Gear list priority

[KevinNM]

I'm getting certified next week and this is what I was thinking for myself. My local shop requires your own mask, snorkel, fins and weights. This leaves most of the expensive equipment for last until I can figure out what I like best.

Weights? WTF? How the hell are you supposed to know how much weight to have before the class? It's not like lead tends to wear out either.

 

[Bob DBF]

I would think the list is more depend ant on the diving you are going to do after your class. I would have different priorities depending on whether I was learning to go dive on holiday in the tropics or dive locally in cold water.

I did not use a computer for most of my diving, at first because they had not been invented, and later because the tables worked fine for my day of two tank dives locally. When the diver is more limited by air use and only making a couple of dives, the computer is not as useful as on a week live aboard in the tropics.

Mask would be at the top of my list, due to the fit, and and a good inexpensive snorkel, as I've never seen one for rent. The rest can be rented until you know what you need. Since I have no problem with used gear, my order of purchase would be depentant on the deals I run across.



Bob

 

[TMHeimer]

Here (and I think many places US & Canada) you need your own mask, fins & snorkel for the OW course anyway (if you don't have them you can buy them at the same shop as the course). I would try to buy everything, weights included. Renting first may be a good option to see what you like, but not regularly--$ down the drain. Computer--depends on how deep your diving will be. You don't need one to start logging from the beginning--pen & paper.

 

[DevonDiver]

Four factors to consider when deciding to buy versus rent:

1. Life Support and Safety? Does that equipment actually keep you alive and safe underwater? If so, how much do you trust the maintenance and servicing conducted by the rental center? Example: Regulator

2. Hygiene? Are there hygiene issues involved with the equipment? For instance; urine soaked wetsuits or bacterial-laced mouthpieces.

3. Fit and Comfort? Can you assuredly find rental items that fit you comfortably? If they don't they can add stress to your dive and reduce your enjoyment. The fit of exposure protection also brings about a safety issue (hypothermia). For instance: wetsuit, booties, mask, gloves, fins.

4. Availability of Rental? Are the items actually available to rent wherever you are likely to go diving? For instance, in many less-developed locations, dive centers may not have computers to rent.

 

[dmaziuk]

4. Availability of Rental? Are the items actually available to rent wherever you are likely to go diving? For instance, in many less-developed locations, dive centers may not have computers to rent.

5. Cost of rental relative to purchase price: renting a computer for $20/day for 10 days vs. buying a computer for $200. (Not that I know of any place that charges that much, but still: rent adds up so renting is only economical up to a point -- aka "money down the drain).

 

[seeker242]

Why is computer and lights higher up than BC/Regs? Dive tables, you're in the ocean, you don't get any advantages with a computer over a watch and a depth gauge with tables. Even if it's just the loose "rule of 130".

I just finished the PADI elearning open water course today. Passed with 98%! They taught that the benefit of a computer is that it's just easier to use, even though tables are not that difficult to begin with, and less chance for human error. But the main benefit they touted was that you can get more bottom time with a computer than with a table. Especially for dives where you don't spend ALL of your time at the bottom depth, because the computer is continuously recalculating based on the actual depths throughout the entire dive, not just the bottom depth that you would use on a table. I don't know how significant that is, but that's what they said.

Weights? WTF? How the hell are you supposed to know how much weight to have before the class? It's not like lead tends to wear out either.

I don't know! I had the same question! The instructor said a general rule of thumb is 10% of your body weight. Then of course, to find what actually works best on the training dives, etc.

 

[eelnoraa]

Here in west coat US, SF Bay Area, it is required that we purchase mask, snorkel, gloves, boots and fins before having the first pool session. Amongst these basic essential items, mask is the top priority. The key is fit. Don't get caught up with clear vs black skirt. It is largely a personal preference. Then:

- Get the cheapest snorkel. Chances are you will lose it, or after a while, you don't bother using one anymore.
- Gloves and boots needs to fit you but also needs to fit the environment you are diving in.
- Fins are also very much personal preference. If you are not sure, just pick up a pair of Jet fins used on craigslist for ~$40. Even if you find you don't like it later, there are large community buying jet fins. You will be able to sell it without losing any money.

After these essential personal items my preference goes like this:
If you are in cold water
1. Exposure suit if for cold water It should fit. Rental hardly fits and you get different rental every time. So having one that fit you and you get to use the same one every time help you nail your buoyance. In warm water, since suit is thin 3mm or less, it become less important IMO.

