There's really only one consideration for a mask and that's fit. Soft skirts, fancy buckles etc. are nice but if it leaks you'll be miserable thru class and beyond - esp. if you plan to lake dive locally.
Besides fins you need boots. Appropriate thickness to your conditions is probably a 7mm. Starting out basic paddle fins are probably the best option - they allow you to move well, back-up etc. easily. Mares makes about 9 models in the $100-150 range (Volo, Avanti, Avanti Quattro, Power Plana) all work.
Snorkel - buy a $20 smooth bore open top snorkel. Likely the only time it will really get much use is during class.
Personally until you are
Certified, this is where I'd
stop buying gear. You may have to add a wetsuit due to your size though. Some percentage of students don't certify, they can't do basic skills, they panic u/w, there can be medical issues that only manifest under pressure etc.
Dive shops are in business to make money. Their best shot to sell you several thousand dollars worth of gear is when you're in their store/classroom/pool. It's not a concidence that your instructor is most likely outfitted in some better model of a brand they sell also. You buy it, walk it out the door and it just became used. Sure they'll take it back - often for 50% of what you paid last week.
Regulators - they all work. Generally the price goes up for balanced vs. unbalanced - balanced performs better at depth and design/materials used. None of the known brands sell junk - for cold water some Aqualung and Scubapro models have some features to support working in lower water temperatures. go to a site like leisurepro.com - or closer to you diverightinscuba.com for comparisons. I also recommend buying a brand your shop sells/
services because that's the one thing you will need to service regularly.
I believe on a wetsuit you'll have to go custom because of your weight. I barely fit into a 3XL at 6'3" 275/85 lbs. Most lines stop there but Henderson goes to 6XL or 325lbs. Your local shop probably has someone or there's a place in Florida that can sew any size pretty affordably - they even have a website for options/directions for measuring etc. If you need it, post here and someone will remember the name - I don't right now. After certification - it'd be good to know you are - you could look into a drysuit also - they're in the $1000-$2500 range but since they fit loosely - as long as you can find one large enough to get into - fit anywhere else shoudn't be as big an issue.
Due to your size, you're a perfect candidate for a Backplate/Wing BCD because literally one size fits all You buy a steel blackplate which the tank bolts to, add webbing as long as you need it and a wing sized accordingly. The steel plate also allows you to take 5-6 lbs off a weight system which will help since you have to sink a lot of very buoyant 7MM neoprene.
There are several quality manufacturers selling direct or thru dealers.
Deep Sea Supply is often recommended here - Tobin the owner posts here frequently and he sells a long plate configuration which may be more optimal for you also. Closer to you DRIS sells some affordable options also:
Dive Packages - Check out our tech diver packages, and enjoy outstanding cost savings - Dive Right in Scuba
Computers range from basic models at $250-up to $1500 with all the bells whistles. If you're not planning to do any advanced diving there's a lot of options around $400ish that all work. If you want Air-Integration - i.e. the computer monitors your tank pressure - generally add $3-400 more for the transmitter - slightly less if you want a hosed computer.
Oceanic makes a pretty good range of models, Suunto does also but they're more conservative. I have a Suunto for no other reason than price. Shearwater Petrel is more of a tech computer with a georgeous easily read OLED display that's popular here on SB - they run about $675. Nice thing is they're modular so you can add future upgrades without buying a new one. If you are going to be diving in low-visibility lake conditions something like it could be a consideration.
Most have download capability and come with software to "figure it out for you". Most also rip you off close to $100 for the download cable by using a proprietary connector.
I'm sure many others will chime in with their likes/dislikes but these are some of mine.
There's a guy on the
Scubatoys forum that calls himself Bigman - IIRC correctly he was about your weight but taller. You might see if he has any special insight. IIRC he first bought a custom sized Zeagle Ranger then switched to a BP/W later.
