Decisions decisions

[I Dive Do You]

I have just started my dive classes , in fact i start in like one week. I've tried diving before and really liked it. The decision was that my birthday is like 3 weeks after i complete my course and was wondering if I should get equipment like bc's, regs,octos,etc. For my b-day I just get alot of money so getting it is not a problem. It's just the fact should I invest that early?

 

[BetterLateThannever]

Hey Palmer,

Congratulations on a great decision. As to buying new equipment, I guess it's ok since you have the dough, but my only question is; how do you know what to buy?

There is no lack of choices out there in gear, but not every piece is right for every person. You'll find there are many people on this board that can offer solid advice, but you will probably need to give more info first ie; do you plan to be primarily a recreational diver, or will you be pursuing more advanced and/or technical diving in the future?, will you be diving primarily in warm water locations or cold or both? etc.

So, I guess my advice is to slow down, take your time and get gear you will be happy with after the "glow" wears off.

As to your training; relax, listen and have lots of fun. I sure did.

Jimbo

 

[I Dive Do You]

Thanx, I think ill wait unless I just absolutely fall in love with diving

 

[Warhammer]

If money is no problem, then go ahead. But my advice is to decide whether or not diving is something you'll stick too and do regularly. By regularly, I mean more than one time a year while on vacation. But you'll have to be your own judge as to how much use justifies the expense. If you do decide to buy the gear, then research, research, rent, test dive, and research some more. Then make your decisions based on all the knowledge that you have obtain from doing that and by what suits your needs the best. A wise buyer does his homework first, then makes his purchase. Course if money isn't a problem then you could just keep buying until you find what you like. There is no best brand, best reg, best BC, and etc. What's best for someone else might not be best for you. The good thing is that with todays gear, it's hard to get a bad anything as long as you stick to name brand gear and do your homework. Cheers and welcome wonderful world of SCUBA & SCUBABOARD!

 

[scubabunny]

If I were you, I'd put the money towards diving...not gear...just diving! If you are in Florida, I know diving is close. So, invest in some boat dives or a diving vacation! Believe me, once you get through the class and experience diving NOT in a class setting, you will fall in love! And, like they said before, you need to know what you want before you buy your first gear. Get familiar with the gear, and what you want out of it, before you make the BIG investment!

Congrats and enjoy!

 

[I Dive Do You]

Thanks everyone for all your replys. I really appreciate the 3 that acually replied.

 

[I Dive Do You]

Are there any more tips cuz i would really like to hear em

 

[large_diver]

I'll echo the replies above -- to understand what kind of gear will work best for you, you need experience. I just finished buying my first set of gear piece by piece and I was certified back in May 2000. You can get a lot of good advice from your local shop, on-line and from scuba publications, but it's in-water use that is usually the best test for the kind of gear you want. Also -- talk to other divers in your area about the gear they've chosen and why. By renting gear for the first 15-20 dives or so, you'll be exposed to different types of gear and configurations -- do you like swiveled first stages? weight belt, weight integrated BC or both? Back inflation BC or jacket-style? Will you be diving locally in cold water or only during warm water dive trips? Wrist mounted gauges or console? Computer or analog gauges or both? etc., etc., etc. All of these will have an impact on the types of equipment you buy. If you buy now, you'll end up with whatever your instructor or local dive shop recommends. While most gear sold today is decent quality, if you are going to drop $1,500-$2,000 on a new set of gear, it's obviously better to get what's best for YOU and the types of diving you will be doing that what the LDS has in stock.....

I am glad I took my time -- I feel that most of the gear I have now will keep me happy for at least the forseeable future. Diving is expensive enough without having to "re-buy" equipment every few years.

Good luck!

 

[keralucu]

Hey IDDY - good luck with your classes.

I too echo what people have written above - especially scubabunny... for now, get some more experience by putting you money towards actual dives - this way you can also try out different types of equipment and eventually decide which is best for you.

And most importantly, have a ball doing it!
cheers

 

[greg somers]

the suit,the flips,the mask,snorkel,weights and wait a little while for the rest until you have tried a few things.
It'll be better for you in the long run once you know what you want after some dive experience.Little things can make a difference.Welcome aboard.
the one and only,
Gasman