Hi Blueocean,
Welcome to the diving community in central Florida. I'm in the Orlando area myself, and I know there's at least one more person who frequents this board who is from the area, too (Pete, you out diving today instead of hangin' around the boards?).
Mario is right... choosing a BC/regulator has a lot to do with what kind of diving you plan to do. I look at the economics of diving as how your equipment amortizes. If you buy something really cheap that will only last you 3 dives then you pay more per dive for it than you do if you buy something better that costs a bit more but will last you for 50 or 100 (or more) dives.
I bought this $25 backup light, and it flooded after 3 dives. $8.33 per dive -- pretty pricey for a flashlight. Then I bought a $32 backup light. I lost it on my seventh dive. That's $4.57 a dive. Just think if I had actually managed to clip it properly to my D-ring during that last dive... it would still be getting cheaper per dive. ;-)
Anyhow, you get the idea. If you get a good BC and regulator, you won't be looking to replace them as soon, which will ultimately make them less expensive. That's the way I justify my purchases, anyhow...
Julie
