Christmas is here...

[parrottheaddiver]

and in making out the requisite Christmas list, dive gear is ranked near the top. Just wondering what I should put the money towards first (ie: BC, reg, wetsuit, etc)

Wifey and I are primarily going to be warm water divers (Fl & Tropics). She fails to see the excitement in diving in colder waters. We're set to finish up our last pool class this weekend, then we'll work on getting our check-out dives done after the first of the year, again probably someplace in Florida. Just wanted some assistance in prioritizing my purchases.

 

[simbrooks]

1. Mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit - all to ensure a good fit
2. BC & Reg - to ensure you have functioning equipment, rental stuff often isnt in great condition
3. Computer, tanks (of course if you are always travelling you might not need these ) - just icing on the cake.

As for which makes/models you should get, it depends on how much you want to spend and how much you value the safety equipment.

 

[scubatoys]

Go for the BC first. It's fit is important, and from a safety standpoint it's more important.... plus it's cheaper! I wrote a whole page on this topic - Which should I buy first, a BC or a Regulator?

 

[rubbachicken]

i'd have to go along with simbrooks

1. Mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit - all to ensure a good fit
2. BC & Reg - to ensure you have functioning equipment, rental stuff often isnt in great condition
3. Computer, tanks (of course if you are always travelling you might not need these ) - just icing on the cake.

As for which makes/models you should get, it depends on how much you want to spend and how much you value the safety equipment.

 

[scubagirl15]

I agree...somewhat. Mask, fins, snorkel absolutely, but for everything else, I feel that you should buy equipment that you would have the most difficulty with using rental stock.

Let me clarify. A friend of my brother's is a very petite girl...child-size really even though she's a full-grown adult. For someone like her, she very logically purchased mask, fins, snorkel first, then her BCD since there's no way on earth any rental BCD would fit her unless it was a child's BCD which is difficult to find in rental stock where she dives. So for her, a BCD was the most important consideration.

For someone else of average size and can fit into rental BCD's, it might make more sense to buy a reg first. Wet-breathing regs are nasty, IMHO.

If you're still working on your buoyancy or rate of ascent, a computer might be the most important thing to buy since it's such a great tool to provide feedback on your rate of ascent and if you output the data from the computer, it tells you where your body's been in the water column throughout your dive.

If you have difficulty fitting into rental wetsuits, a wetsuit might be the most important thing.

'Course, if you have difficulty fitting into anything rental, you're screwed.

 

[rubbachicken]

another good reason for renting rather vuying expensive equiptment straight off the bat, is that you can try different suits, BCD's and regs to see what is comfortable to use, and what you like to dive in, before i bought my equiptment i spent a while renting different gear in different places once i had found stuff i felt comfortable in, i knew which to buy, buying a wetsuit without getting it wet first, for my would have not been a good idea, as the first one that i found that i tought i would get would have been uncomfortable, it's all very well trying it on in the store but perhaps half way through the first dive in it you might change your mind, it's a bit late then, i wish that there was somewhere that i could rent a BCD wing to see what it would be like, for me to dive in, they are not for everyone, but once you have shelled out $$$'s or in my case £££'s for something, finding it's not for you is not a good feeling, i went through several masks before i found a mask that i can wear all day without any discomfort, even something like a uncomfortably fitting mask can ruin your dive, putting one on it a store you might not feel it there, but perhaps a 30m dive for 15 mins and could well be very painful if the mask nips your nose, or puts pressure on your forehead,
IMHO a lot of trying and testng of equiptment should be done before parting with your hard earned cash
i'm not saying use rental gear for ever, but try it before you buy
happy diving

 

[Fly N Dive]

Also your LDS probably doesn’t carry all of the brands, so make sure you know what else is out there before you buy!

 

[simbrooks]

Also your LDS probably doesn’t carry all of the brands, so make sure you know what else is out there before you buy!

Research, research, research - thats one of the joys of the internet and this board, plenty already covered on what is good/bad/ugly out there, not just a salesman's best pitch

 

[dlndavid]

Check this out. This guy is selling two full sets of scuba gear, maybe you might get lucky with size. Just a thought.
http://scubaboard.com/t80404-.html

 

[parrottheaddiver]

thanks for the info everyone...we've already got some of the basics (mask, fins, snorkel...) and i've been doing research reviewing the testing that Roadels did on BCs and regs, to help narrow down my options. as a big guy 6'3" @ 289lbs i've been lucky that the BC's i've been using for class have fit well and have checked them out online. figured that since i can't get out and dive right away (much too cold here now in NJ) trying a different reg each week will give me the best opportunity to try them out. (fav so far is the aqualung titan...seemed like an easy breather and no wet breath!), but again, thats only in a 13ft pool...