u/kaktusmonster

Hey! I'm starting my divemaster course soon and I'm looking into buying my equipment.
I'm especially looking for recommendations for my regulator setup.

I'm gonna be diving in warm water mostly, and will most likely want to do the instructor after the divemaster. I'll also be travelling a lot, so I can't really look into the servicing aspect right now, as I'm not sure where I'll be staying.
I currently can only afford to spend up to 500€ on the complete setup with regulator, octopus, finimeter and inflator hose.

Are there any brands you can recommend?
Are there any that you would discourage me from getting?

One shop is selling the following (all complete setups)
Mares Dual 2S - 385€
Mares Dual 15X - 428€
Cressi XS Compact AC 2 - 389€

Without finimeter and inflator hose:
Scubapro MK2 EVO R105 - 417€
Scubapro MK11 EVO DIN S207 with R105 Octopus - 493€

Is any of these considered "bad" or "unreliable"? Also, is it easy to attach finimeter and inflator hose myself?

Thank you very much in advance!🫶🏻

Hey! Has anyone flown with lufthansa, carrying freediving fins before? I just bought my first pair (80cm long) and want to take them onto my upcoming trip to thailand. I'm pretty sure they don't really fit into my checked bag, so i was wondering whether its possible to take them as carry on. Did anyone ever try this before, and were there any problems in doing so? I know, that they don't fit the standard carry on measurements, but some airlines allow them as carry on anyways. Thank you for your help!