Newbie wanting to learn to dive...

[fjpatrum]

Which comes with Snorkel fins. Which will put the OP at a disadvantage in class and during any longer swims since he'll have to work harder to keep up since they're typically shorter/wider/stiffer? than dive fins. In a couple years he'll be upgrading whatever breaks/wears out first. Probably a fin buckle.

I still suggest you buy a mask from a dive shop so you get one that fits. Going thru certification with a leaky mask takes your mind off what you're supposed to be doing at the time and it could unsettling if it floods cold water during the checkout dives - I assume the MD waters aren't real warm....

Shops sell masks starting around $40 or less. My shop has several racks of them, the highest is about $85, the lowest $25. I have a $29 Shewood soft-skirt mask that fits better than my low-volume, oversized window $75 Tusa.

I used Leisurepro.com for the info below but Scubatoys, Dive Right In Scuba, Divers Supply and many others are also options.
You can buy a better snorkel than you need online for $15 or less.
Snorkels buy at LeisurePro
If you're a standard size, boots are also $25 or less. The only issue then is thickness. 5MM is probably a good overall compromise. 5mm Boots buy at LeisurePro
Fins can be as cheap as $25 for dive fins. Oceanic Viper's are a dive fin made by a dive company.
Next step up is any number of fins in the $40-50 range - for cold water diving, you want open heel fins/boots also. Fins buy at LeisurePro
Lastly, gloves are around $20-25.

So not $50 at Wally World but it's all dive gear that should last you a long time. $150-200 tops.

Also let your shop compete because they may be able to get close less taxes. And you get to try it all on first.

I'm not sure what disadvantage we're talking about with respect to fins. My OW dives, in the local quarry here, didn't have any "longer swims" and I haven't heard of many that do. In either case, you're not supposed to be racing so unless your OW is in some ripping current (unlikely since it's not supposed to be done that way) it shouldn't matter at all.

YMMV. I still use my closed heel "snorkel" fins for pretty much all diving where I don't need booties. If I had smaller feet I'd use them for those as well. I'm not doing hundreds of dives a year (or even a decade at this pace) but my fins have traveled all over the world with me and have lasted for better than 10 years. I am also definitely in the minority in that I prefer the closed heel fins.

I must be lucky with masks because I simply don't have problems with them. OW teaches you to clear your mask in the first pool session, if I remember correctly, and for me "fit" has never been an issue. I will admit it's nicer when I'm not clearing every few minutes, but I think it's an issue often overstated. I simply wouldn't spend $40 on a mask unless it was an emergency. (I'm admittedly a cheap bastard.)

If you can find "dive fins" for $25 I say that's a great alternative. >$100 in a dive shop is just foolish, though. I use wetsuitwearhouse.com for neoprene. Most folks diving in the quarries around here use 3mm or 5mm gloves and 7mm booties so those prices are about right. I'd also recommend a hood for another $20-$30. I hadn't really thought of any of those as requirements for my course but they were for the cold water OW dives.

I haven't found a shop in this area that will even try to compete on prices. Maybe it's because I'm not particularly interested in buying high dollar items but so far every local shop I've asked has flat out said they won't bother. I don't blame them and I agree with giving your LDS the opportunity but, so far, I haven't had luck. That said, I don't use my local shops as a fitting station just to turn around and buy something online. I think that's uncool. If you're getting the help you need for fitting, spending at least something in the shop is the "right" thing to do.

 

[Bmorebirds_24]

Hey all been busy and haven't had a chance to reply. Wanted to say thanks for all the feed back and guess my first stop should be at a local dive shop and go from there.
When I get a chance I plan to go over the post and will ask any further questions I may have. Right now working and dealing with a car issue but wanted to express my appreciation for helping me get my journey started.


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[freewillie]

My LDS has Open Water scuba lessons for $350. Includes wetsuit, tanks, weights, BC, regulator, class materials, pool sessions, ocean sessions. Boat dive is optional and at additional cost. You are required to have your own personal gear which for California would be mask, fins, snorkel, hood, gloves, and booties. Those additional costs then will depend on the price of the gear you decide to buy. You don't have to spend a whole lot of money for good equipment.

I would stay will gear specifically marketed for scuba. I know my LDS will give you the option of bringing the gear for inspection. The instructor reserves the right to approve the gear if it would be okay for diving. If not you are looking at purchasing gear. You don't necessarily need to purchase from the LDS. If you find the same gear at lower prices online then by all means order. But especially for a mask it may take a few tries with different sizes and shapes to find one that fits. One student in my class had an issue with the mask leaking during the first pool dive. Since he did purchase through the LDS they gave him a second one to try, that mask did better, and they took the first mask back as a return and credited that cost to the second mask. That's not as efficient through the internet or Walmart.

When I first started diving no one else in my family was certified. My friends who are certified had absolutely no interest in diving locally in the cold water. My early days diving I found a local dive club to have dive buddies. Now days my eldest daughter is 17 and has been certified since age 13 and is my new vacation dive buddy. Ironically I very rarely shore dive locally these days due to my youngest son's sports tournaments. The vast majority of my dives are now vacation dives while on vacation. So yes, it is worth certifying even if you don't dive local. My last dive was Thanksgiving in the Bahamas, the summer before was in Maui, and the summer before that was in Cancun. You may not dive that often but even if you plan to dive once a year on vacation that option is open to you if you are certified.

If you book a dive for vacation simply inform them that you are solo. They will likely pair you up with another diver who is also in need of a buddy. That shouldn't really be a problem, and it was never much of an issue for me diving on trips even before I had a regular buddy. And just to state the obvious it is never a good idea to solo dive by yourself as a beginner until you have much more experience.

