need help

[Adrenalinerush]

it's my understanding that scuba equipment,like sky diving equipment, come in good, better, and it it really does that!

I do not know jack about manufactors reps, what I need, etc. there some place where I can find good honest ratings?
Who the good, better, best manufactors?

What should I look for in a Fins, Masks & Snorkels?

I hope to do warm (mainly)/cold water dives, wear contacts and will good through the ranks. So I think that middle of the road equipment ( I would get the best but $$) that will be what I need as I progress is what i need.

 

[wedivebc]

it's my understanding that scuba equipment,like sky diving equipment, come in good, better, and it it really does that!

I do not know jack about manufactors reps, what I need, etc. there some place where I can find good honest ratings?
Who the good, better, best manufactors?

What should I look for in a Fins, Masks & Snorkels?

I hope to do warm (mainly)/cold water dives, wear contacts and will good through the ranks. So I think that middle of the road equipment ( I would get the best but $$) that will be what I need as I progress is what i need.

You may find a scuba instructor or DM not shackled to any dive store and ask their candid opinion. Also look at the gear the pros use. Ask how they like and be aware that many have an agenda and will promote the equipment carried by the store that pays them.
Ask questions about specific gear here on scubaboard but remember everyones opinion will be vary and some will be very vocal in their passion to have you believe their brand is the only one. My opinion:
Mask; Cressi, Aqualung (look) Oceanic
Fins; Turtle, Oceanic, Scubapro
Snorkel; any old garden hose

If you find a brand you are interested in, post it here and I am sure you'll get lots of opinions.

cheers,

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

Mask - Should be low profile to the face, I don't like the big ones with panes on the periphery, one small, or two even better piece of glass in the front works for me. I like a black skirt, it should be silicone for longevity. As long as it fits your face, seals when you inhale into it with no strap, and doesn't have that color-correction film that makes you look like your diving with rose-colored glasses on, it should work. And that color-correction statement is OPINION.

Snorkel - Cheapest one you can get, it's a bent hose.
Don't get all impressed by the neat "dry" tops and flexi-tubing, or multiple purge valves. A purge at the bottom is good, otherwise you have to clear it all the way up to the top.

Fins - Make the diver, you can get a thousand different opinions on fins. I like split fins if I'm doing a long surface swim or chasing game, I like the Jet/Turtle fin for control though.

There's plenty of divers here in the Chicago area, you can meet up with some folks for dives at Haigh or in the lake and probably try some different types of gear out. PM me if you're looking for a dive buddy sometime.

 

[mtnredhed]

it's my understanding that scuba equipment,like sky diving equipment, come in good, better, and it it really does that!

Pretty much true, altough you can pay a premium for "features" that don't do what they say they do, or that as a recreational diver you'll never use. If you stick with the name brands (mares, scubapro, oceanic, zeagle, apeks, aqualung, poseidon, sherwood...), you should be good. In this one case, the reviews on scubadiving.com site aren't a bad place to start

I do not know jack about manufactors reps, what I need, etc. there some place where I can find good honest ratings?

- SkinDiver mag - UGH. They wouldn't offend a DEMA member or potential advertiser, if there were a trail of dead divers from Baja to Vancouver
- Undercurrent - not for profit, and the ratings (if current) are ok
- ScubaDiving - Used to have pretty objective, lab based ratings. I'm worried the new ownership may be a little too advertiser driven and this will turn into a clone of SkinDiving
- Diver/divernet.com - not bad, seems fairly balanced subjective/objective. Out of the UK, so somewhat eurocentric.
- the forums here

Who the good, better, best manufactors?

See previous...Most make a range built around combinations of thier first and second stages.

What should I look for in a Fins, Masks & Snorkels?

fit and moderate stiffness/ fit and low volume/cheap with a bottom purge
I'm still old school on the fins and haven't felt the need to shell out a bill and a half for nicer split fins.

I'f you're gonna dive cold, you might want to be thinking drysuit (and probably a grand or more for suit and accessories)

Most all dive stores require their instructors to dive with the equipment they sell.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Fins: don't buy split until you try them. Be sure they fit good and you should think about replacing the rubber straps with spring straps. They won't break and are a lot more comfortable and quicker to get on and off.

Mask: low profile, go to a dealer so you can be sure it fits right. Have an instructor or other knowledgable diver help you pick one out.

Snorkel: get a foldable one and keep it in your pocket. yes, I know you were taught to always wear one, but in reality, its better not to. They add a good deal of drag, and you can always fold out your foldable one and clip it onto your mask if you need it.

BC: you didn't ask for it but I'll still tell you: you should try a wing and backplate before you buy a jacket-style. Wing/BPs are a extremely more streamlined than a jacket and are very expandable if you want to get into more advanced diving later.

well theres my $.02.

If you've got any more Qs we'll be happy to provide As.

 

[Web Monkey]

It's not exactly "good better best"

For example, You can spend $1000 on a top-of-the-line regulator that will deliver all the air you and your buddy would ever need at 200' in 32 degree (0c) water, however, if you're only going to 60 feet in warm water, any number of less expensive regulators will work perfectly well.

Some things like wetsuits are all about fit, and not particularly about bleeding-edge technology. You want a wetsuit that fits well (very close, without squeezing you too much). It doesn't matter if the manufacturer claims it's made with Titanium or Moon Rock Dust or anything else. It matters if the material is good quality, if it's got a first-class zipper and that the seams are strong and well made.

Same thing with BCs. It's just a bag of air. You want one that fits you well, is comfortable, has enough lift for what you'll be doing and is made with good quality components, material and workmanship.

Also, before you buy something you're not sure of, ask here. Nobody here makes or loses any money based on what you personallly buy, so the opinions here are usually based on experience.

Terry

it's my understanding that scuba equipment,like sky diving equipment, come in good, better, and it it really does that!

I do not know jack about manufactors reps, what I need, etc. there some place where I can find good honest ratings?
Who the good, better, best manufactors?

What should I look for in a Fins, Masks & Snorkels?

I hope to do warm (mainly)/cold water dives, wear contacts and will good through the ranks. So I think that middle of the road equipment ( I would get the best but $$) that will be what I need as I progress is what i need.

 

[GoJu]

Each brand name of gear has some good products and some bad. Some companies specialize in certain areas ( Suits, masks, reg's, B.C.D.'s, Etc.)
I use an oceanic mask, mares fins, zeagle bp/w, whites drysuit, genesis reg's(to be honest i want different regs), oceanic computer . I also dive mostly colder water. Just tyry to get gear that is good, not just looks good.
Have fun that's what it's about. I love gear shopping.
Local divers, dive shops, and scubaboard are good places to start looking anyway.

 

[The Kraken]

Scuba gear is like sky diving. We have different types of regulators and BC's for different tasks just as a jumper has different types of canopies for different types of jumps.