Newbie basic gear questions

[rachel0]

Hi--I am getting open water certified as I write, just finished some pool classes, haven't done my first open water dive. We've (my DH & I) always wanted to dive (well, i have) and with our first cruise coming up, we finally got the time to be able to do it. (went to Bali in 2001, could kick myself for not learning before then, but really didn't have time to learn before the trip). We live in Houston and there seems to be some readily accessible diving just on weekends, so maybe we'll be able to do it often, but as our lives and careers get busier, I just don't know.

Anyway, we've bought snorkel stuff (fins, mask, snorkel) weight belt, gloves & booties b/c we've done alot of snorkeling and that stuff would be useful regardless of how much diving we end up doing. So my question is: not knowing how much diving we will do, what do we really need now or just rent that stuff now and wait until the cruise is over and see when we actually go diving again to even think about buying the "serious" equipment?

Sorry for the super long post and TIA!

 

[OE2X]

Hi-- not knowing how much diving we will do, what do we really need now or just rent that stuff now and wait until the cruise is over and see when we actually go diving again to even think about buying the "serious" equipment?

If I were you I would hold off on buying any more until you find that the diving bug has really bitten you. You can literally spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on gear. Unless you dive a lot then the money may be ill spent. You have a mask and fins that fit. This was a good decision as your comfort level will be much higher than using resort gear. The resort will have the rest of the gear so you won't have to transport it.
The only thing that I would advise buying is a small and cheap light. This will do wonders for pulling out the colors of the corals even at snorkel depth. Spending more than $30. for one of these lights is unnecessary.
http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.a...dex=1&CategoryID=972&Context=965&Filter=1=290

When you get back if you find that you want to start diving locally then rent your gear for a while. Try out all sorts of different brands to see what works best for you. Come back to Scubaboard and do searches about the gear that you used to get other peoples opinions. Ask lots of questions! Then when you go to your LDS you will have a much better idea of what will work for you.

 

[crpntr133]

I do agree. I don't know how many people I have seen that buy all their gear before their first open water dive. Then after a year they haven't used it. I guess if you have that kind of money to waste, great.
My words of advice...rent and research.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

You'll get different opinions, Rachel. Mine, for example, differs from overexposed2X's.

Don't know how long your trip is. Often when you hear diver's talking about nightmare scenarios while on divetrips, it was because they couldn't breath properly. They got water mixed with air. Torn mouthpiece. Overbreathing the reg in current or when anxious. Poor maintenance. Internal problems that restricted airflow at depth. No fun at all.

Rental equipment is fine in most cases, but there's few things that take the enjoyment out of a dive like not being able to breath comfortably.

A good regulator is a decent investment towards ensuring you enjoy your trip. Its life support equipment - your life. If you find you don't want to continue diving later, ebay it. No worries.

I'll rent most other equipment, but if taking a trip I'll bring along my own regulators.

FWIW. YMMV.

 

[geraldp]

Hi--I am getting open water certified as I write...

Congratulations on getting your OW certs!

So my question is: not knowing how much diving we will do, what do we really need now or just rent that stuff now and wait until the cruise is over and see when we actually go diving again to even think about buying the "serious" equipment?

I rented for about 9 months after getting my certification. Then when my dive shop had it's annual big sale I bought a bunch of gear. Although it is expensive to rent, you will be better off getting a good feel for different types of equipment. Doc Intrepid is right, however, and when you get to your vacation destination it's hit or miss as to whether you get good quality rental gear or not. My recommendation is to rent from the dive shop where you're getting certified, and take it with you. Yes It will indeed be a bit more expensive (renting for the entire week instead of just on your dive days), plus you have to travel with it. The peace of mind you'll get for being able to use gear that you're comfortable with and knowing that it is maintained correctly will be invaluable.

Jerry

 

[rachel0]

Congratulations on getting your OW certs!

Jerry

Not quite yet--I still have one more pool lesson and then the open water dive. Plus, I have to actually pass the swim test!

My recommendation is to rent from the dive shop where you're getting certified, and take it with you. Yes It will indeed be a bit more expensive (renting for the entire week instead of just on your dive days), plus you have to travel with it. The peace of mind you'll get for being able to use gear that you're comfortable with and knowing that it is maintained correctly will be invaluable.

Jerry

Now that's perfect! The vacation is only a week, and because it's a cruise, I won't have to lug everything around from island to island. Good idea--thank you!

 

[jbichsel]

I agree. I actually try to discourage new divers from rushing out and buying all the spendy stuff. Take your time, rent various brands, models, styles of regs and BC's. Those are the two most important and expensive pieces of gear and should not be rushed into.

Just because someone recommends a certain brand, model, style, does not mean that would be your choice. No sense spending thousands of dollars on gear if you're not going to use it more than once or twice a year. Scuba gear is too expensive to become dust collector devices.

 

[yknot]

One problem with renting is that you won't find anything you don't like so it isn't an effective technique to help you decide. You'll need to be in deep, cold water or under very physically demanding circumstances to find a regulator that won't work for you and those are the types of conditions you venture into later after you bought equipment. You also won't be able to do side by side comps unless you are going to rent two very different regulators and then breath them both at 100 feet on the same dive. You'll also convince yourself that the top of the line tech reg was better than the cheaper recreational reg even when it would take some syphisticated machinery to measure the difference. If you think that you are going to enjoy diving and stick with it, and the fact that you are seeking out advice from this board would indicate this, then before your trip, at least buy a regulator. See what your LDS has to offer. Ask for a balanced diaphragm first stage with an enviromental seal, a cold water compatible second stage and a duplicate second stage for an octo (don't settle for the hockeypuck style). See what kind of models and prices they offer and then run them past the board. At least we can tell you if the price is reasonable. You won't be sorry in the long run if you buy a top of the line regulator and there are not any fit and comfort issues with regs either.

 

[OE2X]

Agreed with all of the above on regulators. Buy the best you can afford.

When it comes time to buy a BCD this is where you should try as many as possible before you purchase. Fit underwater vs. fit above water are two very different animals. Also just because a BCD looks good in the shop, doesn't mean that it will perform for you. When you are at your LDS ask what the clerks now use for their own personal diving. You may find that it differs completely from what they are trying to sell you. It took me two other BCD's before I finally settled on the one that I now use.

 

[samsp]

Other equipment you may want to consider buying are:

* Wetsuit - I presume this is a warm water cruise as opposed to alaska or similar. It may be an idea to find a wetsuit that fits - that way you'll be comfortable and have the knowlege that nobody [else] has pee'd in it. A good suit will keep you warmer, particularly on multi-day multi-dive trips.

* Computer - In open water you'll learn how to use the tables to calcualte NDL. However that assumes a square profile. You can get more bottom time using a computer that is doing second by second tracking of your nitrogen absorbtion. You'll probably be diving with a dive master (DM), but even if you are a few feet below him/her it can make a difference. The place you dive may rent them, but then somebody else may have used it during the day, and it won't be tracking your dive profile.
Computers range in price and sophistication like most dive gear. You can get wireless air integration etc, or console models, however a simple wrist mount will do just fine, and be good for many years to come. Good deals can be had on leisurepro.com, but beaware of their warantee issues. I wouldn't buy Scubapro from them becuase you want the scubapro warantee, but I would look at Suunto or other manufacturers.

sam