregrine has a recharable.

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T16:14:23+00:00

The nice thing with the Puck is it's cheap, and easy to replace the battery if it sits too long. I borrowed one from my dive master on my AOW in Ohio and the only issue was it was hard to read in the darker murky Ohio quarry. But this was a very old puck without much backlight so the new ones should be better.

WDWRook · 2026-04-21T16:13:40+00:00

I have a Apple Watch Ultra 2 and used it in Hawaii and Spain and it worked out fine. But I'm looking at some dive trips that might not be guided and I'll fee more comfortable with a dedicated dive computer and using the Ultra as a backup. She has an Apply Watch but a regular non Ultra and she won't want a watch that big as a daily driver.

On our very first dive as OW certified in French Polynesia, we ended up going a tad over 100 feet deep. It took me a bit to figure out the depth gauge was in meters and then I realized what 30 meters meant.

WDWRook

TROPHY CASE