 

[dmaziuk]

The problem is that most shops won't let you "rent" personal gear. They require it for the class and most are trying to drive a sale of overpriced equipment in their shop.

Yeah well. I'd've thought a pissed-in wetsuit or puked-in reg are way more "personal" than a pair of fins. They can't expect students to BYO those.

 

[Scuba Diving Dreamer]

If the conditions at home are not ideal, just use it as an excuse to go dive somewhere hot on this amazing planet of ours. I got my certification in costa rica and had an amazing instructor. I was lucky enough to get trained by a Padi course director so hopefully all those good habits he stressed on stick! I actually wrote a article on my experiences down there after wanting to learn to dive for so many years and loving anything to do with the ocean as a kid. one of the best experiences of my life was the first time we encountered some sharks, was so cool!
Feel free to check it out, and hopefully it inspires you to get out there and dive!

 

[diversteve]

I'm not sure what disadvantage we're talking about with respect to fins. My OW dives, in the local quarry here, didn't have any "longer swims" and I haven't heard of many that do. In either case, you're not supposed to be racing so unless your OW is in some ripping current (unlikely since it's not supposed to be done that way) it shouldn't matter at all.

YMMV. I still use my closed heel "snorkel" fins for pretty much all diving where I don't need booties. If I had smaller feet I'd use them for those as well. I'm not doing hundreds of dives a year (or even a decade at this pace) but my fins have traveled all over the world with me and have lasted for better than 10 years. I am also definitely in the minority in that I prefer the closed heel fins.

The longer swims could be if he takes more training and/or just goes diving after being certified. My instructor offered us a fun dive immediately after certification. We headed out to the submarine canyon off Kellogg Beach in San Diego after completing our 2nd day of OW cert. dives - it's a healthy swim out.

I guess a comma would've helped.

When I certified we had to do both a longer swim and tow a buddy a reasonable distance. I guess they don't do that any longer in OW.

You're still comparing apples and oranges though. Full foot dive fins like you probably have are the same as open heel dive fins except for the pocket. If you're still diving with snorkel fins, I suggest you try them instead - the fins have the same dive characteristics as the equivalent open heel fin. I know a lot of people who use them - in the Caribbean. In Maryland - not so much...

There are also snorkeling fins that are open heel but they're typically shorter. Since you mentioned US Divers gear, check out their website. Snorkeling is mentioned at least 3 times on their main page, diving not at all. You'd think they might if that was an intended purpose for their snorkel fins. It appears Aqualung spun-off the US Divers brand into snorkeling gear only.

This is the U.S. Divers snorkel fin I saw in the $55 package. In size XL


This is an Aqualung Express Adjustable dive fin. IDK the size.


Bmorebirds_24,

Notice the longer distance between the front of the foot pocket and the fin tip. That's what develops the thrust and "snap" when you're diving since you're much less streamlined while doing so than while snorkeling.

 

[fjpatrum]

diversteve, I recognize the difference, I still prefer snorkel fins to dive fins. Again, I'm clearly in the minority. My snorkel fins are a bit longer and narrower than the US Divers (I use saekodive fins) a bit more like the Aqualungs you showed. And, again, I've never had any issues "keeping up" using those fins except against free divers who are massively better swimmers than I am, with or without fins of any type.

I always recommend starting out cheap simply because so many people don't know what to buy and get bad advice (from my experience) from dive shop owners/employees looking to make a sale without listening to what a person's diving interests are or accepting that a person's interests might change significantly over even a short period of time diving. For simplicity, my recommendations typically go to the US Divers sets because the equipment is good quality for a reasonable price. If you suggest buying via the internet for "diving" fins, it still leaves newbs without much idea as to what they should be buying. Splits? Blades? Jets? Slingshots? Too many options, most of which are complete marketing claptrap.

Thanks for the back and forth. I think it will help any new divers (including OP) who happen to view our exchange.

 

[Bmorebirds_24]

Ok so I looked up local dive shops and have three within 15 miles of where I live.
I plan to go in and make it known about my interest in diving and go from there. I've learned to watch for shops trying to make a sale. So I will definitely be heads up about that.
Another thing that seems to be important is the mask and its fit so I will be sure to check into that more.
This is something I have always wanted to do for years and now finally taking the initiative to do it. I haven't had much time after starting the thread to research anything and really respond to each post but I do appreciate the information passed along and plan to read around on the board to learn as I go.
I may wait til the winter months to start classes to pass the winter along before the spring and summer get here. I really would like my way into the water as a diver sometime next year.


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[dmaziuk]

Another thing that seems to be important is the mask and its fit so I will be sure to check into that more.

That's easy: get the strap out of the way, press it to your face, look down. An ideal perfect fit is if stays in place. A regular proper fit is when you need to suck a little air in through the nose to keep it there. If you do that and it falls off: it leaks air around the edges, it'll leak water too.

 

[GrandpaScuba]

I am going to concentrate on one particular part of your question. If I did not have a diving mentor, I don't know what I would have done when I was learning to dive. Definitely get into a class right a way. Socialize with the other students and see if you can cultivate A regular dive buddy. Look for activities sponsored by the store. At least one of my regular buddies was another single driver who got assigned to me as a buddy for a store activity. Look around your local area for dive clubs, either independent or store sponsored. Participate in as many club activities or store sponsored activities as you possibly can. You will be able to sign up as a single and they will put you with another diver or group of divers. This way you can build your experience even though none of your old friends are interested in diving. After you start diving and telling your friends about it, and perhaps sharing photos, you may find that some of them will get interested. Mine did.