Please - HELP - if you had to buy from scratch?

[InGearX]

I'm a new diver/snorkeler and I want to get my own mask+snorkel, fins and what else I may need? (I'm new... ) ...

So I'm starting out from scratch and I see this as a chance to research and get the best or best in value equipment...

What would you recommend I get? buy them at a local shot (try em on and etc...)
order a package from online? or separate products?

I see that there is some outstanding new revolutionary equipment out there:

folding "flip" fins:
* Omega Aquatics (but for $200 flip fins - Google Product Search I'm not sure that it's worth it... and I see that the back of heel is not protected, if you step on something sharp...)

Diving Mask -- Welcome To HydroOptix
* defiantly something that I would want to use - but for but daily/snorkel use it's an overkill - maybe I will get that - but I would also want to have a regular mask as well for quick use/for a friend...

What other unique products are out there that are worth considering?

Looking forward to an informative, thoughtful and interesting discussion...

Thank you...

 

[ekremer]

Honestly both of those products are gimmicky. thats not to say they are top quality because I beleive they are, but you can get other top quality gear for less.

As for online vs LDS. in most cases you can get it cheaper online but its hard to fit it especially as a new diver. I would bring prices from online vendors (preferably ones that are authorized to the product your looking at) to see if you could negotiate the price.

From my understanding of the mask you may not be happy with it as a snorkeling mask, but like most everything is scuba its personal prefrence and is hard to say what you would or would not like.
The most important thing with a mask is fit fit fit. I tend to prefer low profile masks (which I beleive the HydroOptix is not). I currently dive a Cressi Big Eyes and if It got lost tomorrow I would probably pick up a Mares Liquid Skin.

As for a snorkel goes. If you are going to be primarily diving I would either go with somethign that folds or the cheapest snorkel you can get. They aren't that important for diving and the dry stuff is a bit bulky for diving. If you are going to be primarily snorkeling then a dry snorkel would be a nice convinence, but I would learn how to snorkel with a normal one first.
I currently use when I have to a basic snorkel that came out of one of those costco US Divers snorkeling kits from 10 years ago, and have no plans on replacing it unless it gets lost.

Fins: For me these have been the hardest product to buy. I currently dive the fins I bought for Open Water genesis Responses, and I hate them. They just don't seem right. If I were to do it again today I have no clue what I would get. I would need to try out a bunch, which is why I have not replaced mine yet. I have no way of trying before I buy around here that I know of.
Your choice, the Omega Aquatics are getting failry good reviews from what I understand but they are gimmicky like I said, and you could probably do just as well with a different pair of paddle fins like the Avanti Quattros which I understand are popular, but so is the Jet Fin. For split fins I think the favorites around here are the bio-fin and the Twin Jets.

Good Luck!

 

[TSandM]

The most important thing about a mask is that it fits you. Masks which leak are annoying and can be stressful. I'm a big fan of buying things like masks from a shop where you can go in and try on a bunch of them and pick the one that fits properly. I'm not myopic, so the Hydrooptix mask is not an option for me (without contacts, and I'm not going there) so it's not anything I've ever looked into.

What fins you want will depend in part on where you intend to do most of your diving. Dry suit divers use open heel fins; some wetsuit divers use full foot fins and others just use their open heel fins with booties. You need to know what you will use for footgear so that you can pick a fin that your foot will fit into and that won't be sloppy. There is a lot of controversy about what the best fin is, and whether you can even say there is a "best fin", or whether it's application-specific.

I don't like the idea of the flip fins or the new fins with the bungies, because in my experience, if something has a hinge or a joint, that's where it's likely to break, and broken fins mean a miserable dive.

 

[porbeagle]

hello ingearx..... I also am new to scubaboard,but I have been around diving for decades. My advise to you is to take an open water course and integrate skindiving snorkeling,with scuba.Then all equipement questions will work themselves out.ekremer gives good advise,and their are others on sb whose experience is awsome. You mention jet fins and split fins,maybe reading old posts will help you in your quest. But in any case, you are on a great track with sb and its 97000 members. Take the course.... Dive safely....Support your local dive shop. Porbeagle

 

[meesier42]

I don't like the idea of the flip fins or the new fins with the bungies, because in my experience, if something has a hinge or a joint, that's where it's likely to break, and broken fins mean a miserable dive.

