click here to see _______!

[superhelix]

I really want to buy my first set of gear before i go on my 6 month diving trip to Southeast Asia - but I have no chance to use before i buy.

Is it rediculous to score gear based on reviews here on scubaboard without having the chance to get it wet?

 

[superhelix]

Dude,

You definitely should experiment before laying down the cash. You could get lucky... but if you have the option play before you pay.

J-Dog

 

[superhelix]

see above

 

[buff]

I bought almost all my stuff off the internet and didn't get it wet before I went on my first dive trip with it. I was very happy with it all. Lots of input from the Scubaboard members, though.

I think people make too big a deal of buying diving stuff. It's generally good stuff if it's a reputable maker.

No matter what you get, they'll make something just a little bit better in the future and then you'll want that. It's human nature.

 

[dgangi]

buff once bubbled...
I bought almost all my stuff off the internet and didn't get it wet before I went on my first dive trip with it. I was very happy with it all. Lots of input from the Scubaboard members, though.

Same here. I purchased my regulator, octopus, bc, wetsuit, and computer without getting them wet. I did lots of research before buying anything, including feedback from people on this board, and all of my purchases have worked out *very* well. In fact, I can't be any happier.

Everything I bought was a very reputable brand. As long as you are careful and diligent about doing your homework, any purchases you make should be just fine -- whether or not you "try" them first.

I guess the only things that might be a problem are those items that "fit" -- fins, bc, boots, and wetsuit. But if you know your size (height, weight, waist, chest, etc), you should have no problem getting fitted over the phone or web. Some things don't come in many sizes, so it's not like there are a lot of choices (i.e. BC usually only comes in S, M. L, XL).

Just make sure the place you buy from has a good return policy in case you are unhappy with any of the products they send you. Most on-line retailers will either refund your money or exchange an item without asking questions. Of course, you gotta pay to ship it back.

Thx...Doug

 

[Diversauras]

IMHO Most, but not all, of the gear out on the market is good, just not all is suited to all diving. If you try to get the cheapest gear then there is potential for you being dis-satisfied and bit. If you go to and stick with the better quality/higher end gear there should be nothing to worry about after comfort, fit and presonel preference.

 

[Lost Yooper]

I would say about 98% of the gear I own I bought site unseen and untried prior to purchasing it. All of the regs I have bought, several BC's, fins, masks, even my drysuit was bought mail order. This has to do with the region I live in where there are no good dive shops, and the ones that do exist don't have the gear I want. I use to make a lot of mistakes doing this before I was set on the right track a few years ago .



Mike

 

[dgrosvold]

If you buy good quality gear you should have no problems, but I suggest that you make SURE it fits properly.

I had problems with at least 2 pieces of gear that didn't fit right - fins, and my BC. The fins weren't that big a deal since I only had about $50 invested in the pair that didn't fit. The BC, on the other hand, was a bigger problem. I didn't understand how it was supposed to fit, and the LDS I bought from apparently didn't either.

I'm very long in the torso, and even most XL's aren't long enough - I ended up with a BC that would ride up on my chest everytime I got in the water. I also have been accused of having no a**, so weight belts just slide right off.

Fortunately, I found a shop that let me try several BC's (not rentals, in fact they were the employee's personal gear) until I found what worked. They also let me trade in the old BC ( it had only about 8 dives on it.)

So now I have something that fits, and has weigt integration so those pesky belts aren't a problem. I AM however, now thinking BP/Wings... Hmm...

See? Don't expect to buy your entire kit and keep it forever - the more experience you get, the more you'll change your gear around to suit. I don't think that renting gear will help you much except that you may find that you can get your kit a piece at a time that way.

Some people suggest renting to test different gear configurations. I've found that rental gear probably isn't what you want anyway, so it won't accomplish much. Get used to changing stuff around as you go along.

I've done that with diving, guitars, horse tack, shootin' irons, even computers.

My humble advice - resist the urge to buy everything at once unless you just don't have access to a shop that will rent gear.

But it's better to buy your gear and take a loss on it on EBay later than to not dive (and would probably not set you back any more than the rental fees anyway.)

Works both ways...

-- DCG

 

[buff]

dgrosvold-

we're completly different body types: I'm all ass, no torso....hey, that didn't come out right. And when are they going to make a wet suit for the "bigger bootied gentleman"?

that's where the backplate comes in. You can get a plate in just about any size and add webbing and you got yourself a personalized BC.

 

[dgrosvold]

buff once bubbled...
dgrosvold-

that's where the backplate comes in. You can get a plate in just about any size and add webbing and you got yourself a personalized BC.

Yes, that does make it easier.

One thing about a backplate that does concern me is chafing - between the backplate and my wetsuit/diveskin, whichever the case may be. There is no one around here that sells BP/wings type gear, so I don't have an opportunity to try it ahead of time. I'd be interested in any experience anyone has on that point.

-- DCG