Not even a newby yet—needs advice.

[barralax]

Here's the deal, My fiance and I are wanting to get certified before we go to Hawaii next May but we haven't even signed up for my open water certification yet. I'm looking at purchasing just the bassics to get us started, but I don't want to have to re-purchase this stuff too quickly down the road either.

I've been to 3 LDS's and they all ticked me off with their B.S. on prices, what's included in the Open Water classes, product missinformation and such. So my new plan is go into the next LDS (they're everywhere here) and tell them from the get-go that I've already purchased my Mask/Snorkle/Fins and then ask them about their open water classes. I'm sorry but as a consumer/college student/about to get married and buy a house/young man who is purchasing equipment for two, I just have to go with LP. (I probably will buy the booties from the LDS though) If I can't meet our budget, we can't dive. Simple as that.

So all that said, I have some bassic equipment questions.

Fins: I bassically have a $50 (LP prices) price range.
I'm looking at some Tusa Imprex Open Heels. I'm looking at these because a co-worker who dives occasionally mentioned that the flexible interior part of the fin would be a plus. Is he full of it?

Snorkle: Mares Stream Dry Snorkle. Any Comments?

Mask: Scubapro Crystal VU Single Lens Mask with Purge. I'm looking at this mask because it's panoramic, low-volume and has purge: all things we [think we] want. It does happen to be a little cheaper than some comperable masks, but that actually worries me more than it interests me.

All in all I'm only asking if I'd be making a big mistake with any of this equipment. I'm sure I could ponder over this feature vs. this feature all day long. I could try stuff on at the LDS but they'd have to come WAY down on prices. The bottom line is I need to get into the 4 open water dives before the lakes get cold, so I need to hurry up and make up my mind.

All practicle and non-biased advice is extremely appricieated.
Thanks,
Barry

 

[Otter]

Have you asked Leisure Pro's Customer Service center for their opinion on your selection? They will want you facial dimensions in order to fit your mask.

Otter

 

[Walter]

Check e-bay for Scubapro Jet Fins (not imitations). You should be able to pick up a pair for under $50.

Get a plain J snorkel, no need for and bells and whistles. The devices added to snorkels are added to fix a lack of training. Don't pay extra for what you don't need.

Any low volume mask that fits and is comfortable will do.

 

[Wendy]

Where are you located?

Get a plan snorkel. No need for that dry snorkel just. I had one and it was the biggest waste of money, yes it worked great, but I hated it.

Also I've used a mask with a purge, but if that's what you want get it. Just remember that it can get snad trapped up in there and maybe flood, so keep it clean.

 

[GeekDiver]

I don't have any problems with buying online but I wouldn't buy a mask that way unless you've try one out in a pool and know it works for you.

I tried several masks to find one that fit that didn't leak. It took me several dives before I decided I didn't like it and bought another. A good mask can be hard to find and may take a few dives before you decide if you like it or not and will be hard to know it will leak unless you try it on. I would rather spend the money and have a local store to work with than making a blind fit from an online store and ending up with one that may or may not fit right or be uncomfortable. I don't think a purge in a mask is a big deal but whatever works best and makes your diving easer should be what counts.

A snorkle is a snorkle. The dry ones are nice but unless you like to snorkle alot I would get the cheapest one I could get. Alot of of divers won't use them once they have completed OW and only keep them incase they dive in an area that requires a long surface swim. I for one try to come up next to a boat and I try to spend as little time on the surface as need be. The only times I use one is during a class. I tried very hard to lose mine during open water but someone kept finding it and bringing it back to shore. People are so helpfull

Geek

 

[barralax]

I'm in Oklahoma.

Ok, I could more easilly justify the mask purchase from a LDS than the fins, the price difference isn't as much. I think I will go ahead and go with the dry snorkle because we do plan on doing some moderate snorkling and at $18 it's not that bad.

So does anyone have any Comments on those Tusa Imprex Open Heel Fins?
That's honestly what I'm most curios about.

