Opinionated LDS's...

[Dafydd]

I skimmed through this thread and it doesn't seem to add up...
People seem to agree that renting and diving is the way to go until you know what you want. That is suposed to be cheaper in the long run. Yet, renting thirty times before buying? If I rent a complete set up from my local shop it would be upwords of $50. If I have my own snorkle gear it comes down to around $35. Even at $35 each dive, thirty dives will cost over a $1000 in rentals!
The question is not do you rent first or buy first, but how much money spent renting eqates to a savings in the long run?
My son and I got OW just befor Christmas and we are going on ower first dive with out the instructor this Monday. We are renting, and I expect to pu out $100 for one day. How many of these rental dives can I do befor I know what I want? And finaly, the rental gear is vary limited; not too many choices. So renting for thirty+ dives, I will only have gotten used to the gear that the shop rents...
I know, I know, thirty dives may mulitple dives per rent. And the cost comes way down per dive...
One last question from a newbie. What is the best source of equipment info? What magazine does good reviews? I can't seem to find one around here.
Thanks for the great discussion board.
Dafydd

 

[sharpenu]

The reason you come out ahead by renting first is because of the way you should shop for your gear. Don't look for features. Features are the bells and whistles that manufacturers use to rope you in. The question should be- Does the gear do what it is supposed to do, and do it well. Does it really matter if my BC will accept twin tanks if I am not pllanning on using it? If I dive in Florida, does it matter that my Regulator can go to -10degC? The way to see if it works is to rent borrow and test the ones that look suitable. Unfortunately, I didn't do that. I bought right away, and paid for it. More than once. I have owned three BC's, two regs, two sets of fins and five dive computers. I finally have what works, but at what cost? It isn't that renting is more expensive than a set of gear. It is less expensive than a set of gear that doesn't work for you or that you don't like. A good source of info is www.scubadiving.com
One last piece of advice:
Alot of people will try to tell you what is best. Remember that they are clouded by their own opinion. Buy what is best for you, not what is best for someone else. Almost all of the gear out there is acceptable in a technical sense. Otherwise they would have been sued out of business a long time ago. Buy what is best for you and the type of diving you are planning to do. There is somuch more I could say, but this post is long as it is...

 

[large_diver]

A couple of thoughts:

No single magazine will contain reviews of ALL gear. Rodale's Scuba Diving has the most reviews in one place, but as with any reviews you have to understand the source (since almost all these gear mfrs. advertise in RSD). Still, it is a good place to get started. You also have to realize that they are writing these articles for a broad audience, so although they may say Brand X is the best, this may not work for you (because your situation is unique).
http://scubadiving.com/gear/

One additional way to cut down the number of choices is to look at what you local shops carry. If you want to have service done locally, you will want to chose models that are carried and serviced by your local shop.

Another great resource is right here and other scuba message boards. Folks here usually offer more unbiased opinions. While they may not be comprehensive opinions, you can quickly get an idea of what folks out there like and don't like.

The renting thing is tough on the wallet, I agree. I think the point to take away is to try gear in advance as much as you can......even if you can't try the specific model, if you get some dives under your belt first, you'll make more informed decisions.

Of course, this is in a "perfect world"...so you have to develop a plan that works for you and your wallet.

Good luck.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Dafydd
I skimmed through this thread and it doesn't seem to add up...
Dafydd

Dear Dafydd,

You have some excellent advice in this thread as well as these last few posts... especially Shapenu's comments about *features*

Ebay is your friend... not necessarily for buying... but for selling the things that you try for a while....

Don't worry about it.... now that you are certified go ahead and start buying gear.... if you are loaded with $$ buy it all....

You can always sell it at a modest loss and buy more....

I'm serious about this.... the amount you spend to begin with is nothing compared to what you will drop later ... believe me I know!!

As to what gear to buy first....

Please start a new thread titled *Outfitting Dafydd*....
Tell us where you will be diving and what kind of diving you plan on doing in the next year. Tell us about your son. Ask for suggestions... this is a great board... you will get pleanty of help.

 

[Dafydd]

Uncle Pug and all...
I will certainly start a thread with spacifics. But I think I'll rent a few times and try a thing or two first. That way I can ask the "Right" questions.
As for "features", I just know I'll have trouble with this one. Some of us just love all the little extras we can get our hands on. Yet thanks for the advice. I'll try to restrain the inpulse.

Dafydd