Cost to start Diving?

[TSandM]

paddler3d put it very well. Masks have to fit, and fit has nothing to do with price. Buy a simple snorkel -- if you later decide that you want one with bells and whistles, you can buy it then. Fins vary WILDLY in price, from as little as $40 (or less, used) to $500. The shop will want to sell you expensive fins, because they make more money on them. This is one of the places where I think students are almost universally poorly served. I can guarantee that you can get comfortably through your OW class with a pair of inexpensive fins -- I use THESE for pool work, and am seriously considering making them my warm water fins, because they're much lighter than my Jet fins to pack. For cold water, plain old Jet fins are fairly readily available, both new and used, and are relatively inexpensive.

I also second the recommendation to buy a wetsuit. I needed one for the pool work in my class, and that wetsuit went with me on my first warm water trips, although I later realized that 3mm of neoprene is not enough for me anyplace outside a hot tub, so it got replaced.

But replacing things bit by bit over time is something most people can do if they want; it's the bulk cost of acquiring everything at the beginning that's the painful hurdle, and if you don't fall for "state of the art" gear, you can save tremendous amounts of money starting off, and still get equipment that is good quality and that you can safely and comfortably use.

 

[Teamcasa]

I realize this is an extremely general question, so I will be a bit more specific. How much does an average beginners setup cost? For example: fins, goggles, gloves and what have you. What should I go in to a store EXPECTING to pay? (I can usually find a way to justify a lot more so I want to get a number in my head as a budget so to speak)

Thanks!

Oh I almost forgot. I am pretty weird about sharing gear - is there a way to buy your own regulator (just the mouth piece actually) and not the entire octo?

You have been given some good advice but I'll add a little more.

As you begin down this wonderful sport, If you continue, you will end up replacing most of your original gear and be all the happier about it.

Mask - it must fit and not leak - it may be a cheap one or expensive - keep trying until you find one.
Snorkel - find a cheap one, after your classes you most likely will never use it again.
Fins - Very personal issue as to fit, ease of kick and purpose. You will be buying several pairs before you settle on the ones you like.
Exposure - A lot depends on where you dive and you body shape.

Regulators - Virtually all regulators are of pretty decent quality so don't panic, whatever your shop sells will be pretty safe. OTOH, I'm a fan of ScubaPro or Apeks regs.

Computers - Again, whatever your shop sells will be a pretty safe bet.

Spend a little time asking specific questions in each of the sub-forums (regulators, Computers ect.) and get some specific advice.

Lastly, we have some good classified forums where good gear is bought and sold everyday.

 

[occdn]

You guys seriously rock. This is amazing. Thank you!

 

[rx7diver]

CONTEXT: My answer, below, is for someone who will do his classroom sessions and confined water (pool) sessions here in Missouri USA, and then drive to one of the nearby fresh-water lakes (here in Missouri or Arkansas) to complete his open water training.

You will need mask, snorkel, open-heel fins, boots, weight belt and weights at the start, probably. Your first scuba course, a basic open water certification course, will probably require you to own these. You can get very good, basic, no-frills versions of this stuff for ~$300. You will be able to live happily with these forever, literally, if you choose wisely. For example, a weight belt made of 2" nylon webbing and wearing a stainless steel buckle and solid lead weights costs next-to-nothing and will last you until you accidently lose it!

Next, you should probably purchase a diver's float with diver-down flag, and a dive knife, and maybe a dive skin or 3 mil (or 5 mil) jumpsuit wetsuit, depending on local water temps. Now you have all the stuff you require in order to practice and improve your snorkeling and skin-diving skills, which you can/should practice even before you've completed the classroom sessions for your open water certification course. This additional stuff costs maybe $100 (if you make your own diver's float using a truck inner tube and you buy a dive skin) to $400 (if your purchase includes a good quality 5 mil jumpsuit wetsuit).

At this point, you're all set to rent the additional gear you'll need for your open water practicum part of your initial certification course. (Your course will probably provide you with this additional gear for free to use during the pool sessions.) You might need to purchase a hood and gloves if these can't be rented. And, if a bottom timer or watch can't be rented, you will need to buy one; a $30 Casio G-Shock will suffice nicely. Also, I would strongly recommend that you purchase diver's insurance (e.g., D.A.N. insurance) before heading out to your open water practicum--if this isn't already included in the course for free. I strongly urge you to rent all of this additional stuff at first, and for a while even after you're certified, so you can try different stuff to see what you would eventually like to own.

