Questions about gear.

[JessicaDodge]

I am going to get my cert next month and want to buy some of my gear. I know I need to purchase my mask, snorkle, boots, and fins first... Should I get anything else for my classes? Also, when I decide to buy the rest should I get it all at once or is it ok to rent part of it and get a little at a time? And if so which pieces are the most improted to own and which can I put off getting? These may be stupid questions but I really don't know that much about how it all works yet.

Jessica

 

[art.chick]

Don't blow a lot of dough.

You will soon know more about the conditions you will be typically diving (locally, I presume in Florida, you can use mostly tropical gear?) But the question of whether you wil be doing rocky beach entries will influence whether you need little, thin-souled boots or thick, tough soles like mine.

Other than that, take your time, rent what you can for a while & try other peoples' gear in the pool, talk to locals & watch which models you see on the beach.

The wetsuit may be your first major purchase, as you may prefer to swim only in your own pee (and fit is important; the exact amount of neoprene will influence your weighting & you don't want that fluctuating all over the place.)

If you make a "bad" purchase of the more big-ticket items, you may still get trade-in value later, but I would wait on computers, BC, & reg for the moment. Tanks can wait longest, until u r diving so often that the calculated cost of buying ($100-250) is less than renting every weekend (about $8/day).

By the end of my OW class, I had already replaced my booties, fins, mask & snorkel due to bad fit in the water. Good thing I got the cheap ones...or was that WHY I replaced them? Hmmmmm?

 

[Welshman]

I'd go with ArtChick and just invest in a wetsuit of whatever thickness is appropriate for where you will be diving. Whatever wetsuit you buy I wouldn't buy a shorty - get a full wetsuit. Your arms and legs are then protected against stinging critters.

 

[large_diver]

Jessica,

Buying dive gear is like shopping for anything else -- the more informed you are, the better purchase decisions you will make.

Do as much research as you can on the internet and talking to experienced divers. This will get you lots of opinions. Then get some diving under your belt -- this will help you determine what type of gear works for YOU.

I wouldn't buy much until your class is over....at leat not much beyond mask, fins and snorkel.

Buying all your gear at once usually will save you money....but of course you don't have to do it that way. In fact, to get the gear you want, you often have to shop around a multiple shops.

Hope this helps -- good luck.

-LD

 

[JessicaDodge]

Thanks, I have been shopping around, being in Jacksonville we have a lot of LDS. so there is a lot to choose from. I have also been searching the internet for information on websites, and boards like this one. I can't wait to do this... It's one of those lifelong dreams that is actually going to happen. How many people get to fufill a lifelong dream at 23. My boss dives and brought in his pictures for me to see yesterday and I am even more excited now. And yeah art.chick, I prefer not to dive in other peoples pee if at all possible. I have thought about it a lot and decided that for now, I will stick to diving in my own. LOL. again thanks for all the info.


Jessica

 

[Wendy]

Jessica,

While shopping you will see many gadgets and items of gear that look cool, but remember to keep it simple. If you don't need it on your dive, why buy it. Comfort and fit come before looking cool. Don't give in to buying a $50 snorkel when one that costs $15 will do the same job just as well. In my OW class the instructor told us not to even buy our mask, fins, and snorkel until after the first class. We covered gear selection in that first class and what to look for and learned how to make sure your mask fits, what to look for in a snorkel, etc.

Have fun gear shopping, you will love diving.