OP
bananafish
New
Thanks everybody for such thoughtful and thorough responses to my beginner post, really makes me feel welcome.
Penn - haha thanks. trying to keep my bin of dusty crap to a minimum. paradoxically, if I find diving too much logistical work, I probably will still get a lot of use out of a mask, fins, and snorkel for bothering fish without the tank.
Chavo - yes, planning to dive locally, at least to start. I love the Santa Monica Bay! I’ve been happily swimming in the ocean until my lips turned blue. When I’ve been skiing, I have had perennially frosty fingers and toes. If 5mm keeps you cozy in frigid Carmel, then 5mm is probably the max thickness glove that I’ll need down here.
Rob, Cthippo - noted that socks are worth the spend. Having spent some time in ski boots, I’m not eager to torture my feet in the summers, too.
Eric - thanks for the store recommendation! I’ll check them out when I’m next down there.
runsongas- thanks for the pricing advice.
Sounds like #1 item is the mask, which I should try on with the reg in my mouth for fit. After that, there’s a couple models of fins that are widely liked unless you have nonstandard feet, gloves are “whatever’s warm and puncture-proof,” snorkels and boots are commodities, and socks are worth it.
(Edit: hit post too soon, plus formatting cleanup.)
Penn - haha thanks. trying to keep my bin of dusty crap to a minimum. paradoxically, if I find diving too much logistical work, I probably will still get a lot of use out of a mask, fins, and snorkel for bothering fish without the tank.
Chavo - yes, planning to dive locally, at least to start. I love the Santa Monica Bay! I’ve been happily swimming in the ocean until my lips turned blue. When I’ve been skiing, I have had perennially frosty fingers and toes. If 5mm keeps you cozy in frigid Carmel, then 5mm is probably the max thickness glove that I’ll need down here.
Rob, Cthippo - noted that socks are worth the spend. Having spent some time in ski boots, I’m not eager to torture my feet in the summers, too.
Eric - thanks for the store recommendation! I’ll check them out when I’m next down there.
runsongas- thanks for the pricing advice.
Sounds like #1 item is the mask, which I should try on with the reg in my mouth for fit. After that, there’s a couple models of fins that are widely liked unless you have nonstandard feet, gloves are “whatever’s warm and puncture-proof,” snorkels and boots are commodities, and socks are worth it.
(Edit: hit post too soon, plus formatting cleanup.)
