good equipment...

[flyhigh123]

ok so, i'm a beginner beginner.

I'm signed up for courses in about a month for open water cert. The shop requires me to have mask, fins, snorkel, booties, and gloves. Where can i go on the internet to find some good deals on these items. If I buy from the shop, I feel that I will most likely get ripped off.

What are some good brands for me to look for? Thanks in advance...

Joe

 

[McRatliff]

to get the right size & fit you need to try things on. mask are funny like that. good luck & enjoy your self.

Mike

 

[RonFrank]

ok so, i'm a beginner beginner.

I'm signed up for courses in about a month for open water cert. The shop requires me to have mask, fins, snorkel, booties, and gloves. Where can i go on the internet to find some good deals on these items. If I buy from the shop, I feel that I will most likely get ripped off.

What are some good brands for me to look for? Thanks in advance...

Joe

A couple of popular sites to purchase online are:

www.leisurepro.com
www.scubatoys.com

There are PLENTY of others.

With mask and fins fit is important. I have a face that fits about every mask I've tried, however the Cressi BigEye is one exception as it's a bit big, and I'm guessing would leak.

Others have major fit issues with masks, so you definately should try on a couple (even if not underwater, but that is recommended) before purchase.

Fins have a couple considerations. RU going to want open heel, or full foot? If you are going with open heel, then you need booties as well, and you best make sure that whatever booties you get fits in the fins you want. In general if you wear a size 8, and the manufacture says Medium is from 7-10 for example, then the open heel will fit a size 8 booty, however if you wear a size 10, you are at that edge where maybe the next larger fin size is best.

Full foot is not much better as far as guessing sizes as many run a bit small or large. I wear an 8 1/2-9 shoe, but wear an 8 sized FF fin, and had I not tried them on, I would likely have ordered a 9 which would have been too big.

Give the LDS a shot before just purchasing online. Some will come up with some good deals for students even if that is NOT my experinece with Denver LDS's.

Good Luck, and have fun in class.. Scuba is really a great activity, but study well, listen to the instructor, and use all the pool time they give you...

 

[mossym]

pay the bit extra at the dive store for something that fits properly..i wanted to do the cheap route at the start as well, then i realised the benefits of building a relationship with my lds, so i get most of my stuff there now.

 

[flyhigh123]

so maybe, can anyone recommend me to a good LDS in southern california? I actually need 5 sets of everything. I'm setting up a small group of students for this dive cert. Thanks

 

[ChrisA]

ok so, i'm a beginner beginner.

I'm signed up for courses in about a month for open water cert. The shop requires me to have mask, fins, snorkel, booties, and gloves. Where can i go on the internet to find some good deals on these items. If I buy from the shop, I feel that I will most likely get ripped off.

What are some good brands for me to look for? Thanks in advance...

Joe

The items you listed (except the snorkle) need to be tried on. Even if you know
your shoe size don't expect boots to fit, in one brand of wetsuit boots I need two full sizes larger. OK then once you have boots on only then can you try on the fins. Each boot is different thickness. I'm a Mares fins size "reg" with my Oceanic boots and need the "large" with other boots on. Do plan out what boots you like, swiching boots sometimes means switching fins.

It's good to buy a mask at the local shop. because you don't really know if it will work well for you until you get in the pool and you may want to exchange it, unlikley an on-linevendor will let you return a used mask.

Once you have been diving for a while and know your sizes in varius brands, then you can order

BCs, tanks, regs and computers caneras and so on are different. No need to try on a regulator.
But you will need access to local service

 

[Paco]

Buy from a reputable LDS, one that you can build a relationship with. Tell them that you´d like to see a deal set up for several (5) people. If they are smart, they should give a discount on that equipment, hoping that at least some of those five will come back later for regs, bcd, computer, exposure gear, etc. If they don´t give you better than MFSGRP, I´d be really surprised, and they´d be really bad business people. I, too, regret not having bought more earlier from my LDS, and buy a whole lot more there now, and they almost always give me a substantial discount. So... deal with the shop first, at the very least for the life-support equipment.

 

[Juls64]

pay the bit extra at the dive store for something that fits properly..i wanted to do the cheap route at the start as well, then i realised the benefits of building a relationship with my lds, so i get most of my stuff there now.

Good Luck!

Julie

 

[Hoosier]

Yeah, IF THEY ARE SMART......

I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T SEE THE SMART LDSs THAT MUCH THOUGH...

Buy from a reputable LDS, one that you can build a relationship with. Tell them that you´d like to see a deal set up for several (5) people. If they are smart, they should give a discount on that equipment, hoping that at least some of those five will come back later for regs, bcd, computer, exposure gear, etc. If they don´t give you better than MFSGRP, I´d be really surprised, and they´d be really bad business people. I, too, regret not having bought more earlier from my LDS, and buy a whole lot more there now, and they almost always give me a substantial discount. So... deal with the shop first, at the very least for the life-support equipment.

 

[Wristshot]

Please read the above advice. It really is important that you have gear that fits and works for YOU (and your group). This is most important for the mask. Everyone's face is different, so no one mask will work for everyone. As stated above, if you find problems during class, you might get the LDS to exchange a mask right away. It is not likely that you would be able to resolve a fit issue in time with an online seller.

I do NOT want to get into a big Online -vs- LDS arguement, but here are a couple thoughts at random:

1) You say that if you buy from the LDS that you will most likely get ripped off. Most shops understand that their bread and butter is in repeat business, so they aren't trying to rip anyone off. (please don't inundate me with hundreds of examples) They are however businesses, and as such they need to make money, preferably some on each sale. They typically do not get to buy things as cheaply as larger shops do (online or otherwise), so they typically charge a bit more. Such can be the price of convenience. (7-11 charges more for many staples than larger grocery stores) Paying a little bit more, and getting "ripped off" are two different things.

2) If you (and everyone else) don't support your LDS, and they go out of business, where will you get air refills?

Yeah, I know the arguments. I am just suggesting that you think about things a little bit. I know what it is like to be on a budget, but getting proper gear and developing a good relationship with a shop can have long-reaching benefits beyond the cost deltas.

Just my opinions,


Wristshot