ADStonina:
Dear Scuba Board Community,
I am trying to get things in order to start SCUBA training. I have a question related to equipment:
What brands of equipment would you recommend? For instance: I wear glasses, so I need a mask that can be converted, so that I can see. What brand is the best? What kind of snorkel should I get, for there are several kinds and which one is the best, for a beginner? What kind of fins gives one the most comfort and yet propels one underwater the best? Depending upon the fins, what kind of boots work best?
I am, so taken aback as to what one should get, and I do not want someone to sell me something just to get a good commission, so some direction in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
ADStonina
There are a lot of excellent manufacturers of diving equipment, and there is no "best" for everything. There is some basic gear you should have for your classes - mask, fins, boots, and snorkel - and the rest of it can probably wait for a little while, at least. You don't need to spend a ton of money to get really good stuff, and you should definitely not assume that the more expensive stuff is actually better than the medium priced stuff - a lot of it isn't any better than stuff that costs only half as much.
For your basic gear, I would recommend that you read some of the articles at scubadiving.com under the "gear" heading - they have articles about fins, about masks and snorkels, and about boots (the boots are under "gear bags and accessories"). You can also use their search function. I think that's a good place to start to get some basic information about what matters most in buying a mask, especially.
For seeing underwater, there are a lot of masks that can take prescription lenses, and some people (like me) wear disposable contact lenses. If you are going to have prescription lenses installed in a mask, the most important thing is to start with a good mask that fits your face. You don't need to spend a lot of money for a mask - scubadiving.com does a good job of showing that the $45 masks are just as good as the $150 masks. What matters most is how it fits your face. Next to fit, I would look for low volume and good visibility in all directions. That's about all there is to it.
Don't spend any more than you have to for a snorkel - a comfortable mouthpiece on a simple plastic tube is all you need, although I think the purge valves below the mouthpiece are a convenience. I would not buy a "dry" snorkel - I am almost embarrassed to admit that I bought one, and think it was a waste of money; I bought another without the "dry" contraption, and have never used that dry snorkel again.
The boots should be appropriate for the type of diving you are going to do. If you are going to dive in cold water, you want thicker and higher boots to make sure your skin is covered. If you are going to be doing shore dives (from the beach), you will want to have sturdy soles that will protect your feet - a lighter sole might be sufficient if you are only going to be doing boat dives.
Get the boots before the fins, because you have to make sure the boots fit properly inside the foot pockets of the fins you choose. The boots should fit closely, like a sock, but you don't want them so tight they restrict circulation. If they are loose in the store, they will be too loose in the water.
You don't need to spend a ton of money on the "best" fins, because a lot of people think the most expensive fins are not the best at all. I started with Scubapro Jet Fins and dove with nothing else for about 30 years. If I were starting out again with only one pair of fins, they would still be my first choice. I also have a pair of split fins that cost about twice as much, but are no better - just a different kind of fin. A lot of people in these parts seem to despise split fins. There are dozens of other perfectly good choices. In any case, I would recommend starting with the reviews at scubadiving.com as a good place to read about all the different choices and price ranges.
When you have identified a few things that interest you, this is a good place to ask specific questions about specific products, or to use the "search" function to find old threads discussing them.
If you going to be taking lessons through a local dive shop (LDS is the acronym you will see used here), they may offer you a discount on gear purchased for your class, and if you can find what you want there, I think it's a good idea to buy from your LDS.
