yeah, I can see the wife thing... but other than that there are no good reasons not to buy gear. I do think one should "try-before-you-buy" that way you can rent gear and try it out before dropping big buck on it. ck out this article on owning gear:
as seen on
www.goatdawgs.com ...
GOAT Logic: Owning you own equipment
Hey dude, Im getting off of work in about an hour. How about a night dive? Sure lets go!
The preceding was possible because these individuals own their own SCUBA gear. Many people say that they dont dive enough to justify owning their own gear, but they dont realize that not owning gear is the reason they dont dive! Who wants to go thru the hassle of driving to a scuba locker paying 20 bucks for rentals then having to return it after the dive when all you can think about is filling your gut w/ curry and catching a nap? Besides many dives happen impulsively, and no dive shop I know of is open 24 hrs here on Okinawa. Guaranteed availability is a big thing for the GoatDawgs.
By owning your own SCUBA equipment you will become familiar with it and we all know thats important when faced with an emergency, you dont want to be fumbling with unfamiliar equipment when yours or your buddys life is on the line do you? Also if anything starts to go bad on your system (i.e. increased inhalation effort on a Reg) you will notice right away.
Many people just see the big initial cost of SCUBA, and yes Ill admit it can seem a bit overwhelming, but for $900 I bet you can get decent gear NEW! Used gear can be just as good here on Okinawa sometimes only a few years old and about half the price. At $20 bucks a rental, new gear can pay for its self in just 45 dives. Trust me thats not a lot considering how much youll be diving!
Another good reason to own gear is that it will make Diving more comfortable, more comfortable means youre more likely to do it more often, which in turn will make you a better more relaxed diver . Having you own Regulator for example will allow you to make modifications to it like replacing the mouth piece for a custom fit one, or adding a shorter or longer hose. This of course is in addition to the many features you can pick from when purchasing a Reg or BC.
I mentioned a few benefits of having you own equipment, but I know If you go out and get that BC youve always wanted or the new dive computer you have heard so much about you will be able to think of more. So treat yourself this season, and I bet youll have to buy refills for your log book before the end of the year!
Author- C. Flores