newbe and more stupid questions

[Skipraha]

Well, here's my newbie perspective. Before you blow the bank, be sure you like it. At least take the first class before dropping a grand! Not that I think you won't like scuba, but be sure before blowing the wife's birthday present $$'s .

I started out mask, fins, snorkle. I figured that worse came to worse I'd have a nice snorkle outfit if I hated scuba. That obviously not the case. FYI, I finished cert on vacation in Mexico in February.

After classes I added a light and BASIC watch (depth, bottom time and temp only - $35 e-bay). But that is still all I own and I live in the Great Lakes region. My plan is to rent equipment at a few LDS's in town to find out what I like and don't as I dive local, cold Ohio quarries. Next buy will be wetsuit, then BCD, then reg's. I figure it like taxes...spread it out, it still sucks, but not as bad as all at once.

You'll drop cash over time like I will, but you'll be sure you're getting what you like, you wife will be appeased ($200 here and there feeld like less than $1000 all at once), and you'll still be able to dive---even with rented equipment!

Just my thoughts - Don

 

[Stormingheaven]

I just can't thank you all enough. I've been checking out the websites that you've provided and I'm love um. I know now that I can pick up good equipment at reasonable prices. So it's off to class and start looking at what types of equipment I might like. At least now I can break the bank slower. I have to I promised the wife that I'd take her on a cruise with friends this coming January. Of course I plan on diving.

 

[Atticus]

There's one other thing that hasn't been brought up in this thread - most dive shops will treat you to some abuse when you tell them that you bought your dive gear here and there on the internet. It sucks, and it's a bad policy since they chase their customers further away when they do that, but there it is.