I HAVE BEEN ON LAND FOR TO LONG<

[LS hunter]

IM HAVE BEEN DETECTING ON LAND FOR 12 YEARS NOW ,I WENT WITH A FRIEND WATER DETECTING AND I WAS HOOK SO MUCH AS I WENT OUT A GOT ME A NEW EXCAL 2,IM NEW AT THIS AS WELL AS THIS PART OF THE FORUM.IM IN THE MARKET FOR SOME DIVE STUFF WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE ON THE NET TO SHOP FOR THIS,I GO TO PENSACOLA 2 TO 3 TIMES A MOUTH,IS THERE A GOOD PLACE TO HUNT THERE ON THE BEACH AN IN THE WATER?YOU KNOW TO HUNT FOR OLD STUFF AND GET AWAY FROM THE HOTELSTHANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!!!!!!!!I HOPE TO GET TO KNOW YOU GUYS

 

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[mad4wrecks]

You didn't say if you were SCUBA certified, so I would get certified first. I also suggest that you buy your first set of dive equipment from your local dive shop, rather than the internet. Besides getting personal, professional advice, you can make sure that everything fits right and you are comfortable with the gear before buying.

Splash! Tom

 

[LS hunter]

BUT THE DIVE SHOPS ARE SO HIGH,I WAS LOOKING AT SOME REGULATORS AT THE DIVE SHOP AND THEY WERE ABOUT 150.00 MORE,IM WAITING FOR MY OPEN WATER DIVE NOW SO IT WONT BE LONG BEFORE ILL NEED MY TANK REGULATOR BC OCTO AND STUFF,THE HOLE SET UP FROM THEM WILL RUN ME ABOUT 1500.00 ON THE NET I CAN GET A NICE SET UP FOR 1.100!!!THANKS FOR THE TALK!!!!!!

 

[bucketofguts]

slow down! i know how you feel. Spanish treasure is there and will wait for you. lay back and listen to the well healed. pm GOHO and dive tomorrow weather permitting! my .02 cents! b

 

[pcolaboy]

I would be very, very, very careful using an U/W metal detector while diving in the Pensacola area. I can tell you from experience that the Florida Marine Patrol in our area specifically keeps an eye out for treasure hunters due to the amount of early colonial artifacts that abound. Do a search for my thread, "Run In with the Marine Patrol" which is about one such encounter with the Marine Patrol I had last year. There are treasure legends in our area but I'm convinced that most of them are just that - legends. Hell if I lived in Louisianna, I'd be more inclined to search Baritaria Bay behind Grand Terre island where Pirate Jean Lafitte's base was located for nearly a decade. I read that in 1818 a hurricane swept the island completely clean of sand and everything else turning into no more than a sandbar - this was the same year that Lafitte was finally driven out of the area.

Just make sure that if you metal detect on land on Pensacola Beach, stay off the Gulf Islands National Seashore areas to the east and west of the developed portions of the beach. Hate to be a wet blanket but I've got friends with Excalibur and Fisher U/W detectors that are now too spooked to get them in the water anymore.

Good Luck,

Pcola

 

[FISHEYE]

The only gear i ever bought new from a dive shop was mask fins and snorkle and a large 12 inch blade dive knife.That was when i first started diving in the 70's.The rest i find at garage sales,ebay and craigslist.All i buy is US divers scuba gear.I have used the same regulator for the past 30 years with no problems.Dive shops will rip you off.Every time i go to a dive shop with my beat up hydroed 10 times tanks,they always try and sell me new ones.They just dont get it.As long as the tank passes the hydro it will hold air.If you are worried about how pretty your equipment looks,you shouldnt be diving.If you buy a used reg get it checked out by a reputable reg repair shop.If you are good at taking things apart and putting them back together with no parts left on the bench.Buy the factory reg repair manual from the factory and fix it yourself.All a dive shop uses to clean your reg is simple green and a ultrasonic cleaner machine.Just be safe and watch out for the ocean critters.Some do bite!

 

[diverlynn]

Just a thought. If you buy your gear from a dive shop, you have a warranty and most of the time, at least the shop where I used to manage, we did a lot of free service, if minor, for our regular customers. YOU ARE BUYING YOUR LIFE SOURCE! Also have your gear serviced every year, most warranty's provide parts free when kept serviced yearly. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Diverlynn

 

[JoeSWFla]

I agree with all of the above.But if your budget is limited,watch e-bay,craigslist,and garage/estate
sales.I've purchased new,in the box,equipment at a fraction of the new cost,from out of
business dive shops,that had older model inventory.You can find a lot of newer used equipment
from people who just never got into it,and sell their whole set-up for a lot less than new.The
trick is to make sure it's in very good shape,and still has parts available for rebuild.I've
had my old US Divers regs. from the 70's rebuilt and they work great.Just make sure you get
them checked/serviced by a pro,and test it on land and in shallow water first,before stepping off
a boat.And keep an eye out when buying tanks,as many can't be filled any more.(WK's and past
about 1990 manufacture date +/-). That's where dive shop advice and their used equipment
can be a money saver.Good luck and HH Joe

 

[JOe L]

ScubaToys.com , They are Manufacture authorized on everything they sell. They are personal and will chat with you on the phone EASILY with any of your diving purchase concerns. Also have on HECK of a website & forums

http://forum.scubatoys.com/index.php?referrerid=5514

 

[FireRescue]

You don't know the history of used equip....... My idea on it.

 

[Salvor6]

I am a dive instructor and I get the industry reports on how many people still dive after getting certified. After one year, 90% of certified divers drop out forever. Thats right, the divers you see today are just one-tenth of those that got certified. So there is a lot of barely used, like new gear for sale at half price.

 

[Mr.Jody]

how much does it cost to get certified?Im in tallahassee florida.if it matters

 

[Salvor6]

Jody it varies between dive shops but expect to pay at least $250 before you get your card. They say you can get certified for $100 but then the books are extra, you have to rent gear for the checkout dive and they charge extra for the C card.

 

[Mr.Jody]

Really?I didnt know it was that cheap.Hmmm