Considering diving in the future

[Amber_rose_mitzy]

Hello, i'm thinking of becoming certified within the next few years but the biggest issue i face is the price and my weight, i understand that i would be able to hire equipment but eventually i would want to buy my own gear if i really enjoy the sport. I am 100lbs and naturally buoyant and i'm worried about how much weight i would need to buy in order to keep me from floating up, my gran will be moving to Barbados in the next year and i plan to go there for a gap year (or half) which is great location for scuba diving. From my understanding it is around £10 for a 1kg weight, would i need to spend lots on weights?

 

[Scubatude]

The cost of weight will be the very least of your costs. Most often weight is rented, or hired. Even when the time comes to purchase your own equipment, weight will be one of your last purchases. With all that said, at 100lbs, you will need very little weight. Go learn to dive and have fun!

 

[KatieMac]

Don't worry about the weight. Almost every place you dive will have weights included in the price of the dive.

 

[2airishuman]

Hello, i'm thinking of becoming certified within the next few years but the biggest issue i face is the price and my weight, i understand that i would be able to hire equipment but eventually i would want to buy my own gear if i really enjoy the sport. I am 100lbs and naturally buoyant and i'm worried about how much weight i would need to buy in order to keep me from floating up, my gran will be moving to Barbados in the next year and i plan to go there for a gap year (or half) which is great location for scuba diving. From my understanding it is around £10 for a 1kg weight, would i need to spend lots on weights?

In Barbados, where it's warm, you may not need a wetsuit at all, and won't need much lead. Maybe as much as 5 kg, perhaps none at all depending on your other gear.

For boat dives, typically the boat provides lead for you to use at no charge. The only divers who own their own lead are the ones who shore dive extensively or who dive from their own boat.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

As has already been stated, weight is the least of your concern when purchasing gear. I do in fact own my own weights. I bought them second-hand on Craigslist as I saw no need to buy new. Most, if not all of the dive charters you will take include whatever weight you need in the cost of the dive. Two things I never take on a dive trip when I'm going on vacation. My tank and weights. If you want to buy your own weights then go ahead if you plan on doing local diving near your home. Otherwise, spend that money on other/better gear and worry about weight last.

 

[iamrushman]

you ask a very good question....the above suggestions are right on...get out there and learn to dive..... you'll find it very rewarding over the years to come....enjoy the underwater blue world known as inner space.

 

[nolatom]

When you take your classroom and pool lessons as the first half of getting your OW card, you'll likely be asked to buy mask, fins, and snorkel. Those are lightweight, bring them along when you travel.

As others point out, the heavy stuff (weights, tank) are easy to rent on-site. You don't want to carry them on the plane, and very few divers do this.

You can work on the pool and classroom part back there in Cornwall, I would expect. Then you could do your four open-water certification dives with an affiliated shop in Barbados, and then you're certified and will probably want to invest in a buoyancy jacket and regulators. And your own dive computer and pressure gauge. And a comfortable wetsuit. That's how most recreational divers "kit themselves up" for diving (and airplane flights), while renting tank and (maybe) weights at a dive shop each time.

 

[diversteve]

weight is one of the least expensive things you need to buy - given your weight - you won't need much in the tropics. I weigh 2.5x more than you and use 12lbs.
Rough guess from diving with some of the ladies in my group - you'll need 2-4lbs.
Tanka are pretty heavy even empty and the air weighs something when compressed.

Plus almost every shop I know of in the Caribbean includes it on all boat dives and most tank rental prices.

The big ticket items you may eventually buy are your own regulator and buoyancy compensator (BCD). These range from around $200 to as much as $2000.

You won't need much of a wetsuit in Barbados either - likely a 3mm suit or less - under $200 new,

As mentioned, you'll be required to buy mask, snorkel and usually fins for your certification class. For the mask - get one that fits - not that has the most features. Personally I buy $20 snorkels because I don't use one much.
Fins range from about $30-200 or so.

Another cost will be your class - it takes several days and costs just under $500 in Barbados It will include all needed gear during the class typically if you want to wait on purchasing your own.

Here's example pricing:

Dives & Rates – Eco Dive Barbados

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Things no to skimp on:

Regulator. Make sure you get something that breathes comfortably and has decent internals. There are obviously some less expensive ones out there and those are probably okay if you don't plan on diving a whole lot. But remember the old addage you get what you pay for. Do some research and ask around to see what's good. You don't necessarily need to spend excessive amounts of money to get good gear. I think we paid about $400-$450 for my wife's regulator (Atomic Z2) and it's nice and breathes easily. But in doing the rescue scuba class I'm working on, I and a couple of my classmates discovered that when trying to hold the 2nd stage in place for a diver that's being rescued, if you hold your hand over the front of the reg too tightly, the valve can't open all the way and it makes the reg hard to breathe. I personally dive a Hog D3 first stage that I think I paid about $250 for and so far I have no complaints at all. And where the hoses attach it swivels making it much more comfortable to dive and look around, etc.

Fins. Blades or splits, it's really what's most comfortable for you to kick. But be aware that when trying to kick against current, splits leave much to be desired. A good, stiff blade fin will be a little harder to kick but you'll get more out of them especially in current. Again ask around and see what people are using and why. Maybe your local dive shop will let you try a few pairs in the pool. My choice here are the Hollis F1 "Batwing" blades that I think run about $170. They're very heavy, but in current they're hard to beat.

Dive computer. And this is just my personal opinion, but get something that's air integrated. Whether it be a wrist-mount or console, get something that will tell you how much air you have left in your tank because it will also tell you about how much bottom time you have. And it eliminates the need for an SPG. I run one of the more expensive consoles (Atomic Cobalt II) but I previously had an Oceanic Pro Plus 3 that I really liked a lot, too. It now belongs to my wife because the Atomic was originally for her and she didn't like that the characters were so small. Plus she said it was too busy and there was too much information on one screen.

Obviously you don't have to buy everything at once. But don't buy something just to have it. Do some research, figure out what's good, and spend wisely. Get something you won't want to replace in 6 months/year. And some advice on a BCD...try a jacket style AND a back inflate and see which one you're more comfortable with. A jacket style will be a little more stable on the surface but can tend to roll side to side underwater; whereas, a back inflate will make you want to pitch forward on the surface, but keeps you nice and horizontal underwater. It's a personal preference thing.

Hope this helps a little.