scuba gear questions

[rogerwilco357]

first off how much does this gear run and what are the essentials needed , mask,fins,tanks etc..what would you say are must haves so I can start to price them out..looking into classes to learn and get certified ..how much have you invested? like reefing I went from 500 bucks to about 10 grand easily just wonder how far this hobby will take me and how much it will cost when I am done lol..

 

[ousnakebyte]

Start out with basic snorkeling gear - a good-fitting mask (important here), snorkel, fins and perhaps a wetsuit. Everything else can be rented and demoed before committing to buying a thousand or two dollars in BC, regulator and computer.

Don't buy tanks or weights, unless you live on the beach and will constantly be going by yourself.

Cheers
Mike

 

[camostore]

Just me but i do prefer to have my own reg dont like sharing mouth piece

 

[hul kogan]

It's really up to your personal preference and what you want to hassle with renting when you don't own it.

I personally own all my equipment. It's a nice motivator, because I bet you'd think twice (and dive less) if you had to hassle with the time and expense of getting gear every time you wanted to dive. I also like that fact that I'm comfortable with my equipment and know the condition that it's in. I dive locally and abroad and my gear goes with me to each destination. I'd say I have ~$3,000 invested in gear.

 

[Cgreene]

It's really up to your personal preference and what you want to hassle with renting when you don't own it.

I personally own all my equipment. It's a nice motivator, because I bet you'd think twice (and dive less) if you had to hassle with the time and expense of getting gear every time you wanted to dive. I also like that fact that I'm comfortable with my equipment and know the condition that it's in. I dive locally and abroad and my gear goes with me to each destination. I'd say I have ~$3,000 invested in gear.

I agree with this statement. I also have all my own gear. I would suggest you rent the BC and regulator and make sure its a hobby you want to get into before you spend a ton of money.

 

[stevie-o]

Once you get certified, and try out some gear you should have a good idea of what you want. It also depends how far you want to go with it, and what you are going to be doing in the water. A basic starter kit with everything you need will be about 1200. if you get into solo diving, tech diving, cold water diving, and all that good stuff it's going to cost a lot more. Best advice get certified see if you like it, and talk to your instructor he should point you in the right direction.

 

[kiel]

i think you'll enjot it more if you've got your own gear, you'll feel more comfortable in the water and that's also going to affect how well you manage any surprises

weight belts and cylinders are readily available on location so you won't need those

like most of us you'll probably spend more money than you needed to begin with on fancy fins, regulators designed for arctic diving, and a knife that'd impress rambo but eventually you'll learn what you do and don't need

you'll always get all sorts of opinions that'll influence you in the beginning, just go with it and have fun, end of the day you'll wind up doing things your own way..

 

[psilver]

If you are not certified, do so first thing... you will be exposed to rental gear at that time... As a PADI course director (inactive for about 15 yrs now) I have found that owning my own gear is far more useful than one might think... my wife is a bit less avid a diver than I am, but she too owns all her gear, as rentals vary in quality and how well they are maintained...

Over the years we have seen that divers who do not own their own gear tend to dive far less frequently, and even cease diving altogether after about a year... so own your gear, all of it, eventually, and you will be far more inclined to dive..

If you are not Open Water certified, get that first, along with your mask fins and snorkel, and discover how wondrous it can be... then try out a variety of regulators and BCDs to find the ones that are most comfortable for you... also, try them in diving environments that you will be experiencing most often... for example, I live in Rhode Island, and dive in cold water frequently... I want my gear to function well in somewhat hellish environments, with cold water, deep dives, and murky water... if you will be diving mostly in warm clear waters, then some features may be over kill...

As others have said, unless you plan on diving around your home area, frequently, there is really no need to purchase tanks... I disagree about weights though... except for diving while on vacations, I much prefer to have my weight systems set up as I want them, rather than using rental systems that must be tweaked and shaped...

But otherwise, you have some good advice above... try stuff out, get waht is comfortable for you... and be sure to dive safely...

As others have said here, the first things to get are your mask, fins, and snorkel... after that, a regulator and BCD are important... You get used to how these fit and work, and can have far more confidence in the maintenance history of them...

 

[psilver]

Let me add that as with the aquarium hobby, there really is no end to what you can spend on this stuff... a decent regulator system, with a moderately functional computer, alternate air source, and other gauges, will run about $1200 or so... a BCD can run about half that much, so say $600... quality masks and fins can run a couple of hundred as well... do not skimp on those last ones... a good fitting mask will last you many years... mine, and my current fins, are about 25 yrs old... I paid a lot for them back then, but other than changing the straps a number of times over the years, they are still in fine shape... same is true for a regulator and BC... mine are about as old as my masks and fins, and work fine... of course, over the years I have purchased additional BCs: one for more warm water diving, and another for technical two tank diving, etc. I have also purchased additional regulators, wet suits, dry suits, skins, computer upgrades, etc. as time has gone by, and of course a bunch of little accessories...

But you can say that for under $2000 or so, you can pretty much be completely outfitted excluding such things as dry suits and fancier wetsuits...

My three cents... enjoy and be safe...