What would you say is the most important to buy new?

[The Kraken]

Regulator.

Safe dives . . . .
Safer ascents . .

the K

 

[industrious95]

I seperate my equipment into two kinds: Life support and Other.

If it's life support equipment, I want to make sure it works perfectly, and don't feel that cost should be the major issue. Believe me, if you're on the bottom of the ocean and your regulator stops working, the $50 you saved isn't going to seem like a great deal. There are good people selling on eBay and mail order, and if they are willing to let you try and return if you're not happy, I'd consider dealing with them. But I wouldn't just go to eBay to save a few bucks.

I bought an AL80 tank on eBay. It needed hydro & VIP, so before I could use it, I had to put $60 into it. Plus the $50 I bought it for. A year later, I bought a new tank in my LDS for $175. Not a big savings for a piece of life support equipment I'll be using for the next 10-15 years.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a regulator from anyone but a dive shop. But I know many will disagree with that.

Knives, computers, fins, flashlights, scissors, etc, I'd buy where ever I could get a good deal on them. That being said, if I'm at the dive shop getting my tanks filled, I'm not going to run home to buy some o-rings on the web for $1.00 instead of paying $3.00 at the dive shop.

 

[fjpatrum]

Please don't start the "life support" argument, it's old, it's tired, and it's nonsense. Any regulator is used after the first time it's gotten wet, whether it's been used by you or someone else. Any regulator that has been serviced is as good as new or you should be blaming whomever serviced it for doing a poor job. Anyone who says "is your life worth it" simply has something to sell you at a higher price or has been sold something at a higher price and wants to believe it was worth it.

There is absolutely no reason to buy any scuba gear new unless you as the buyer simply don't feel comfortable buying used. Each of us has to make that decision for ourselves and nothing anyone says on the internet is going to make it for you. There's nothing wrong with buying new gear. There's also nothing wrong or unsafe buying used gear that is properly serviced.

 

[T.C.]

There is absolutely no reason to buy any scuba gear new unless you as the buyer simply don't feel comfortable buying used.

*with the exception of a supply of used P-valve catheters.

 

[redacted]

*with the exception of a supply of used P-valve catheters.

Even when you would like to be going where no man has gone before, there may be exceptions.

 

[Npallasi]

As a newbie I am wondering, which piece of equipment should be your first: regulator, dive computer, BCD? Assuming you have mask, fins and wetsuit.

I am a newbie like you. Personally, I have limited resources. I would go for the dive computer first, 'cos I would like to continue renting my wetsuit, regulators and BCD and finding out what suits me best before investing in them.

I feel I need a better understanding of how my dive profiles look like, what the temperature is, how deep I am going, how much air I am using and whether I am doing anything dangerous eg. not waiting long enough at safety stops. A dive computer would help me dive more safely. Also I can use this all over the world.

Next on my list would be my suit and BCD, because good buoyancy control can be made easier by having a suit and BCD I have used before and often. My concern is that I will not be able to use them in colder waters, so I'll still have to rent them should I decide to dive in colder places. I might not buy a wetsuit at all too.

Finally I would invest in regulators. This is just about the most pricey thing on the list too, so I want to make sure that I have done my homework and know what I am looking at. I am considering the option to buy them used and have them serviced, which might lower the cost. The type of regulators to use is also subject to temperature differences.

 

[TSandM]

If I had my personal gear and my exposure protection, the next thing I'd buy is my own computer. For one thing, you can study the manual and understand the dive planning functions, and the displays when things have gone wrong. For another, if you get a downloadable computer, it becomes your dive log, and is much easier and more thorough than doing it by hand in a notebook.

Almost nine years into this sport, I can't imagine not owning all my own equipment, though. I bought everything at the end of my OW class, and although a good deal of it has been replaced, I've never been dependent on rental equipment that was completely unfamiliar to me. I love the fact that I know where everything is and that it all fits me perfectly.

 

[The Kraken]

I dive used gear every time I dive. Been using an Atomic T1-B2 for years and years.
If I didn't dive used gear, I'd have to buy new gear each and every time I dived.

Safe dives . . . . .
Safer ascents . . .

the K