Wow, a great # of thoughts on gear

[Salty Dog]

Hello all,
Frankly, the first breath underwater was something I don't seem to be able to verbalize. Felt like a little kid swimming around.
Started classes last week and can't wait to strap on the gear this evening.
I see asking for suggestions on what brand of gear to purchase is somewhat pointless. I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that there are many brands and grades of equipment and situations of the sport, there are tons of mind sets on those topics.
That being said, any suggestions on what to look for in equipment is appreciated.
This site covers so much info, it's going to take some time to read. Enjoy the site and the insights. Glad to be among you.

 

[The Kraken]

WELCOME !!!
Safe dives . . . . . . . .
. . . safer ascents ! ! !

the K

 

[TSandM]

Salty Dog, welcome! Have fun in your class.

What kind of gear to recommend really depends on what you see yourself doing with your diving. I hope you plan on local diving, because some of the most beautiful places I have been underwater are right off your coast. Cold water diving means thicker exposure protection (and if you're really serious about it, usually a dry suit) and more weight, so setups like backplates are useful, to minimize total weight and distribute it better. Steel tanks work better for cold water divers, too, again because they minimize total ballast.

The best thing to do is to go out to some of the local dive sites and talk to people who are diving about why they have the gear they have, and what they like about it.

 

[fire_diver]

As Lynne said, talk to other divers. See what gear they like and why, and what they don't like and why. Pay attention to the long-time divers' advice.

When I bought my first set of gear, I thought I knew what I needed. I have since changed out everything. Turns out that advertising hype is very rarely correspondent with function.

 

[Bogie]

Starting out I would get quality used gear. Scuba Pro, Aqualung, Apex are great regs. Back inflate bc, Zeagle Ranger is good others Oceanic, Mares, Scubapro, Tulsa. Don't get the integrated Octo. Low volume single lens black mask Tilos, Oceanic, Scubapro, Mares and many others.

Make sure everything is sized correctly and fits you well. I've seen people spend $700 on a new bc that was too big for them which really effected there diving. The dive shop did not fit them correctly.

You learn more just getting some used gear and diving a lot. You will form your own opinion and will find what works best for you with out spending too much.