Shave head or pull out hair?

[NorthWoodsDiver]

Hi Oxy. EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GIVE YOU THEIR IDEA AND OF COURSE, THEIR IDEA IS THE ONLY VALID ONE. Here is mine and you can take it or leave it.
1. First get your booties.
2. Next your mask and fins, forget the snorkel.
3. Get yourself a good, simple and easy to use dive computer that does air and nitrox and you don't have to touch it because it automatically activates once in the water and has a big easy to read screen.

Now you are good to go. Look at the other equipment divers use, ask questions, try to rent different brands at different centers. Ask people why they made the decisions they did and if they like their stuff. Everyone loves talking about their gear, so it will help you to break the ice when you go diving and get people talking with you.

4. Get yourself a suit. Something that you are comfortable with and makes sense for where you are diving. Find out why people use different configurations of wetsuit and look closely at semidry suits (often a good choice if you are not diving in tropical waters). Ask about drysuits too, just to get informed.
5. Now get your regs. Break the bank. This is the A1 piece of equipment. I advise you to get cold water regs even if you are not thinking of diving cold water yet, because you will have that versatility in the future and most tend to be really good regs. Are you a UW photographer? Do you want bubbles in your face? All those kinds of questions which you will have been disccusing with other divers will help you to make the choice.
6. Finally you need a BCD. I don't know what you call bells and whistles but you should be COMFORTABLE. The decision on which BCD should be on how many dives you are going to make a day/week/year. Don't get talked into buying a tekkie unless you really are going to be doing tech diving. Nothing looks more stupid than a guy finning around the reefs for fun with one of those bright red things on his back. Think comfort and think practical.

As I said...just another opinion!

This is some great advice, especially about getting cold water regs and dropping the snorkel. Bells and whistles are just that and have no place under water, remeber that if you dont need it dont take it.

If you have any thoughts on tech diving, even remotly wondering in the back of your mind than make sure to buy only gear that can make the transition so you donthave to sell your whole kit in a year to buy all new stuff like me.

if you look at rental regs they are all el-cheapo cause what dive shop wants to replace the $600 reg set when it disappears, breaks, or whatever. regs should be picked up based solely on the diving conditions to which they will be used. for this reason I only buy sealed diaphragm first stages like the scubapro mk17 or dive rite rg3000 (I thinks thats the new name) and I only buy adjustable second stages like the scubapro S600 and dive rite ones cause that way my regs are good for every environment on the planet except maybe the arctic (they would still likely work fine). I can adjust the second stage on the fly if I am more active or something.

Computers are nice although not necessary but after owning 5 I have made the decision that the way to go for me is wrist mount without air integration and a simple pressure gauge. if these interest you look at the nitek duo or suunto Vytec. they both handle air/nitrox and gas switching (minor ones anyway) and function as a bottom timer.

I dove in a wetsuit 100% of the time but that needs to end soon as diving dry is really the only way to be plus it allows you the ability to dive in all temps. drysuits can be had for fairly cheap if you shop around.

Something else to look for are sales, every year LP and scubatoys put on some great holiday deals with free shipping and usually around spring after the new products arive you see some great deals too like dive rite express put on.

 

[Blackwood]

This is some great advice, especially about getting cold water regs and dropping the snorkel. Bells and whistles are just that and have no place under water, remeber that if you dont need it dont take it. .

FWIW, I dive with a whistle.

If I need it on the surface, I'll be glad I took it down (but I haven't tried using it underwater yet )

No bells, though.

 

[Oxy]

***If you have any thoughts on tech diving, even remotly wondering in the back of your mind than make sure to buy only gear that can make the transition***

This may be the reason I don't want EL CHEAPO
I don't want to dive for sport or recreation, I can't afford either.

I'm thinking of a sign on the corner "will dive for food" or that thingy you dropped or movie extra or more teeth like the one that washed up. Who cares, as long as I can see what I cannot see and go where I cannot go.

gonna look into the techy thing.

Ok made a quick peek into tech diving, I like it but it can stay on the shelf for a while.

 

[Oxy]

FWIW, I dive with a whistle.

If I need it on the surface, I'll be glad I took it down (but I haven't tried using it underwater yet )

No bells, though.

whistle underwater. . now i've heard everything. I saw one yesterday in the store. . try it let me know how it works.
myself, i don't wanna use air. a rattle or tank knocker sounds good to me.

 

[leapfrog]

whistle underwater. . now i've heard everything. I saw one yesterday in the store. . try it let me know how it works.
.

They work!

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

the whistle is for use on the surface should you get seperated from the party/boat. If you cant afford to dive your cant afford to tech dive, a normal tech diver is gonna own over $10K worth of gear and likely over $20K and some over $40K. But thats the price of a car nowadays so pick your poison.

You dont need tank bangers or rattles or integrated weights or adjustable shoulder straps or quick release buckles or padding or any of the "bells and whistles" I was talking about in that quote.

You dont have any dives in yet or even a certification so start their then come ask about gear.

 

[Oxy]

the bells & whistles I was referring to, turns out to be the techy stuff.
If I don't ask about gear, Then I have no clue!
I'm not jumping in THEN asking, is this right?

 

[Blackwood]

the bells & whistles I was referring to, turns out to be the techy stuff.
If I don't ask about gear I have no clue!

One man's bell is another man's essential piece of life support equipment.

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/95020

 

[oreocookie]

If I don't ask about gear, Then I have no clue!
I'm not jumping in THEN asking, is this right?

You can ask all you want about gear now, but keep in mind that if you haven't done any diving yet, you won't know exactly what your preferences are for type of BC, features you will/won't want in a computer, or even what type of diving you might be doing in the future.

People are going to give you different opinions of brands, features, types of gear based on what they like and the type of diving they do. They may advise you to avoid certain brands for reasons that may prove irrelevant to you, for example a tech diver may not recomend a given brand because they don't make BP/W setups, they may make great regs, but that person chooses not to buy from them anyway.

Buy what you need to take the course (fins, mask, snorkel and booties) and rent gear for a while so you can find out what you like, what you don't like, and what you need or don't need for the diving you're going to be doing. You'll waste less money that way.

 

[Buoyant1]

Exactly....bottom line...take the course, if your shop has different types of gear try everything you can, remember what you like and what you don't like..you DON'T need to buy everything to dive! You NEED a mask snorkel fins and booties to learn. Buy quality (except for the snorkel, buy a tube) Take your course, and THEN start worrying about gear...how do you even know that this is for you?

I bought my mask, fins and snorkel for SNORKELING....THEN I decided to take a diving course...liked it and stating picking up a piece here and there. (read my first post in this thread)

After I was SURE that this was a long standing activity for me I started picking up more and more.

There's no shame in renting! That's how I figured out what I liked and didn't like.