Need recommendations for personal gear

[AmazonAquatics]

Hello,
I will be starting my open water course soon and I need some help picking out some personal gear. I am only 13 years old, so I need something that will be suitable for my smaller size. Here is what I have been looking at so far, please tell me your suggestions on what I have picked out:

Mask:

Scubapro Premier Two Window Mask from LeisurePro.com

or

Blue Reef 3vu Mask from LeisurePro.com

or

AquaLung Quartz 4 Window Mask from LeisurePro.com

Fins-I will need open-heeled fins so that I can wear boots underneath them because I will be diving in New England and the water here is cold:

Genesis Aquaflex Open Heel Fins from LeisurePro.com

I usually wear a womans size 6-7 shoe, so I should get a small fin size because I will be wearing a boot under it, right?

Boots:

Deep See 5mm Womens Manta Boots from LeisurePro.com

Do the boot sizes generally run bigger or smaller?

Gloves:
Tusa Warm Water Glove "New Style" (DG-5500) from LeisurePro.com

Snorkel:
I already have a US divers snorkel, it is nothing fancy but it works good and it is comfortable for me.

Sorry for all of the questions I am just trying to make sure that I buy all of the right stuff. Please tell me if everything that I have picked out is good or bad and what else you would recommend. Thank you

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

As far as sizing, I'd recommend calling Liesure Pro before you place your order. They should be able to help with matching the correct size fin and dive boot to your shoe size. When deciding on fin size, you need to know which dive boot you'll be using, as differences in thickness of the boot can make a difference in the size of the fin you need. If you call Liesure Pro, they can tell you what size fin you need to match the dive boot you select.

For mask selection, you really need to try the mask on to make sure it seals. Many masks are made for "adult male" faces, so you may need to select a mask that is a bit smaller in order to get a good fit. This is probably best done at a dive shop. Good fit is extremely important for comfort and to prevent leaks.

Good Luck!

 

[truck1]

Or go to a local dive shop and get fitted for gear there.You dont necessarily have to buy there.There is no substitute for actually having the gear on you to fit it properly.Otherwise you might be a while trying on various pieces thru the mail.Some shops will price match if you can prove the validity of a price claim. Print out leisure pros ads and take them with you.

 

[TSandM]

Personally, I'd go to the shop where you are going to take your class, and buy your mask there -- or, if they don't have one that fits well, go to other local dive shops where you can try things on. A well-fitted and leak-free mask is a really crucial piece of dive gear, because a mask that constantly seeps or leaks is both annoying and stressful.

If you know you are going to do local diving, again, trying on fins with the kind of exposure protection you are going to use is a good idea. Different boots (wet suit or dry suit or rock boots) will fit in different foot pockets, and you need a fin that works with the footgear you'll be using, and footgear that will work with a fin you can use. That sounds confusing, but I just went through the experience of buying some VERY nice dry suit boots I have had to give up, because they required me to move to a bigger blade fin, and I found them extremely uncomfortable to use.

You can save a lot of money by buying fit-independent things on line, but personal items I think are best bought where you can actually touch and try them.

 

[AmazonAquatics]

Thanks everybody for the quick replies. I will go around to some local dive shops this week and try some stuff on. What brands of masks are best as far as fogging up goes? I've read a lot about low volume masks, are these recommended? And as far as fins go, do I want really stiff fins or no? Which kinds of fins are easiest to use? Thanks again

 

[truck1]

As far as fogging of a mask, there is no one mask that will never fog. It all comes down to what you put into them to slow the fog process.Thats a whole other issue. You can go real cheap and spit and rinse, use some baby shampoo or buy an over the counter anti fog. It all comes down to trial and error as to what works best for you.

For a mask, find one that fits your face comfortably, and gives you the best vision.Being that you are young, (please dont take offense) your face will probably still change for the next few years or so,so a mask you buy now may not fit comfortably in a year or so.So dont get the most expensive one off the bat.Get the one ( and again your choices may be limited) that works best for you.

For fins, I really cant say, but if you have small feet like my girlfriend, you may not have a choice in which fins you get.(due to size of pocket or foot) Ask the person in the dive shop what they have and what they suggest. Better yet ask the person giving your open water class.

 

[AmazonAquatics]

Thanks for the reply. I went to try out some masks yesterday. For scuba diving I was told to look for a mask that had tempered glass lenses and I was told because I couldn't try the mask out in actual water that if I put the mask up to my face and inhaled, if it suctioned to my face than it would fit. I did this with all of the masks and then narrowed it down to which mask I could see the best out of and felt best(and was reasonably priced). I'm going to the pool today to practice snorkeling and see if the mask works well and when I was in Cancun I did a discover scuba so I'm going to practice mask clearing. I have one more question, when snorkeling does the snorkel go on the right side of your face or the left side? I'm right handed if that matters. I already know how to snorkel I just never thought their was an actual correct way to do it. Thank you

 

[truck1]

I have my snorkel on the rare times I wear it on the left.( I think the last time was on my gf checkout last year) The main reason why is that it will not interfere with my regulator, which comes over your right shoulder.

 

[AmazonAquatics]

Ok, I will probably wear it on the left also for the same reason, I didn't even think of that. Do you know how the snorkel has that thing on it that lets it attach to the strap on the mask? When diving, do you usually leave the snorkel attached to the mask or just in a pocket of the BCD? When in diving would you actually use a snorkel? It seems that the only time you would use a snorkel would be to swim back to the boat after a dive. I have a US divers semi-dry snorkel, it doesn't seem like a snorkel is something that I would want to put a lot of money into seeing that you never really use one.


Now the next thing that I need is a decent pair of fins and boots. How do you tell the difference between diving fins and pool fins? After reading online it seems that diving fins are longer than pool fins, but not as long as freediving fins. Is this correct? Approximately how many inches should the fins be to be considered diving fins? Thanks for all of the replies so far.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Ok, I will probably wear it on the left also for the same reason, I didn't even think of that. Do you know how the snorkel has that thing on it that lets it attach to the strap on the mask? When diving, do you usually leave the snorkel attached to the mask or just in a pocket of the BCD? When in diving would you actually use a snorkel? It seems that the only time you would use a snorkel would be to swim back to the boat after a dive. I have a US divers semi-dry snorkel, it doesn't seem like a snorkel is something that I would want to put a lot of money into seeing that you never really use one.


Now the next thing that I need is a decent pair of fins and boots. How do you tell the difference between diving fins and pool fins? After reading online it seems that diving fins are longer than pool fins, but not as long as freediving fins. Is this correct? Approximately how many inches should the fins be to be considered diving fins? Thanks for all of the replies so far.

About the snorkel: A snorkel is used to swim face-down on the surface. It can also be used in rough conditions on the suface when you are floating upright (legs down, head up, using your BC) to help keep water out of your mouth.

Lots of people do not use snorkels after they are certified. This is because they feel tjat they do not really need one for the type of diving they do, or they never got comfortable using one; and in some cases a snorkel can actaully be hazardous due to risk of entanglement in certain environments (cave diving, wreck diving, etc.). Some people buy folding snorkels and keep them in a BC pocket.

I use always have used a snorkel because I shore dive and often have long surface swims in choppy, rough water, and the snorkel works well for me... but I started out as a "skin diver" in my early teens before learning scuba when I graduated from high school, so I feel kind of "naked" without a snorkel on the left side of my mask

Maybe someday I'll grow out of my snorkel habit

As far as fins and boots, I think going to your local dive shop and/or asking your instructor to guide you may be the best bet.

Good Luck!