Beginner needs gear... suggestions?

[Kryssa]

Hello All,

I come to you after reading the thread about how dive shops sell you stuff that you only have to upgrade a year later

I am about to start my OW certification in 2 weeks. I need a mask, snorkel, and fins. I don't want to spend too much, but am looking for a good value. If another $10 or $20 is going to get me a much better product, I don't mind spending the money.

So what would you recommend to a college student with a tight budget who is excited to get certified? I dove once last year in Cancun during a resort course but all of the gear was included. In the future, I will mostly be diving in warm water. My check out dives are going to be in Key Largo, so that will be the first use out of a pool that this equipment will see.

Thank you so much!

 

[tstormdiver]

The most important thing for your equipment is fit, fit, fit. Your equipment must fit properly & be comfortable. A mask that constantly leaks or fins that chafe will ruin a dive very quickly. You should be able to find decent gear at a reasonable price, but try on several types of fins, masks, boots & see what you like the best. Remember, equipment isn't always "one size or style fits all". Some dive shops (not all) will even let you try it out in the water & return it if it doesn't suit you. Here is a bit of a guide of what to look for in your equipment.

Masks: should seal well to your face. Hold the mask to your face, lightly inhale & it should stay in place without a strap as long as the light suction is held. If it falls off, you likely have a leak somewhere. If air can get in, so can water. Some people like large volume masks because they feel less confined, but it takes more of a breath to clear. Low volume masks take less air to clear, but can be too close for some people's comfort. Some like multi- paned windows for a better view, some do not like the distortion (like looking through the corner of an aquarium) that they have. The mask should have plenty of room for facial features & the skirt not lay too close to the corners of the eyes.

Snorkels: Some like a basic snorkel that tends to have a little less drag & a little cheaper, some like a dry snorkel that you don't have to clear, as long as it stays in your mouth, but may be a little bulkier. Some like the fold up snorkels that you can tuck away in your BC pocket when not in use & quickly deployed when needed.

Booties: Booties should fit like a sock, but not bind or pinch the toes or any other part of the foot. Some like the zippered long boot for more protection & warmth, some like the sneaker style for ease of putting on.

Fins: Ah.... fins, well some like the full foot fins for ease of putting on & good for warm waters & smooth surfaces. They don't require boots, but aren't very practical for temperate (cooler) waters or having to traverse over rough or rocky ground (I used a pair for my OW dives in a quarry- it was not fun to walk an additional 40 lbs of gear over rocky ground barefoot). Booties & adjustable fins are much more practical in these circumstances. As for the type of fins, you want a fin substantial enough to be able to propel yourself & your equipment through the water. Snorkeling fins are often not strong or sturdy enough to do this very effectively. Split fins tend to be easier on the legs than stiff board fins, but then tend to have a little less power & a bit pricier than the board fins. Board style fins, while they tend to give more power, but does tend to give your legs a bit more of a workout (which may not be all bad ). Just don't get a fin that is too stiff for the strength of your legs, as this can cause cramping. When trying fins on, make sure they are snug, yet do not bind or pinch in any way. You should be able to flip the fin up & down & wiggle side to side without any shifting of the foot in the fin's foot pocket.

I really don't want to get into the "brand wars". Try several styles of stuff on & see what feels the best for you, if you can. Hope this helps you out some. Good luck in your course.

 

[Colliam7]

I am about to start my OW certification in 2 weeks. I need a mask, snorkel, and fins. ... So what would you recommend to a college student with a tight budget who is excited to get certified?

The most important thing for your equipment is fit, fit, fit. Your equipment must fit properly & be comfortable.

