Read the fine print with the LDS make sure you find out what is all included in that promotion; materials, certification fees, transportation, ect. Also ask around about that LDS and the instructors there to determine if you are signing up with a reputable shop and instructors, that deal could go sour if they do not have a good reputation.
As stated you can read all you want online but what is comfortable for you may not be any of the items you read about. For your first set you want to try everything on see if you can test it out in a pool first, I have gone through lots of different gear configurations, I have bought a lot online and when I tried it I did not like the fit/feel of some items.
As for the SCUBAPRO True Fit mask you have listed I have two of them and love them, the only thing is and have had other colleagues say the same it it takes a few dives for the skirt to fit properly , seems odd but has been the case for both of mine and have no issue anymore. The mask skirt is nice and soft especially the nose pocket; I have used the original spectra masks before and the nose pocket was to stiff for me.
The SCUBAPRO Seawing Nova fins great choice, I do love them light weight and almost the same power as the jet fins, just make sure you are getting the new generation and not some old generation that they are trying to push out of stock. but still you need to make sure these feel comfortable for you. Also make sure you test fins out with different booties as some fins have stiffer foot pockets and may not be as comfortable with one boot.
Cressi I am personally not a fan of but do not have much experience with their products so I can not comment on your BCD selection. Again try it on with a tank in the water make sure it fits well the shoulder straps are comfortable, also how it floats when inflated.
I your SCUBA course you instructor will go over equipment, but also keep in mind he will steer you towards what they sell in the shop, the items may not suit you well so go to other shops ask, look, touch.
I do not know anything about the brand of REG you have chosen but this is something you definitely want to be able to try out as it may not be as easy to breath from vs a basic SCUBA PRO MK2 and R095 reg set which are good starter sets for a little more than the one you listed. The other one is Aqua Lung calypso these are considered the work horses for rental gear, they are both quite durable and provide decent breathing ability. You will also want to consider the ease and cost of maintenance, find out what shops near you can service the regs and if you travel a lot the ease to find parts. I have seen some cases where some of the lesser known brands cost more to service than the well known ones or sometimes the shop may not be able to service it as it is hard to get the parts. This may be a piece of equipment you may want to wait on first and try a few different reg sets out.
Dive computer, you can get wrist stop computers quite cheap now this is one item I would highly suggest instead of always renting a computer.
As stated you can read all you want online but what is comfortable for you may not be any of the items you read about. For your first set you want to try everything on see if you can test it out in a pool first, I have gone through lots of different gear configurations, I have bought a lot online and when I tried it I did not like the fit/feel of some items.
As for the SCUBAPRO True Fit mask you have listed I have two of them and love them, the only thing is and have had other colleagues say the same it it takes a few dives for the skirt to fit properly , seems odd but has been the case for both of mine and have no issue anymore. The mask skirt is nice and soft especially the nose pocket; I have used the original spectra masks before and the nose pocket was to stiff for me.
The SCUBAPRO Seawing Nova fins great choice, I do love them light weight and almost the same power as the jet fins, just make sure you are getting the new generation and not some old generation that they are trying to push out of stock. but still you need to make sure these feel comfortable for you. Also make sure you test fins out with different booties as some fins have stiffer foot pockets and may not be as comfortable with one boot.
Cressi I am personally not a fan of but do not have much experience with their products so I can not comment on your BCD selection. Again try it on with a tank in the water make sure it fits well the shoulder straps are comfortable, also how it floats when inflated.
I your SCUBA course you instructor will go over equipment, but also keep in mind he will steer you towards what they sell in the shop, the items may not suit you well so go to other shops ask, look, touch.
I do not know anything about the brand of REG you have chosen but this is something you definitely want to be able to try out as it may not be as easy to breath from vs a basic SCUBA PRO MK2 and R095 reg set which are good starter sets for a little more than the one you listed. The other one is Aqua Lung calypso these are considered the work horses for rental gear, they are both quite durable and provide decent breathing ability. You will also want to consider the ease and cost of maintenance, find out what shops near you can service the regs and if you travel a lot the ease to find parts. I have seen some cases where some of the lesser known brands cost more to service than the well known ones or sometimes the shop may not be able to service it as it is hard to get the parts. This may be a piece of equipment you may want to wait on first and try a few different reg sets out.
Dive computer, you can get wrist stop computers quite cheap now this is one item I would highly suggest instead of always renting a computer.
