Very new to diving

[aquadood]

Hello everyone,

I moved to Oahu six months ago and finally found time to do my first dive ever. I loved it and want to continue to dive and become certified. I paid $135 for two 20-30 minute dives with an instructor. A couple other US Navy divers came out with us and were charge $95 because they had their own gear and were given their military discount. My question is how do I find a way out to open water for cheap? I want to eventually have all my own gear but it hardly seems justified if I will be saving only a few bucks on each dive. Also, how much should I budget for gear?

Thank you!

 

[spectrum]

Dive from shore
Dive with a peer or mentor
Dive often, Since you get out of exposure protection cheap and probably already have your basic gear a regulator set, instruments, BC, weights, a few cylinders and do dads like a modest light and a knife amortizes to only $20 per dive based on a middle of the road expenditure of $2000. and 100 dives a year. By year 2 you're diving for the cost of add-ons and maintenance.

You can ease into some of it by renting cylinders.

Pete

 

[fisherdvm]

Why don't you join the military and get the military discount? I took OW and also AOW in 1993 for only $60 per class, all gears included (minus mask, fins, snorkel) at the marine base there. At that time, I paid $100 for a used reg which I still dive with today, about $120 for a BC, and an inexpensive mask and snorkel. I wouldn't worry about gears for now. Get a good diving mask, fins, and snorkels - enjoy the reef snorkeling... And browse through SB about what you should look into before choosing an open water dive class or instructor. Rather than the cheapest.

 

[robint]

Hello everyone,

I moved to Oahu six months ago and finally found time to do my first dive ever. I loved it and want to continue to dive and become certified. I paid $135 for two 20-30 minute dives with an instructor. A couple other US Navy divers came out with us and were charge $95 because they had their own gear and were given their military discount. My question is how do I find a way out to open water for cheap? I want to eventually have all my own gear but it hardly seems justified if I will be saving only a few bucks on each dive. Also, how much should I budget for gear?

Thank you!

diving in Hawaii is expensive, like mentioned before, shore diving may be your best bet. You do need to buy your own gear, rental costs add up fast. Plus you take care of things you own better than people care for rental gear.