For the regs, the actual fitting in the mouth there are virtually all about the same.

The difference comes in the technology behind the internal workings of the reg itself.

I have to check but I seem to remember there are two or three basic types of technology behind the design of a regulator. Then there is the fine tuning the manufacture throws in to help sell it.

I seem to remember there being a feature of the ruby that allowed freer flowing air at depth, will have to check, but I can tell you after doing a dive to 35m with an Apex reg then the following week the same dive with the Ruby. The ruby really was much easier to breath from. I also bought the ruby because of the conditions I would be diving in, the cold north sea, the irish sea and the english channel. The silt and sand can be hard on regs and I wanted something that would last. You have to look at the type of diving and conditions you'll be frequently doing and choose accordingly.

My other reg, a posiden has a valve that you can adjust on the regulator to vary the "free flow" of air which is a great advantage when going deep, you need more air.

As to what I wear depends, when the water's warm, 14-18°C I just wear shorts in my dry suit. When it's cold -2 to 8° I wear a sort of lycra fleece shorty,inside my dry suit,very toasty. For really cold conditions there's a wool mix undersuit called a woolly bear. Only I've never tried one.

On one occasion we did a shore dive in winter with the air temp being around -3°c, yet the water was a constant +10°, it felt like getting in a warm bath, we didn't want to come out.

That's half the fun of diving, finding out what combinations works for you.

you need to come down here for warm water... and i'll promise you its not 14c!

Kris, you're only making me jealous, god all that warm water.

Stokie,

Place is open for visitors... Just have to convince the wife (though a bottle of champagne goes along way!).

Is the "higher price = better quality" equation generally true from regs? If so, should I simply buy the most expensive one I can afford? Are their any models that produce less cotton mouth? (My brother claims almost unbearable cotton mouth on his last dive.)

What about wet suits? Does "higher price = better quality"? Another friend recommended Henderson.

I'd love some specific brand/model recommendations.

Gulliamo,

The old addige "you pay for what you get" does ring true. But even then it's wise to shop around. After visiting a dive show, picking up dozens of leaflets brochure and all the rest of it, the Mares range stood as out as top of the line. I was split between the Ruby and a Vortex. The Ruby because it had all the whistles and bells I was looking for and the Vortex because I could afford it.

Doing quiet a bit of shopping around, I dropped on a guy going out of business, retirement, really so he was selling off his gear. I argued, barttered, negoiated, call it what you will and got the deal of my life, a ruby for the same price as a Vortex. Not sure if there is much differnce between them now, but back then the gap was large. Some shop will let you do a deal. Aqualung and Apek do some real good starter kits, most UK clubs start with these. There are basic but they do the job, then there's Oceanic,Dive Rite, Cressi, Beuchat,OMS,Poseiden, Mares, Seac, Scubapro, TUSA,

My stab jacket is Poseiden, it was the one that felt most comfortable of many I tried out at the dive show, and one of the biggest lifters, I'm not a lightweight and I wanted something that would haul my sorry but if I needed it to. AquaLung and Cressi has some really nice gear these days with built-in weight systems, useful feature, as do Scubapro. There are as many people making BCD's as there are reg manufactures.

I have a beaver dry suit, but I'd upgrade to an Otter suit if I had the chance to do more diving. In France Cressi is very large and second I would say is Aqualung. The choice of suits is staggering, any colour you like, think French Fashion than add dive suit. There's a store here who'll make your suit to order, pick a colour and style and away you go.

Kris, I'm sitting in my office, it's raining, it's cold, the wife and kids have gone away to the South of France where it's sunny, dry and warm. Two of my old dive buddies have told me they're going diving, one on his 25m yacht to the Red Sea, the other to Bora Bora for three weeks all-inclusive, and me I'm off to Belfort, which I think is the French equivalent of Detroit, for two weeks. Not a holiday location, if you know what I mean.

Sucks, eh. I work 30-50 feet from a dive shop. Every day it kills me to turn right to go into work rather then turn left to go for a dive or two. This is just a tease, pure and simple.

"....This is just a tease, pure and simple. " And it's working.


Bathtap.

Guess its a tease no matter where you are... I was temped to do a dual tank nitrox dive at lunch, but damn deadlines.

Dual tank, what 2 x 10 Ltrs? on nitrox, you could be down for hours.

Do you ever use a pony rig. I've my stab set-up with one a small 7 ltr job nice little added security.

Hope you get to meet those deadlines, I know the feeling, I have an offer to finish for a power station by the end of March, not enough hours in the day.