Buying Scuba Gear

[diverbrian]

MISFIT DIVER once bubbled...
It would be my opion to say that a computer is not the first thing to buy. Computers make it easy. i would suggest that you have 50 or so dives in on the tables before you worry about a computer. learn the tables. If you are not good with the tables and the computer fails, then what. The tables will not go bad on ya
I bought all my first stuff in a package. I really could not tell ya what would be the first thing i would buy, proably thermal protection. I like to know what i have against me and not who else has been in it. Maybe the BC. Guess it just depends on what you want first. Like ugly says, try to get what you trained with until you get some more experiance and become comfortable with you abilities. Good luck

The only comment that I have (I agree with most of what you have to say.) isn't on you alone. If a computer goes while you are on a weekend trip and that is what you are diving, I don't care if you have tables with you or not. You are done.

In order to off-gas the excess nitrogen from your diving enough to switch to tables, you have to take a twenty-four hour break to be safe. (This is if you stay within NDL's). On a week trip, early in the week, the tables may salvage your dive trip. But I am told by my manual if I am DM'ing, if someone's computer goes, they aren't going back in the water until 24 hrs. are up. The exception would be someone like me who (when diving by computer) dives two computers and always uses the readings of the most conservative one. (They are both Suunto's so conservatism depends on where they are located on my body more than anything.) If one goes, I have another to salvage my dive and my trip.

You dive one OR the other. Trying to dive one after the other with a limited surface interval is asking for trouble. By all means, learn and use the tables. Just don't assume that they will save a dive when you have been multi-level diving with a computer.

 

[dreamin']

For cert I bought mask, boots, fins, gloves and snorkle. I then dove for a year on rentals. Looking to see what I liked and worked for me. It gave me a chance to speak with many different folks with different rigs and ask questions. The first thing I bought was a BC and regulator set up. Next up was a wet suit. I dive a quarry and the temp sunday was 41 degrees at 80 feet. I was fine. I just bought a computer, wrist mount. My next purchase is tanks then oxy analyzer and then dry suit. I figure the whole shebang will take me another two years or so to complete. I'm in my peak spending years - two girls in college.

My wife, kids and family simply give me gift certificates to the local LDS or an online store for birthdays and what not. I use those for smaller purchases like clips, save a dive stuff or in the last case , fathers day, put a couple together for software for my new computer.

Near as I can tell it's endless. By the time I fully kit up I'll be replacing the first stuff I bought!

Have fun!