Another misleading title, brought to you by Cubicle Throwdown!
I’m not a real diver. Well, not yet. I mean, I really do dive, but I’m nowhere near being an awesome pro diver… although talk to me at Christmas and you will (hopefully) get a different answer.
However – I made my first expensive gear purchase today (and it was cheap by scuba gear standards, trust me… this sport is not for the faint of heart OR wallet). So I’m prancing around and pretending I’m a rockstar scuba diver because I have this brand spanking new bling on its way to me:
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This is the Aeris Manta dive computer. And yes, I did get this rad blue one. And yes, I am regretting it a tiny bit that I didn’t get the pink one, but I think I will be happy about my decision in the end as I am already imagining the guys at the dive shops making fun of my black and pink wetsuit. I am planning to wear it as a watch too so having something low-profile was important to me. I also decided to go with blue not just because it matches the ocean and is awesome, but because I wanted something different and identifiable in case it gets lost (and by that I mean stolen).
This dive computer/watch cost just over $400 CAD and I managed to swing free shipping. I won’t get too excited yet as it has to come over the border so who knows if I’ll have to pay any customs fees on it. However, I did get confirmation from a company rep that the Manta is made in the USA and says so on the box and watch itself, so I think that means I can bring it into Canada duty-free. We shall see!
I have been frequenting the Scubaboard forums and have decided on a reg/octo setup. I am not going to go with the Mares set-up I originally had my eye on, for a variety of reasons (email me if you’re looking to get that set-up!). I am going to keep the SPG/nav console I had my eye on, but my regulator is going to be this beautiful mini-beast:
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This is the Scubapro MK11/C300 and it’s about the best I can get in my price range. Scubapro is an excellent brand and I know for a fact that I can get it serviced on Roatan, which is something I needed for my gear. Maybe one day I will be that super cool diver who can service her own gear, but kids, today is not that day. I am going to be ordering this tomorrow and I can’t wait to fawn all over it when it arrives. I am hoping it will be as small and light as my original Mares choice. I am going to have to get a new mouthpiece as even the special orthopedic blah blah blah ones they have give me jaw fatigue (poor me and my tiny mouth).
As I was typing this I just heard back from my landlord about leaving two months before my lease is up, and things are not looking good. Apparently even if I find someone to sublet the place for the two months, I still have to pay for them to paint the suite between me moving out and the subletter moving in, and also for something called “blinds and drapes upkeep”….? If I just break my lease, I lose my $535 damage deposit. If I sublet, I still have to pay for the painting and blinds/drapes upkeep, and I won’t get the damage deposit back until after the subletter leaves (if they leave it in good condition). I was counting on that $535… but given the hassle this is turning into, I am thinking it might be easier to just break my lease and eat the cost. That sucks. I am not very happy about this and I’m going to have to start scheming to see how I can get around it…luckily for me, my forte is scheming!
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) says
Well, I know nothing about scuba diving besides the obvious, so I cannot comment on the awesomeness of your gear EXCEPT to say that I think you could have rocked that pink watch! True, this is coming from someone who rides a pink scooter, so I am biased, but still! 😉
Also, I feel you on the moving pains. Tony and I are moving back up to Canada sometime next week and it has been such an ordeal. Our landlord is trying to get people to move in the day right after we move, without taking into consideration that we have been living here for FOUR years and so she should probably have scheduled in some time to paint and have the place professionally cleaned. I mean, we will do our best to leave our apartment in good shape, but we're not professionals! Also, I've never heard of a "blinds & drapes upkeep" fee… sounds like a scam to me! That should absolutely be covered under routine wear&tear.
CubicleThrowdown says
You have a pink scooter Steph!? Jealous!! I always wanted one. Maybe when I get to Roatan 🙂
Moving is such a hassle, isn't it? I can't imagine a cross-border one… I'm just putting all my stuff in a storage pod and sending it to a warehouse. But it's still stressful, and I'm worried about not getting my damage deposit back. I think the blinds & drapes thing is a scam but all the same, if they'll give me my $540 back and let me out of my lease early, I can deal with paying $40 for that.