Where to begin...

[Erku]

I've read a couple threads and other pieces of advice on this, but it seems to me every situation is a bit different - especially since we're at high altitude, cold water. My wife and I just got into diving, and we're on a pretty tight budget. We want to make sure we have the money to pay for equipment rentals and more lessons in the short term (plus we're saving for our belated honeymoon), but we'd also like to start getting equipment piecemeal.

I think a lot of the diving we're going to be doing is cold water. Like, really cold: our training dives were in 5 degree C water. The common advice of getting a wetsuit early is still valid, but I think that might drop its priority, and I don't think we can afford drysuits for a while yet (although we might get her a mares ice fit 4 from scubatoys.com - they're so cheap even we can consider it, and they sound pretty decent. How much does drysuit fit matter? The ones we used in training were very, very flexible for sizing).

Basically it seems to me like a logical order would be
-masks - top priority cuz the fit's so important. Our training masks leaked like sieves when we laughed or smiled, a big problem for my giggly lady.
-fins/snorkels - these two seem like the most online-buyable to me, of the inexpensive gear...?
-dive computers (much of our diving will likely be at altitude so this becomes pretty useful): if we don't own the whole 1st stage rig and reg etc, it seems like wrist mounted would be a smarter way to go on this, no? or is it relatively easy to get our own console comps mounted on rented gear before a dive?
-bodysuits for our honeymoon in mexico (or should we get wetsuits? I have no idea what to expect from warm water!)

What then? Drysuits are great to own but mostly they're not going to be in our price range for a long while yet. When should we start looking at BCDs, and is it wiser to just get an inexpensive entry level BC or should we rent until we can afford something nicer? Would a BC or a reg be a higher priority (although it seems like they often come in sets)? Tanks, I think, are distant future if ever. With the amount of diving we're going to be doing I think it's wiser to rent the whole tank and rely on someone else doing the checkups and such. With all equipment there is a concern it will have to sit and store for months at a time ... does that influence what we should be buying vs renting? I know a lot of dive equipment prefers to be used than to sit.

Thanks in advance for the help

 

[Erku]

Oh.. almost forgot, I'm also curious when we should start thinking about secondary accessories. We're planning on going to an unfamiliar country (mexico) for our honeymoon; should we bring our own emergency gear - signaling stuff, dive knives, et cetera? Is this vital for a beginner to have, or are we best waiting until we're kitted out more completely before we fuss over it?

 

[gypsyjim]

There is nothing wrong with renting for a while at first. You get a chance to try different options, and decide what you like best, and what best fits you tastes and budgets.

You can usually start to look around at offers for used gear too, as you begin to figure out what you need. There are often some pretty decent deal, both here on SB and on Ebay, once you know what you want.

I started my two kids on well serviced used rental gear from the LDS where they did their certifications. Affordable entry level, and what they were already comfortable with. We gradually upgraded later, but this got them diving quickly, on a fairly tight budget.

 

[sardiverdan]

Many shops in the U.S. will make the purchase of mask/fins/snorkel as part of the initial cost. With that in mind the first thing I would purchase for gear would be a drysuit or wetsuit. I see that drysuits are not in the picture right now so go for a 7mm farmer john and you should be warm enough. I use to wear a 7mm farmer back in the early 80's for ice diving in Wyoming. Back then drysuits were not very common. A wetsuit that really fits you will be worlds apart from a rental that is "close enough". Not to mention that many people out there still feel the need to pee in their rental suit so I would look at a wetsuit before anything else. Just my 2 cents

 

[scubafanatic]

Oh.. almost forgot, I'm also curious when we should start thinking about secondary accessories. We're planning on going to an unfamiliar country (mexico) for our honeymoon; should we bring our own emergency gear - signaling stuff, dive knives, et cetera? Is this vital for a beginner to have, or are we best waiting until we're kitted out more completely before we fuss over it?

A decent sized safety sausage for each of you (I like the Halcyon brand ones) is an often overlooked but essential dive gear item. I consider a small, blunt tipped dive knife and a small emergency dive light to be mandatory as well. Scuba emergencies don't necessarily wait to happen until after you buy your safety gear.

 

[scubafanatic]

Buy in this order:
mask/snorkle
fins
well fitting 'tropical' wetsuit
...the other items I'd suggest renting until you have a 'clue', meaning enough bottom time to draw your own conclusions based on your own personal experience, given that you're on a budget and don't want to waste $. I'd suggest making your best educated guesses (or ask you local dive shops) what they'd recommend in your price range, RENT those items for your next trip, and SEE what happens...then upon your return to civilization you will know enough about THAT gear to see if you want to actually buy it....or if that gear doesn't work out, try out different gear on your next trip, repeat as needed until you are ready to commit to purchases.

 

[TSandM]

I think the first things to invest in are things that have to fit to work. A mask is probably highest on the priority list, because as you have already learned, a mask that doesn't fit doesn't work at all, and makes diving stressful and unpleasant. Fins need to fit over your boots, as well.

If you intend to do any local diving, I'd invest in a good 7 mm Farmer John type wetsuit next. Although the water is cold, people do dive in Puget Sound in wetsuits, even in the wintertime (although most active divers do move to dry suits relatively quickly). My husband, who has dived both, says that, for the first dive, wet and dry are pretty equivalent for comfort. Where diving wet in cold water fails is in the inability to get completely warm during surface interval, so second and subsequent dives are short and cold.

If you have a reputable dive shop nearby, you can rent regulators and BCs for a while before you pull the trigger on those things. And don't discount the possibility of used gear. Diving is a sport where many people get into it, buy their stuff, and shortly find out that they don't dive much, so they sell it . . . and gear loses an enormous amount of its value the day it walks out of the shop.

 

[Erku]

...
well fitting 'tropical' wetsuit
...

For Mexico in January, I'm under the impression that'd probably be a full body 3/2, eh? Those don't look like they cost much so I can see your point then...

Is suit rental in an unfamiliar place particularly risky? I'm aware suits get peed in, but I work in gastrointestinal health research. I'm not particularly squeamish as long as the suit has been adequately washed. It's the quality and fit I'm concerned about.

 

[scubafanatic]

For Mexico in January, I'm under the impression that'd probably be a full body 3/2, eh? Those don't look like they cost much so I can see your point then...

Is suit rental in an unfamiliar place particularly risky? I'm aware suits get peed in, but I work in gastrointestinal health research. I'm not particularly squeamish as long as the suit has been adequately washed. It's the quality and fit I'm concerned about.

I've dove Cozumel in Feburary, and was actually happy to have a 7mm fullsuit on that trip, but I was doing 4 dives daily, and that's a long time to be underwater. For me, for Cozumel in January, I wouldn't go in anything less than a full 5mm suit. I'm going to Cozumel for a week starting tomorrow, and although it's the height of summer now, I'm still bringing a 3mm fullsuit...again doing 4 dives/daily. Aside from the wetsuit hygene issue, it's really more of a fit issue, if a wetsuit isn't form fitting, it's pretty worthless and rental wetsuits are definitely not 'custom' fit....so they'll likely have some sort of wetsuit for you, but there's a fair chance it won't really be watertight, so it will be rather ineffective if that's the case...better to iron that out in advance by buying a wetsuit locally and not worry about 'potluck' messing up your nice vacation.