Hope this helps.

 

[Web Monkey]

I also second the recommendation to buy a wetsuit. I needed one for the pool work in my class, and that wetsuit went with me on my first warm water trips, although I later realized that 3mm of neoprene is not enough for me anyplace outside a hot tub, so it got replaced.

I'd go for a full wetsuit too.

There is no place on earth that's warm enough that you won't get cold while diving and you're going to buy one eventually, and it might as well be now, so you can be comfortable during class instead of thinking "I'm freezing! When will this guy let us out of the pool?"

I use a 3mm full suit in the pool and in the Caribbean. It's never been too warm.

Terry

 

[sam821]

I spent close to $2000 dollars on all my gear combined! The courses were about $200 for open water diver license and $400 for Advance Open Water license (SSI)

Pretty expensive hobby!

 

[Doc]

The starting cost of becoming a diver is quite a bargain when compared to the overall lifetime expenditure.

 

[lord.harshil]

I didn't buy ANY gear for my first 20-30 dives. All borrowed and cobbled together from rental gear in the shop where I was working.

After this, I slowly started picking up one item at a time, spending a lot of time researching it and looking for bargains.

In order of my purchases :

1) 3mm Wetsuit : Secondhand from the shop. Got it cheap. 1/5 of the usual price.

2) Booties and fins : Also cheap, closeout sale from my shop (read : sold at cost)

3) Reg : Closeout from shop.

4) BCD : Secondhand from a customer at the shop who didn't like the BP/W I sold him. Promised him I'd buy it off him if he didn't like it. 5 dives in, a got a brand new halcyon at 1/3 the listed price.

5) Mask, thigh pocket, SMB, reel, torch, slate, etc etc (random accessories)

So, yeah I spent a lot of time researching and borrowing gear and trying it before I got my gear. Which is why I am very much happy with it and I won't spend more money replacing things I don't like.

Some people like to spend a lot of money and little time buying stuff. They end up spending a lot more time replacing things they don't like.

Others like me, spend a lot of time and very little money buying stuff. Years later, we'll still be happy diving with the same setup.

I suggest you rent everything for a while till you know what you want. Using a $1000 reg after using a cheap crappy rental reg for a while feels even better than buying the reg straight off

 

[spectrum]

I realize this is an extremely general question, so I will be a bit more specific. How much does an average beginners setup cost? For example: fins, goggles, gloves and what have you. What should I go in to a store EXPECTING to pay? (I can usually find a way to justify a lot more so I want to get a number in my head as a budget so to speak)

Thanks!

Oh I almost forgot. I am pretty weird about sharing gear - is there a way to buy your own regulator (just the mouth piece actually) and not the entire octo?

Well, to get certified in rental gear except for mask, snorkel booties and fins which you will usually need and should buy expect to spend about $500 - $600. Roughly speaking that may mean about $200 -250 for the gear and $300-$350 for the class fee. Some shops insist on taking you on a boat and that will probably add a boat fee. There is no need to go on a boat, find a shop that will do it with shore dives. Spend your money on boat dives if you care to when you will be in position to enjoy the dives.

The mouthpiece can be replaced for the cost of a zip tie each time. I have actually heard of some shops that require you to own your own mouthpiece and swap it in for each session. Just ask in advance in case a shop has a problem with you doing this but it's not an off the wall desire.

In the end for getting fully set-up for open water diving in a wetsuit you should budget $2500 give or take $500 depending on what you choose and how you shop.

Pete

 

[diver 85]

Anywhere from a hundred bucks US for "fins, goggles, gloves and what have you" to 3k+/- US for a complete setup(above the head to tippy toe).....---you like that range??.......

Now for your last part "is there a way to buy your own regulator (just the mouth piece actually) and not the entire octo?", you'll have to run that one by me again....?I think you might be asking to have your own mouthpiece & swap it out on 2nd stages???....Uh, if so yea--but, that's alot of sugar for 1 nickel...you not gunna die from using a rental I'm thinking...