All my diving equipment belongs to me, and I take it on every trip. If you don't want to buy everything at once, start with a mask and dive computer. Next, it's worth getting your own regulator. Here is what I wear, with the exact models and what the manufacturers state about them.
| Item | Model |
|---|---|
| Dive computer | Apple Watch Ultra 3 with Ocean Band |
| Mask | TUSA Ceos with prescription lenses |
| Regulator | Scubapro MK2 EVO with G250 second stage |
| Submersible pressure gauge | Scubaforce, 50 mm, metal housing |
| Jacket | xDEEP NX Zen Deluxe with aluminum backplate |
| Wetsuit | Waterproof W50, long, 5 mm |
| Drysuit | Waterproof O1, 5 mm with hood |
| Booties | Waterproof B2, 6.5 mm |
| Fins | Apeks RK4, size L |
| Light | Wurkkos DL10R |
| Bag | Waterproof Advanced Expandable Pocket |
Seeing and measuring
My mask is a TUSA Ceos with prescription lenses. It has two lenses and sits flat against the face. TUSA offers lenses with prescription strengths for it, where you can choose one for each eye individually. This way you can see clearly underwater without contact lenses in a mask that can also fill with water.
I use the Apple Watch Ultra 3 as my dive computer. I wear it every day anyway. This way my dive computer is always with me, even if a dive comes up spontaneously, and I can read the bright display well even in dark water. Apple offers it free with a suitable diving app from the App Store for recreational diving up to 40 m, tested according to the EN 13319 standard. The built-in Depth app only shows depth, dive time, and water temperature. No-decompression limit and ascent are calculated by a diving app like Oceanic+, whose full features require a subscription. For diving, I exchange the soft band for the Ocean Band, which withstands salt water and stays firmly in place over the wetsuit.
Apple recommends that when diving with the Watch, you also keep an eye on depth and time with a second instrument. I only dive with the Watch. If you want a second device, take a computer with air integration that also shows you the tank pressure on your wrist. I recommend two models. The Shearwater Tern TX calculates according to Bühlmann ZHL-16C with adjustable gradient factors and shows the pressure of up to four tanks and the remaining gas time via a transmitter on the regulator. The Garmin Descent X50i has a large display and reads the pressure of up to eight tanks via the Descent T2 transmitter. You usually have to buy the transmitter separately for both.
A Scubaforce submersible pressure gauge is attached to the regulator, a compact model with a 50 mm diameter in a metal housing, with a rubber cover and swivel joint on the 80 cm long high-pressure hose. The dial glows in the dark, and the reserve area is color-coded. This way you can quickly see how much air is left even in dark water. The submersible pressure gauge needs no battery or wireless connection and keeps working if the computer once fails.
Breathing and buoyancy
My regulator is a Scubapro MK2 EVO with the G250 second stage. The first stage operates with a simple, non-balanced piston and has one high-pressure and four intermediate-pressure connections. On the G250, you set the inhalation resistance yourself during the dive. You know your own regulator, you know how it breathes and when it was last serviced.
Instead of a classic jacket, I dive with a backplate and wing, the xDEEP NX Zen in the Deluxe set. The buoyancy sits on the back, which makes me lie more easily horizontally in the water. I set the harness once, after that it fits the same on every trip. The plate is made of aluminum. One dealer states the set at 3.2 kg, with a stainless steel plate at 5.3 kg. On flights, every kilo in the luggage counts. The wing has 19 kg of buoyancy according to the dealer. The Deluxe set also includes padded shoulder straps and quick-release buckles, so you can get in and out more easily.
Staying warm
My wetsuit is the Waterproof W50, a long suit with 5 mm. It has a zipper on the back, zippers on the legs, and knee pads. Waterproof recommends it for moderate water. I also wear it in the tropics, at more than 25 degrees.
If the water is colder than 25 degrees, I put the Waterproof O1 drysuit over the wetsuit. The suit has 5 mm, the attached hood 7 mm. The zipper ends on the chest, so that the hood seals tightly against the face, and non-slip surfaces on the shoulders and hips keep the jacket and weight belt in place.
On my feet I wear the Waterproof B2 booties with 6.5 mm. They are semi-dry constructed, so little water flows through, and have a long zipper. The sole grips the boat deck and rocks, and my open-heel fins need the booties anyway.
Fins, light, and bag
My fins are the Apeks RK4 in size L, in black. The blade is short and wide and designed for frog kick and backward swimming. Instead of rubber bands, the RK4 has stainless steel spring bands that you do not have to tighten. I chose them for the frog kick. With the short blade I stir up little over sand and in wrecks, and I can also quickly get my feet into the spring bands even with thick booties.
My light is the Wurkkos DL10R. The manufacturer states up to 4500 lumens, it is charged via USB-C. In caves, at wrecks, and at night, it brings back the colors that disappear first underwater. On the flight, it belongs in the carry-on with its battery.
On the leg of the W50 sits a holder, which Waterproof calls WPAD. On it I carry the Advanced Expandable Pocket from Waterproof, a bag with zippers on top and bottom, a stainless steel D-ring, and a fold that makes it larger. There is room for small parts that should be within reach underwater.
What else comes along
Weights and tanks provide the basis, they stay at home. What else belongs in the bag, from the diving license to the charging cable, is in the checklist for the diving vacation. Where you can go with the equipment is shown by the Atlas.