Blog - 2026 Gear – Barracuda Dundee Diving

Personal Favorites

Full Disclaimer - I am NOT an equipment expert. No dive instructor can be an expert in every field, and I have chosen to focus on theory and skills moreso than equipment and travel. Still, I've put together a small list of pieces that I personally really enjoy diving with.

Those who have gone diving with me a lot in the past know that I fluctuate between minimalist and moderate technical gear setups. For recreational, relaxed diving, I prefer not to be weighed down by an excess of equipment. For technical diving, however, there is a level of necessary redundancy that simply isn't up for debate.

It's worth noting that I do not make a dime whenever I refer my students to vendors for equipment purchases. Instead, I typically ask that my commission be made into a student discount. This ensures my clients that any equipment recommendations are being made without any financial motivations in mind. More often than not, I just want to see my people wearing trustworthy gear.

Please note that I am not covering regulators in this article because I don't have a strong opinion regarding their selection.

Masks and Fins

Starting out with headwear, I almost exclusively wear the Oceanic Predator mask or the OTS Spectrum full face mask. These both fit my head exceptionally well and are available at reasonable prices. The predator mask is low-profile and shaded for better underwater contrast, plus it comes at an exceptional price considering the quality.

I tell all of my students that a mask should be their first purchase, but its worth noting that I do not allow shaded masks like the predator to be worn during training. If a student only owns a shaded mask, I'll glady provide one to borrow so as to avoid this being a dealbreaker. Also, the full face spectrum mask should never be purchased unless an FFM certification is held or a course is already scheduled.

I will be purchasing a separate OTS FFM in late 2026 or early 2027 to accommodate my rebreather, which cannot be safely connected to the spectrum. Combining full face masks with a closed breathing loop needs to be done carefully, specifically with a sealed boundary between the mask and breathing portions.

Moving on to fins, I very very strongly prefer to dive with Scubapro Jetfins. These heavy, firm fins can take a real beating while proving capable of displacing huge amounts of water, meaning a hard kicker like me can go as fast as the heart desires. That is, after all, part of where the nickname Cuda came from.

For anyone looking to dive with a "lighter" fin, I recommend either the Apeks RK4 or Mares Quattros.

Personal Dive Computers

Listen, if you're going to be a real diver, it's eventually going to require making some big purchases. Personally, I'd recommend buying a mask and fins first before looking at dive computers. Personally, I have found that the Garmin watches meet my every need and then some, so I have no difficulty with recommending them.

The Descent Mk2i (which I use) is my daily wear watch, and leaves my wrist roughly once a week to recharge. It also measures estimated caloric output, sleep patterns, steps, and more while simultaneously connecting to my phone notifications so I can see when I get texts/calls. The G2 is another great option and comes at a much lower cost, though it does not offer air integration. This means you have to rely on your pressure gauges instead of a wrist display to track gas consumption. This is a fair-priced alternative for those on a budget, and is my wife's daily wear watch.

Shearwater is a major competitor of Garmin's and has a much stronger track-record within the technical diving community. For anyone looking to truly push their limits in the tech diving world, those might be more appropriate purchases.

Buoyancy Control Devices

Back to more typical dive equipment, it's time to talk about buoyancy control devices, or BCDs. I won't lie to you - these have always felt like the right place to "cheap out" when buying personal gear. Apart from strapping everything together and acting as a lifejacket at the surface, most skilled divers at the recreational level really shouldn't be using their BCD all that much.

Available in both jacket and component systems, the BCD is essentially a redundant extra set of lungs underwater. If you're carrying too much weight and cannot safely compensate with your lungs, it becomes time to add some air to your BCD.

For jacket BCDs (ideal when entering the sport or teaching low-level recreational diving,) I recommend the Aqualung Axiom purely because it's treated me well for years and I have no real complaints. Granted, I did accidentally break it a little bit, but it really was my fault for man-handling the crap out of it.

For component systems, which you might hear referred to as backplate and wing (BPW) setups, I recommend the Hollis Katana 2 sidemount BCD. This rig will suit you for essentially any form of open-circuit diving and is very commonly worn in Northern Florida's Cave Country by some of the best divers I know. Mind you, additional training is absolutely required before diving with a sidemount configuration.

Exposure Protection

Those who know me well also know that I am not a fan of exposure protection in any but the most worthy circumstances. Being the "filthy yankee" that I am, the cold is a friend most of the time. That being said, wetsuits, drysuits, gloves and boots all have their place.

For wetsuits, I recommend the Aqualung Aquaflex. It's a good suit, looks fairly decent in pictures, and isn't easily confused with other people's gear. 5mm is a good size for most people, especially if wearing it primarily for safety rather than comfort. I can't think of a temperature at which it would be unsafe to dive without a wetsuit, but that a 3mm would be adequate.

For drysuits, I recommend the Otter Atlantic Kevlar suit. It's reasonably priced, built for truly cold environments, and resistant to damage. With how much drysuits cost in general, I think its worth going the extra mile to avoid any critical damage to the material.

Moving on to boots, I recommend the Altima Mariners to absolutely anyone wearing an open-heel fin. These bad boys are nearly indestructible and provide a very firm connection to the fins. Personally, I wear the ankle-height ones, but that's because I don't mind involving my calves in the kicking motion. Many close friends have opted for the higher-top versions instead.

Finally, my glove recommendation actually does not involve diving gloves at all. I was given a pair of Magid T-REX Low-Profile Impact Gloves at the completion of a swiftwater rescue training, and have found in the time since that they are absolutely excellent underwater.

Final Words

As I mentioned before, I'm not an equipment expert by any means. This article is meant to share what works for me specifically, as well as a few worthwile notes. One of the most important takeaways here should be that there are dozens of incredible options for each piece of equipment (except maybe for computers) and nobody should be claiming that they have the best gear setup possible. Instead, you might want to ask your fellow divers and instructors why they enjoy their particular setups.

Again, I'll never make a dime off of any equipment purchases made by my students - it's a personal decision I've made to ensure that all recommendations are made with the purest of intentions. With most of the vendors I recommend, a discount is available to my students in lieu of any sort of commissions for myself.

If you're looking for help with selecting your next piece of equipment, or perhaps hoping to be trained to use something new like sidemount, full face masks, or drysuits, please do not hesitate to reach out at any time.