 

[ZoCrowes255]

barralax once bubbled...
Here's the deal, My fiance and I are wanting to get certified before we go to Hawaii next May but we haven't even signed up for my open water certification yet. I'm looking at purchasing just the bassics to get us started, but I don't want to have to re-purchase this stuff too quickly down the road either.

I've been to 3 LDS's and they all ticked me off with their B.S. on prices, what's included in the Open Water classes, product missinformation and such. So my new plan is go into the next LDS (they're everywhere here) and tell them from the get-go that I've already purchased my Mask/Snorkle/Fins and then ask them about their open water classes. I'm sorry but as a consumer/college student/about to get married and buy a house/young man who is purchasing equipment for two, I just have to go with LP. (I probably will buy the booties from the LDS though) If I can't meet our budget, we can't dive. Simple as that.

All in all I'm only asking if I'd be making a big mistake with any of this equipment. I'm sure I could ponder over this feature vs. this feature all day long. I could try stuff on at the LDS but they'd have to come WAY down on prices. The bottom line is I need to get into the 4 open water dives before the lakes get cold, so I need to hurry up and make up my mind.

All practicle and non-biased advice is extremely appricieated.
Thanks,
Barry

I work for an LDS and I will tell you to purchase your equipment wherever you like HOWEVER do not use the LDS as a fitting room to purchase form Leisurepro. If you take up the salesmans time for him to help you to find and fit gear it is extremely rude to go buy it online.

I am a big fan of the ClearVU mask. Nice range of vision without being a huge high volume mask. I am not a huge fan of nose purges for new divers. If you have any problems with your ears a nose purge could make equalizing an even bigger pain.

 

[barralax]

I wouldn't ever use the LDS for fittings if I weren't going to buy from them. I should have made that clear. I was simply turned off by the three I've visited due to their sales tactics, I've only asked them about their prices and what they offer as far as the Certification classes go. I asked for, and got, no advice on products. I'd love to buy locally, and I understand the minimum advertised price clause, and I've heard I could possibly talk-down a LDS, but I don't have the time to hop from LDS to LDS seeing who is willing to hagel without being insulted, it's amazing how many LDS's there are in OKC; the closest relatively clear lakes (I've Heard 8 feet visability max) are about a couple of hours away, I frequent the two most popular of these lakes fairly regularly (boating) and have never seen enough scuba activity to seeming justify the amount of shops in the city. I'm sure I'm talking out of my @*$ here, but the market seems over-saturated. I guess they're all selling trips.

 

[chrispete]

I second ZoCrowe's comment - it seems to be increasingly popular to use dive shops as fitting rooms, we're seeing a lot of it here. The quickest way to lose the "nice little extras" that I give our customers here is to take up 15 minutes of my time when I have 6-8 other customers in the store waiting and then coming back the next week asking me to adjust your mask that you just bought online because it "doesn't fit the way it did here" (it's happened.)

Otherwise, you may want to give the LDS's a chance to beat the LP prices, walk in and let them know what you are paying for the entire package that you want (don't sweat the individual equipment as they may not be able to beat the price on the reg, but can beat something else to make the package price come out right) - I know that I've come really, really close to beating them before by throwing in extras that you won't get from LP (wouldn't it be nice to get something like free tank rentals/refills for the summer for example?) Ask for something like that, you may be surprised by the rensponse that you get, and if you are dive just 10 times in a summer, for both of you that adds up to around $200 savings over the summer on tank rentals.

 

[hodgson]

barralax once bubbled...
I it's amazing how many LDS's there are in OKC; the closest relatively clear lakes (I've Heard 8 feet visability max) are about a couple of hours away, I frequent the two most popular of these lakes fairly regularly (boating) and have never seen enough scuba activity to seeming justify the amount of shops in the city. I'm sure I'm talking out of my @*$ here, but the market seems over-saturated. I guess they're all selling trips.

Never been there... but I found this on Google... maybe it will help find a spot

http://www.okscuba.com/lakereport.html

Tenkiller Ferry Lake might be worth checking out if the Vis report is true.