buy equipment?

[mattroz]

i'm about to go for my open water (as you can see by my lovely counter) and i've been thinking... i've been told not to bother buying equipment until i know i'm going to dive. but if decent equipment package is about 2200$ CAD and rental costs are about 50-60$ per day diving i would only need to dive 8-9 times per year to cover the costs of rentals over 5 years. i didn't get into this sport/passtime/passion/obsession to dive less than 10 days per year, and i'm only 18 so i figure buying equipment would be a good investment.

what does everyone think? and if anyone in montreal can tell me where they got their gear? thanks so much for helping out i newb.

 

[kazinvan]

Buying gear is a good idea, but I would do a few dives and ask a lot of questions to see what type of gear you want to get. There is an endless array of gear configurations.

 

[mattroz]

Buying gear is a good idea, but I would do a few dives and ask a lot of questions to see what type of gear you want to get. There is an endless array of gear configurations.

thanks for the reply, i understand that their are many different configurations and different styles of diving that i've never tried and probably won't for a couple of years. but my main question was on the financial side. i guess the real question is, is it really that hard to fit in 10 dives a year even in a diveless city such a montreal?

 

[Damselfish]

Buying gear is definitely a good idea, but at the very least wait until after you're certified for stuff beyond the usual mask/fins/snorkel type stuff. You will have more idea what you want to get. And sometimes people do decide it's not for them or have a problem. Most classes include gear rentals with the class fee or give you a very good deal anyway.

No matter how much you research gear you will still probably change your mind and want something different after awhile, but best to minimize that by getting in a few dives first.

 

[mattroz]

Buying gear is definitely a good idea, but at the very least wait until after you're certified for stuff beyond the usual mask/fins/snorkel type stuff. You will have more idea what you want to get. And sometimes people do decide it's not for them or have a problem. Most classes include gear rentals with the class fee or give you a very good deal anyway.

No matter how much you research gear you will still probably change your mind and want something different after awhile, but best to minimize that by getting in a few dives first.

seems like good advice. i plan on renting for a while but i'm planning a trip to the caymans in january and i hope to have decent experience and hopefully equipment so i don't have to rent resort equipment... i did a resort course/dives this past january at iberostar cancun and fell in love. from my very very very very limited experience the equipment i talked with my LDS about seemed much better than the cheap stuff i used at the resort.

 

[abitton]

If you're in Montreal, you'll definitely need a car. But there are some great dive sites just a couple of hours away. Check out this website for a bunch of sites in Eastern Ontario and Quebec.

Happy bubbling!!


http://neptune.iro.umontreal.ca/ca/ca-en.html

 

[divenut2001]

Renting is a good way to try out different configurations before you buy. Once you plop down the money you're stuck with it, like it or not.

 

[SCOOBA PHAN]

i think the best way is to get a good lds and buy all you can afford right and then trade or upgrade as you go. that is what i did, bought everything after 5 dives and never looked back. i have upgraded some and still use bc and reg with computer. go for it and you will dive more.

 

[redrover]

Check out the gear forums, many threads and opposing opinions here.
Personally, meaning just my choice; I live 5 minutes from the ocean and I originally planned to purchase gear over time after gaining experience. But, after 2 pool dives in class I was reasonably certain I could do this and very certain I wanted to. I used two different sets of gear, noticed differences between them, and was considerably distracted by it, being female may have added to the quotient as I’m not a generic fit for things like size etc or had less choices from the available rental gear.
With great trepidation I plunked down a lot of $’s for new, reasonably high quality gear, rationalizing I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. I also had a pretty good idea what type of diving I was primarily interested in and where (after getting all that gear, I’m not going to be vacationing anywhere else for a while.) I was immensely pleased with my selections from the first wet moment and have remained so.
Having purchased all my own gear has considerably increased the amount of dives, and am quite surprised at how comfortable I am in this new environment. My own gear made diving instantly shift from restless and anxious to happy as a clam.

 

[spectrum]

A few thoughts from someone in the same position....

Devour Scubaboard, especially the gear forums. The search function can hep you zero in on a model, brand or feature.

There are almost never simple answers in gear selection. There are preferences and choices made depending on peoples diving style, experince and peoples way of looking at things. Examples: Purge masks, Air-2 octo/inflators, Back inflate floating you face down. Study, try gear, decide.

Renting may not let your try the models you want to buy, if you're lucky the dealer will at least have a pool you can take it into.

Your rent/buy equation should include cost of annual service such as your air delivery/inflator and tank VIPs. This should not influence your decision.

Depending on who, when and where you will be diving you will probably want to own your cylinders (aluminum or steel).

Some decisions will be cut and dried for you and some you may need to try gear before you can be comfortable plunking down your money.

A wise engineer once told me that if you do not have at least 2 ways of solving a problem how do you know you chose the right one?

Are you starting out with evening dives?

Have fun!
Pete