How long did you wait before ...

[ScubaAddictedLisa]

How long were you diving before you bought your own gear? (meaning wetsuit, BC, reg, fins/boots, mask/snorkel)

What about "accessory" type gear, like a dive knive or beanie or things like that?

I started to buy my own gear (fins/boots, mask, snorkel) shortly after getting certified. But that's because I don't fit into rental gear that well. (I have very small feet, so I had to use kids fins, and that's no fun!!) It wasn't until after my first 2 "certified" dives that I bought my wetsuit and beanie. The rentals were too big and I would end up getting cold easier. I had the underwater camera/housing already, but I've purchased an external strobe for it recently, as I'd like to get more into underwater photography. And I also recently purchased a dive knife and dive scissors (this was after reading the latest issue of DAN's magazine, and thinking about how getting tangled up underwater can be deadly, if you don't have a knife. Better to have it and not need it, then to not have it when needed!!)

What about the rest of you?

 

[paddler3d]

Before you go off and buy a bunch of gear, try different types of gear. BC's for instance. I don't like the jacket style. I tried a few jacket styles and then tried my first back inflate. Finally I ended up with a SS Backplate/wing with the simple one piece hog harness. You won't know until you try different styles.

Something that is also important is think about where you are going to end up diving. If your going to try diving off NY in the Atlantic, you really need a different set of gear than you will need in the Bahamas. The Atlantic can be cold. A sealed 1st stage is not a bad idea. Some regulators are designed for deeper dives and some are designed for shallower dives.

To answer your original question. My OW class required I owned all my personal gear (fins, mask, snorkel and booties). The booties are the only things that I still use from that original purchase. I found a mask that fits better, I don't wear a snorkel and I'm in a different set of fins. I then got my own wrist mounted computer, then my own BC, then my 1st set of regs, then my 1st primary tank, then my 2nd set of regs, then my my 2nd primary tank, then a pony bottle. Now I'm saving for a dry suit. Money was the dictating factor. I'd LOVE to go out and get a UW video camera and housing, but I really need a good primary light.

Good luck on your quest!

chris

 

[paddler3d]

By the way, I love your blog.

 

[ScubaAddictedLisa]

Thanks! I love blogging. I have a few of them, the one for diving, one for my "everyday" life, and one that encompasses both things that happen in my life, and my observations of things.

And thanks for the reply regarding trying different types of items before buying. Let me ask you this ... when you tried the different kinds of BCs, did you purposely rent different ones from your LDS?

 

[fppf]

1 class, then we bought everything.
Then 2 months after having our cert, we bought everything else, including dry suits.
Yeah that was a pricey year.

 

[ScubaAddictedLisa]

fppf, being that you're in buffalo ... if you ever want to dive near your home, you HAVE to have the dry suit!!!

I lived in Buffalo for 5 years while going to college up there. I loved the summertime, although it was here and gone in the blink of an eye!!!!

 

[fppf]

Yeah, but I'm going diving in the morning :rude:

 

[rongoodman]

I had my gear by the time I did my open water check-out dives. I used the regulators, but left the BP/W and long hose at home because I didn't want to rock any boats. Every dive after that has been with Hog/DIR configuration.

 

[ScubaAddictedLisa]

Yeah, but I'm going diving in the morning :rude:

Brrrrrr!!!! :frosty:

 

[Lenmonster]

I'm struggling with this as well. I just got certified, and I think owning your own equipment is important, but unless you dive a lot, things like the regulator and BC don't make sense, especially because the reg needs regular servicing, and a dip in the pool before diving with it.

I can definitely understand getting some thermal protection that fits...I'm probably going for the Hyperstretch 5mm and beanie as well (scared of the hood). At that point, maybe the reg and computer combination, and then finally the BC. First I have to see how often and where I'm going to dive the most.

The early stuff like mask, snorkel, fins, and weight belt all needed to be purchased for my pool training anyway.