Often true, but with some fins, specifically ForceFins you can dive without a problem without the heel strap at all. I just finished a dive that one of the divers wearing ForceFins never got the bungie over her heel (all three of us were wearing ForceFins). Didn't affect the dive one bit, fin never fell off, and she was completely unware of it not being over her ankle until I fixed it for her 20 minutes into the dive. That pair of fins were loaners and a fit very loosely.

 

[UWDoc]

When it's time to look for regulators, it is important to consider what your local dive shops service and a reg is something you should strongly consider buying locally rather than online. A reg needs to be serviced regularly (service interval will depend on manufacturer) and having a local place to bring it is much easier than having to travel to a shop far away or ship it off for service. I recently ran into a problem with this because I moved to a city where none of the local shops service the regs I own. Choosing one that most shops carry may be good idea.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I started out buying all the fancy stuff and have finally sold most everything. Look at the dive rite mask at diveriteexpress.com it is guaranteed to fit properly. I also like the slap strap they sell. masks with clear skirts and side windows make me nuts and could only be enjoyed on LDS (thats a different issue). Stick with the all black masks, its hard to comprehend but they are the way to go.

If your not going into tech diving anytime soon look into a pair of apollo split bio fins w/ spring straps and a good comfortable pair of wetsuit boots (I like the henderson hyperstretch boots). Those fins are easier to put on and more comfortable in the water for snorkeling or recreational diving in comparison to stiff fins.

Unless you actually intend to snorkel I never tell anyone to buy a snorkel, however I do own one. I have one of those super fancy over advertised oceanmaster dry snorkels that is a mile to long, top heavy, and overall just plain annoying so I would say pick up a standard J tube. The one I have is superb for the only use I have for it, spear fishing...

Picking up a good wetsuit is not a bad idea either, if your in warm water only look at a 3mm or 5mm shorty at least. Even in the waters around Cozumel I wore my 7mm 2 piece hyperstretch suit.

 

[Stu S.]

Welcome to diving. I like to snorkel and dive. I use full-foot fins to snorkel, and a basic blade fin to dive. Full foot fins are a "try-on" item. For SCUBA blades the TUSA imprex fin is low cost and is liked by many divers. I use them for about half my dives.

Saying you live close to Leisure Pro in NYC, you can try on about every fin there is.

Have fun with it.

 

[Web Monkey]

I'm a new diver/snorkeler and I want to get my own mask+snorkel, fins and what else I may need? (I'm new... ) ...

So I'm starting out from scratch and I see this as a chance to research and get the best or best in value equipment...

What would you recommend I get? buy them at a local shot (try em on and etc...)
order a package from online? or separate products?

Get a great regulator. Assuming you take care of it, it wil llast longer than you will.

Avoid anything that comes with more hinges, valves, actuators, strings or buttons than are necessary to do it's job.

Get a BC that fits well. This isn't necessarily the most expensive one.

Buy at least two steel tanks. You'll dive a lot more if the air is waiting for you in your garage. Aluminum is cheaper, but again, a well maintained steel tank will outlast you. Our shop has a couple in rental from WW-II.

A computer is interesting. A really great air-integrated computer will watch your back when you're new and warn you of too-fast ascents, running low on air and a bunch of other stuff, however as you get better, you'll need it less, and in the end, if you're a careful diver, you could do just fine with an SPG, depth gauge, watch and tables. If money is an issue, skip it and get gauges. If money isn't an issue, get the Uwatec Galileo. It's amazingly cool.

Get the fins that make your legs happy. As an official old fart (just turned 51) with a bad knee and a little arthritis,, I like Twin-Jets. A lot of divers like the regular jets, which are stiffer. Whatever you get, try it out in the pool for an hour so you can get a good feel for it.

In any event, avoid fins that contain anything more interesting tha a fin and a strap. Things like hinges are just gimmicks. If your fins are in the way, you should take them off, not fold them up.

Terry