u/hatto13

Hi,
I’m planning to buy an espresso machine and I’m deciding between two options.

From what I can tell, both make excellent espresso and latte - no concerns about cup quality with either.

But they’re very different in philosophy:

• Ascaso feels classic, more manual which has its charm, and timeless - I’m confident it’ll still look and work great in 10 years and which kind of hold its value.
• Fellow is also beautiful, with a modern, highly customizable digital approach - which I also like. That said, the software layer adds uncertainty over the long term, so it feels more consumer oriented to me, it will be replaced by a version 2, 3, 4... with more fancy features in future.

If you had to choose between them, which would you pick, and why?

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to do my PADI certifications and a freediving course in next months. I’m looking to buy basic gear - mask, snorkel, and possibly fins and a wetsuit, that can work for both scuba and freediving, plus some casual snorkeling on vacation.

I only need beginner-friendly equipment, good for traveling for a few beach days each year, I’m not planning to go to 60m in neither, will be completely happy if 20.
But I’d prefer to have my own gear that I know and fits me well, when it makes sense.

Mask: Any recommendations that work reasonably well for both scuba and beginner freediving? I’ve seen a lot of mentions of the Cressi F1 for diving. Is it fine for my level to use it as freediving mask?

(I know fit is everything and the usual advice is to try in a dive shop, but I don’t have one nearby, so I’d appreciate specific models to look at first)

Snorkel: does it matter a lot? or just whatever snorkel I have?

Fins: I know scuba and freediving fins are quite different. But is there a decent “dual-purpose” option which is also traveling friendly or should I just rent at the destination?

Wetsuit: Can a basic 3 mm suit work for both scuba and freediving (assuming suitable water temps), or are they different enough that renting is smarter?

I realize that making compromises means that it won’t excel in either area, but for now it’s just for learning. If something clicks and I decide to pursue professional freediving :D I’ll invest in proper pro‑level equipment. For the moment having 1pcs which covers multiple activities makes more sense for me.

Thanks for any suggestions!