Opinions on equipment upgrades

[Chris H]

Even if you end up going the rebreather route, you'll need good regs for bailout tanks.  Don't buy crappy regs for anything.  Deco regs should be every bit as good as your primary and backup.  Oftentimes you'll be on deco much longer than you were on the bottom.

All of my friends who dive them can get after me for what I'm about to write next, but unless you are planning to sell it at some point, there are other drysuits available for much less $$ than DUI that are as good or better quality.    I dive a Bare TriLam HD, and it is built like a tank, and weighs as much as one too.  Bare offers a good range of stock sizes including Tall and short plus they now offer a Lifetime guarantee where "BARE will honor all claims against seams and workmanship for the life of the drysuit worldwide. Even if you’re not the original owner, you’re covered."  I would not hesitate to buy another Bare suit.  Ask far as I can tell, the only thing DUI suits have going for them is that you can turn them inside out to dry after they leak during a dive, and they have a CRAZY resale value.

The intro to tech class is a fine idea.