YES! And, this may at times be overlooked, both by the seller and buyer, in the process of gear acqusition. Tammy has provided an excellent summary of many of the elements of choice in masks, snorkels, boots and fins. And, she has appropriately pointed out that there is NOT one and only one right choice. Find the lowest volume, least expensive mask that fits you comfortably and you will not regret the choice. I personally use the least costly mask we carry in our shop - SeaDive Caribbean, a low volume, double pane mask - because it fits my face, is easy to clear, and provides excellent field of vision. I discovered it by accident, in buying one for my then OW student daughter. The snorkel is a piece of gear for which you will have limited use, so don't invest in more expensive dry snorkels, but make certain that it will fit comfortably in your mouth. While an inexpensive, rigid 'J' snorkel works for many, I find a Sidedraft Flex to work better for me, and many students, because it has a flexible hose portion immediately above the reservoir / mouthpiece and will therefore stay in my mouth more comfortably when in use. As for fins and boots, I recommend open heel fins and boots, for practiciality, as Tammy described. I like having the boots available for walking around in - on a boat, on shore, on a beach when making a shore entry. There are many brands and models of gear available, and what you select is often influenced by where you buy (and what they carry). My first pair of fins, bought as a new OW diver years ago, is still my favorite - Mares Avanti Quattro. Not necessarily the least expensive, but very functional.

 

[jbtut]

On a thin budget I'd buy this and these

Of course it's a crap shoot as to whether it will all fit correctly. Almost every adult mask fits me well. My wife has a much harder time with them. She uses a youth mask that fits her face better. Trying them on will help, but they do tend to be a bit more expensive at the local dive shop. It's all a trade off. Online isn't always cheaper either.
good luck.

 

[TSandM]

Spend what you have to on a mask to get one that fits. Tammy has described one way of checking mask fit; I prefer to put the mask on my face and gently push on it and then release, and see if it will stay in place. If you inhale strongly enough, you can make many masks seal, but without that much suction, they will leak.

I second the recommendation for an inexpensive snorkel. You will use it very little, and some of us discard them altogether, so unless you plan on doing a lot of snorkeling, just buy a simple one and save a lot of money.

Fins are a bit of an issue. First off, people prefer different ones. Secondly, the price difference between the bottom of the line and top of the line is HUGE -- in the neighborhood of $200. And third, really cheap fins are awful. They can be hard to put on, and so soft it's hard to kick effectively with them at all. Shops, in my experience, often try to upsell OW students to the really expensive fins, with the excuse that "you won't get cramps in these". That may be true, but you may not get cramps in the cheaper ones, either.

I have been recommending the Deep See Pulse fins, because I've found them to be inexpensive, stiff enough to be useful but flexible enough to be comfortable, and easy to get on and off. You can also buy spring straps to clip into the receptacles on the fins, and spring straps are something that IS worth spending money on.

Finally, be aware that, if this sport really grabs you, you will probably eventually change many of your initial gear decisions. I still use very little of my initial gear purchase -- in fact, as I think about it, the regulators are the only things I still have.

 

[rstofer]

You have two ways to look at this: First, you don't know if you'll like diving and there is no point in spending very much on the mask, snorkel and fins. After all, you may never use them again. Second, you're pretty sure you'll like diving so you might as well buy what you will want to actually use. These alternatives are worlds apart. You can get a setup for, perhaps, $100 or so but you won't want to dive them later on. If you're thinking around $200 you might be getting close but don't be surprised at $300.

To complicate matters, you can get the stuff cheaper from LeisurePro but you will seriously impact your relationship with the LDS where you plan to take your training. That's where you drop $100 for good will.

If the cost of the mask, snorkel and fins are a problem, you're really going to hate regulator/octo, SPG, compass, computer, wetsuit/drysuit, weights and whatever else you need.

Don't be surprised if you spend more than $2000 to get started. Yes, you can save some by buying packages but packages are usually set up for warm water. By that I mean they are often a jacket BC, integrated weights (search for more on this), single tank band, warm water regulator, and so on. Your profile doesn't say where you intend to dive. And don't be real surprised if the $2000 number is a few hundred short.

Diving isn't cheap. The question: is diving worth spending the better part of $3k to get started?

