I am a few open water dives away from becoming NAUI certified and I am having so much fun, My wife and I know we want to continue diving.
Question for more seasoned divers:
Where should I spend my first thousand dollars?
Where will I see the most noticeable improvements in comfort and enjoyment that will go beyond rental gear?
I bet dive shops salivate when a new diver walks in and says "where should I spend my first thousand dollars"
I wouldn't think in terms of how much money to spend, I would really think in terms of "what do I need now to enjoy diving" and "do I know enough to make an informed purchase". Posting here is a good way to start learning. Just keep in mind that everyone's opinion is just that...an opinion, and that dive shops (and those posting here on their behalf) are in it to sell gear, mostly to new divers such as yourself.
I haven't read this whole thread, and there are many, many like it if you search. You could do a lot of reading if you wanted to. But in general, I would advise any new diver to start with an exposure suit that's best for the diving you will be doing; maybe a 3mil wetsuit for tropical vacations, maybe a 7 mil or even drysuit for cold water diving if that's what you will be doing. There is no question that a good fitting exposure suit matched to the water temps you're in will do more for your comfort and enjoyment of diving than any other piece of gear. So get that first.
The dive computer is a decent idea, depending on where you're diving. It's most useful for multi level diving and repetitive dives, so at someplace like a caribbean live-above or resort it's almost mandatory to have a computer. But it definitely does not need to be anything fancy; just get a simple wrist computer for a reasonable price. They all more-or-less do the same thing. There's no need for air integration or a lot of extraneous data. The algorithms differ from brand to brand, but as a new diver there is essentially zero reason to choose one over another; they're all proven safe. If they weren't, there would be lawsuits galore.
I know quite a bit about how regulators work, and I can tell you that the various brands and models also more-or-less do the same thing, which is lower tank pressure to ambient pressure so it's easy to breathe. There's a LOT of hype in regulator sales. You don't spend too much or get hng up on any particular brand. There are some high performance regs that do breathe very smoothly, but even the entry level models from the major manufacturers do a perfectly fine job. The important thing is to get something that you can get serviced conveniently.
The BC is probably best left for when you have a little more experience. There are different types and they do feel significantly different in the water. You can best evaluate which type works for when you have some buoyancy control and awareness of your trim, and you can only evaluate them in the water. How a BC feels in street clothes in the dive shop is totally meaningless. Unfortunately, most dive shops only carry jacket BCs and some back inflate models that have a lot of padding and excess straps, buckles, etc. To me the best is a very simple backplate with a small wing and one piece webbing harness. But there are many opinions that are different.
Someone early in the thread suggested spending your money on diving, and honestly I could not agree more. A few dive trips to a beautiful location with clear, warm water and lots of marine life is a GREAT way to get started diving. Most resorts have good quality rental gear, except you really should get your own wetsuit so that it fits perfectly.