Got my gear! Will it make it easier to go diving more often?

[Pottermom]

My husband and I got certified in August. I know many people wait on getting gear and rent for a while but we found that it was difficult for us to adapt to new gear each dive and decided to just bite the bullet and purchase our own gear. Or at least the basic stuff. So after a nice chunk of money I now am the proud owner of my own gear. After a lot of research and testing, and reading a lot of stuff on these forums I ended up going with:

• Lotus i3 BCD
• Legend LX regulator
• Suunto D6i computer

My husband got similiar gear but chose the Atomic Aquatics Cobalt for a computer

We already had things like fins, mask etc. and added wetsuits (it is getting colder out there!).

After we got our gear we knew it would be a couple of weeks before we could go dive so we got tanks (probably the next purchase lol) and played in our pool. Yes, a shallow pool and not a lake or the ocean but it was great to figure out how it all worked and spend time underwater actually reading the computer and playing with it. Don't think I'll be logging that dive that never went below 6 feet though. Even if it was for an hour. lol

The pocketbook hurts but it's a great feeling to know we can just go when we want and not have to go find rental gear etc. We firmly believe we will dive more with our own gear. Have any of you found that to be true?

 

[farsidefan1]

Well I live in Utah and only dive in warm tropical water so having my own gear doesn't affect my diving shcedule. I still have to get on a plane to go diving. That said the fact that I'm totally familiar with both my wifes and my gear makes diving much more comfortable and in my opinion safer. I went on the night manta dive with a rented bc which fit poorly. WOW, what a difference.I had not wanted to haul all my gear for one dive. I still debate the wisdom of that decision. Congratulations, you will LOVE diving (especially in warm tropical waters I know, I know, just sayin....

 

[spectrum]

Congratulations. The investment will open opportunities and let you build skills around consistent gear. As long as they were sound choices you could not have done a better thing. We always encourage some renting to get a sense of likes and dislikes. The sorry truth is that you can rarely rent the quality models you may want to actually own so at best you usually make an informed decision.

Getting it all in the pool for a shakedown was a smart move, why risk a dive outing with orientation.

Getting cold? i figured it would just be getting comfortable down there!

Have fun!

Pete

 

[Pottermom]

lol. Just getting comfortable. That just makes me laugh. When we moved down here from cold snow country we laughed at people wearing coats in the winter. It was shorts weather as far as we were concerned. After about two years we were well adapted and we now wear coats! We are wimps. I admit it. I am an embarrassment to my Colorado mountain roots. But I still wear a coat and below 75 degree water I have some sort of exposure suit on.

 

[Starcruiser]

Congrats on the gear purchase. I, for one, found it made it a lot easier for 'spur of the moment' dives. No worrying about getting to the shop, hoping to rent gear, and finding out I can't get what I need for whatever reason. Plus, as was mentioned, you'll be happier getting used to your own gear.

 

[divad]

We firmly believe we will dive more with our own gear.

You already did.

 

[fugly]

If I had to rent I wouldn't be diving every weekend.

Congrats on your new gear!!!

 

[TSandM]

Having your own gear will make it easier to go diving, and it will give you a motivation to do it, since you have to use that shiny gear you paid so much money for, right?

And even better, the more you dive, the better you'll get at it, and the more fun it will be. Gear acquisition is the first step toward becoming an avid diver!

 

[Scuba_Noob]

Depends on where you are. I have all my own gear and I'm surrounded by water, so I can go diving all the time for free (with a year-long unlimited air card).

It appears you live in Houston, which is pretty close to the Gulf of Mexico, so you can go all the time too. It's a matter of finding good buddies; look through Scubaboard, your LDS, and your local dive clubs.

 

[freewillie]

Welcome to the addiction! I think you'll find owning your own gear makes it easier to dive when you want to go diving which means you'll probably dive more often.

Ive been getting my gear in stages. But in retrospect the mount of money I've shelled for rentals I would have a set of regs by now as well. Your pocketbook can hurt pretty bad once or it can hurt just a little for longer period of time.

Its like ripping of a band aid. Do it quickly and get it over with all at once, or peel slow and drag it out.

Congratulations and enjoy your new gear.