If you are warm water
1. BC. Again, I am looking for fit and consistency here.

2. safety device.
3. computer. this before regulator is because you need to know your computer in order for the computer to help you on diving. It is a consistency thing as well
4. regulator. I think for new recreation divers, rental reg is ok unless you will dive a lot. If you do a few dives a year, you are better off with rental.
5. weight, by now you should know how much or what type of weight you need. buy them on craigslist
6. tank.

---------- Post added August 31st, 2015 at 04:26 PM ----------

I don't know! I had the same question! The instructor said a general rule of thumb is 10% of your body weight. Then of course, to find what actually works best on the training dives, etc.

It can be a lot more involve than that. First it highly depends on your exposure suit. With rental, the weighting will be different depends on thickness and newness of the wetsuit as well. It also depends on what type of BC. You will need more weight with a full blown BCD compared to BP/W with SS plate. Then it also depend on what type of weight you will need. For BC with integrated weight system, you may want soft weight. For BP/W, majority of your weight will be hard weight on weight belt.

 

[TMHeimer]

I just finished the PADI elearning open water course today. Passed with 98%! They taught that the benefit of a computer is that it's just easier to use, even though tables are not that difficult to begin with, and less chance for human error. But the main benefit they touted was that you can get more bottom time with a computer than with a table. Especially for dives where you don't spend ALL of your time at the bottom depth, because the computer is continuously recalculating based on the actual depths throughout the entire dive, not just the bottom depth that you would use on a table. I don't know how significant that is, but that's what they said.




I don't know! I had the same question! The instructor said a general rule of thumb is 10% of your body weight. Then of course, to find what actually works best on the training dives, etc.

Yes, computers are very useful for multi-level dives. Keep in mid that unless you set it to be extra conservative, the bottom time it says you have left is exact (theoretically). Tables are a bit more conservative in that your maximum depth may be 80 ft. but unless your nose is in the sand you probably only touched 80 once or twice and were really 2-4 ft. above that most of the time.

 

[Belzelbub]

If I were to do it all over again, this is the order I would do it. There is a lot more variety today than when I started 25 years ago.

1. Mask, fins, snorkel, weights. These are usually required for the class, so you'll need first. The shop can guide you on how much weight you'll need, but can't really fine tune it until you are in the water.
1a. Safety equipment. Whistle, flashlight, or mirror, etc.
2. Exposure protection. For me, that means wetsuit. I've never worn a rental wetsuit, and don't intend to.
3. Computer. Learn the tables. Computer will help during the dive. It's easy to get absorbed by the dive and overstay. If you realize that on the boat, it's kind of too late. The computer will alert you before that happens. You don't need anything real fancy at this point, but I'd recommend one that you can download. That got me to pay more attention to logging my dives than anything else.
4. Regulator. Don't need to get the best, but you should get a good (at least midgrade) balanced set that can be serviced in your area.
5. BCD. Try different kinds if at all possible. Jacket, Back inflate, etc. have different characteristics and behave differently. Different people like different styles.
6. Revisit. Maybe you want to try a different configuration (alternate air vs octo), upgrade the whistle to a Dive Alert, etc.

 

[tbone1004]

I just finished the PADI elearning open water course today. Passed with 98%! They taught that the benefit of a computer is that it's just easier to use, even though tables are not that difficult to begin with, and less chance for human error. But the main benefit they touted was that you can get more bottom time with a computer than with a table. Especially for dives where you don't spend ALL of your time at the bottom depth, because the computer is continuously recalculating based on the actual depths throughout the entire dive, not just the bottom depth that you would use on a table. I don't know how significant that is, but that's what they said.




I don't know! I had the same question! The instructor said a general rule of thumb is 10% of your body weight. Then of course, to find what actually works best on the training dives, etc.

sure, but did it also explain that until you buy or start renting tanks bigger than AL80's you'll almost never be limited by your NDL's and that PADI has the least conservative dive tables for repetitive diving?

i.e. on a 100ft dive, you are given 20 minutes by the PADI RDP. Sounds great right? but you're only going to have about 8-9 minutes at the bottom on an AL80 if you're lucky. With EAN32, you're that much better off.

If you don't know how to plan your day of diving with tables, you have no business blindly trusting a computer.... What happens if it fails? Are you going to carry 2 computers? You can buy a full set of regs and a top end BP/W for about the same price as two computers. Which is more useful? Tables are essentially free, and there is no reason other than convenience to buy a computer before your other gear.