Cressi equipment for beginner

[francois_si]

I am a newly certified diver with around 8 dives. Looking at the gear all around the net and in LDS, I decided to buy my own so I could dive more and feel confident about my gear. I know that you will tell me to wait and rent but for the price, I don`t think I can go wrong. Or maybe I am wrong ???. I set-up a package on leisure pro and I would appreciate your opinion. Cressi Ellipse AC10 Regulator + Cressi Ellipse Octopus + Cressi 2010 Aquapro 5 BCD + Cressi-Sub Mini 2 Gauge Console + Henderson 7mm Neoprene Jumpsuit Mens Package for roughly 1000$. I live in Quebec Canada where the water can get cold but no winter diving for me. Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[herman]

Nothing wrong with owning your own gear but at least for your first purchase I am not sure it's wise to buy online. BC's and wetsuits need to fit and fit correctly. It's hard to do that on line (replacing one with the exact same one is another matter). Going to a LSD, trying them on there and then buying on line is at best dishonest, you took their time and effort.
In general I am not a big Cressi fan. They can be hard to find service for and according to a big repair center near me, they can at times be hard (slow) to get parts for. Even if your LDS is a Cressi dealer they may not be willing to take care of any warranty issues if you buy on line and I would not count of a good responce from them if you need help with your new equipment. I am not trying to defend LDSs but you are basically giving up their support for saving a few dollars, you have to decide if it's worth it to you.

 

[keyshunter]

I agree with herman. Cressi, although one of the oldest scuba companies, has never been particularly popular in the US. Their masks and fins are excellent and are very popular, but regs and bc's not so much. I suspect that it is a company support issue, since masks and fins require vitually no service. That said, several people whose judgement I respect and who dive Cressi regs say that they are quite good. If I was going to deal with Leisurepro, I would look at the Oceanic and Sherwood lines (Scubapro and Aqualung regs seem to be in very short supply). Both of these lines have strong dealer networks and it is very easy to find service. Since Leisurepro is constrained from advertising low prices on Oceanic and Sherwood, do not pay attention to the prices on their website. Call them for the best prices.

 

[scubafanatic]

.....agree with the other posters here......buying your own gear = good idea, how you're buying it is questionable, especially for a new diver......there's a ton of stuff you don't know, and you don't don't know enough to know what you don't know, which leads to expensive mistakes, especially on items that require 'fit' (BC's/wetsuits/masks/fins). You should talk to local dive shops, find out which ones are price flexible/competitive with the WWW, and go in for 'fittings'....gear that doesn't fit completely sucks. And as mentioned before, the ethical thing is to spend some $ at whatever shop helps you with 'fittings', instead of just using them and buying everything on the WWW.