Richard

 

[jbtut]

On second thought, I'd buy this.


haha.... (I actually do have one of these sets, and it works great for snorkeling. I very much prefer the smaller fins for free diving). I wouldn't think of using them for scuba diving. But they will get you through a OW class. Some might laugh at you, but who cares? They are a tool, not a status symbol. If they perform the function you ask of them, why not? They are cheap. If you really want to just get through OW class and buy stuff later after you try rental gear a set like that would get you that far. I still use the snorkel that came in my US divers set and like it. And yes, I actually use a snorkel, especially on shore dives as a lot of interesting stuff is in the shallows that you'd miss if you back swim.

And Costco also carries a 5" Titanium blade dive knife. A must have if you want to be a true diver is a huge knife. I don't know if they told you that yet. How else could you cut through a fishing line? Small blades are for sissies! I actually carry a 14" machete. I'm pretty advanced though, so you might want to wait a few years before upgrading to anything over 10" blade.

 

[TSandM]

And Costco also carries a 5" Titanium blade dive knife. A must have if you want to be a true diver is a huge knife. I don't know if they told you that yet. How else could you cut through a fishing line? Small blades are for sissies! I actually carry a 14" machete. I'm pretty advanced though, so you might want to wait a few years before upgrading to anything over 10" blade.

A smilie would have been useful, as someone going into their open water class may not recognize the sarcasm here.

And I'm going to take a bit of issue with the first paragraph, too. Yes, it's fine to save money when you don't know if you will like diving at all. But trying to get through an OW class in unsuitable equipment means you may not enjoy it much, and may sway the decision as to whether you want to continue or not. Getting inexpensive but useful equipment is a much better strategy, IMHO.

 

[jbtut]

A smilie would have been useful, as someone going into their open water class may not recognize the sarcasm here.

And I'm going to take a bit of issue with the first paragraph, too. Yes, it's fine to save money when you don't know if you will like diving at all. But trying to get through an OW class in unsuitable equipment means you may not enjoy it much, and may sway the decision as to whether you want to continue or not. Getting inexpensive but useful equipment is a much better strategy, IMHO.

I guess you have a point there. My class had a bunch of free "rental" equipment for us to use, so I never used any of my own gear in the pool and didn't buy any until after I had finished the OW class. I didn't even bring my own mask. They recommended not to bring our own stuff and put it in the chlorine water. For the OW class, as long as the mask fits, the rest really doesn't matter much in the pool, but you're right, it may well be a waste of money to buy a US divers set from Costco. Especially when the LP set I linked to above is only $25 more, and probably a lot better in all respects.

 

[rsldonk]

Spend the money to get the best mask for your needs. If your mask leaks, it sucks, if you can't clear it, it sucks worse. If you can't see well, there is little point in diving. I go underwater in large part to SEE things and I think you can say the same for about anyone here, without a good mask you can't see things as well. One thing to be aware of is the quality of the silicone used in the skirts, some of it is much better than others. Ask questions find out what sort of grade it is, I like medical grade, it holds shape better and lasts longer than industrial grade (and that's one of the big cost differences you will find between what are seemingly identical masks). Buy quality there.

I don't use a snorkel that often, I have one I can roll up and stick in my pocket. My dad uses his all the time, so that's more your choice. If you are going to snorkel a lot, get a good one, if you aren't then don't spend the money on something top of the line.

As for fins, hopefully your LDS is like mine and will let you try things in the pool before you buy it. Try different things. I can't stand split fins, I don't get any kick out of them, I have your old school Scubapro jetfins and love them. My dad swears by his Apollo Biofins. Some advice is make sure they are not so flimsy that when you kick they fold in half and you don't get any momentum from them. I second the spring heels vote. Best thing I ever purchased for my fins.

I prefer boots since they are also good for walking on the shore or boats or whatever. They are also fine for warm water. There are a few different styles, I prefer something that gives some decent arch support and has a more rigid sole simply because when I'm walking around I need something like that or my feet hurt for the rest of the day.

As for other stuff, if you're on a budget (especially if you are a student and there is a light at the end of the tunnel for that) then hold off on buying other things and rent until you have an idea what you like and until you can afford something that is actually worth buying. Also, there is nothing wrong with saving for something that you want for a while. Don't go into debt just so you can dive.