scuba help

[LuzRD]

hey everyone,
ive been on a kick lately to get myself into scuba diving. ive wanted to since i was a little kid (31 now) and its just time i guess.

i borrowed the padi home study cd's (its very motivating for me as im the type that cannot get enough info about things that interest me). i was going to start looking for a dive center to get certified, but first i started looking around at gear and PRICES!!! (OMG i forgot exactly how poor i really am LOL).

ok so what im wondering is if anyone has any advice on lower end gear that isnt completely junk (i know you get what you pay for, well i want to pay for slightly better than junk ). ill probably piece the stuff together for a little while (so i have no fixed budget for gear, just more $$=more time), then be ready for next year (crosses fingers).

im not opposed to used (certain items only obviously!), but again i dont know what brands/models/styles to look for/avoid, and im not sure what gear i should really consider "must have".

anyone have ANY advice? words of wisdom? good dive spots in new england? (or a spare bedroom somewhere tropical lol)

 

[dart68]

You can rent almost all of the equipment you'll need, especially the expensive stuff (BCD, guages, etc). Make sure that you rent only from a reputable SCUBA shop. Things you should buy are fins, mask, snorkel, and wet suit (different styles and materials are available).

 

[Flying Crane]

I was a PADI instructor for a while, and Dart68 gave you good advice. You can rent gear until you can afford to buy it. Buy one piece at a time and take care of it. It will last a long time if you do.

Only buy and rent from a reputable dive shop. Some things you can pick up used, but it's a crap shoot and you should not do this until you have some experience and know what you are looking at. Things like BCD and Regs should definitely get serviced by an authorized service technician if you do buy it used. I personally advise against it.

Many of the manufacturers do not authorize sale of their equipment over the internet, so if you decide to buy over the internet, understand that you may not be getting what you think, and the manufacturer will not honor any warranties.

Scuba, by it's nature, is an expensive hobby. There are many manufacturers, and you need to work with a good shop to find what is best for you. They don't all fit the same, esp. things like wetsuits, BCDs and such. Don't just settle on the bottom dollar. Get something good quality. consider this: YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON YOUR EQUIPMENT. It's worth a few more bucks to get something you can rely on, and get it serviced regularly.

Get good guidance, find a good instructor, work with a good shop that you trust. It's a great sport, you are entering a new world, it's absolutely wonderful. But you gotta do it right, or it can be a disaster.

 

[LuzRD]

thank you for the replies guys!
dart you verified what i considered to be my initial priorities (wetsuit, mask, fins, snorkel), thank you.
i assume that these items "basically" boil down to comfort items, meaning that purchases should be based on having comfortable gear.

FC thank you!
i usually jump into my interests feet first so to speak , and i dont typically like renting things too much.
ive come to understand that tanks, regs, gauges, bcd, and all the whatnots to make them work together can easily be thousands of dollars, so renting these items is sounding pretty good at the moment lol.
ive had expensive hobbies before, the last being paintball. when i stopped playing i had probably 3-4 grand in gear (it just took awhile to get it all lol)

good point about warranty issues over internet sales. i didnt consider that.

the 3 things that stand out most from your post are "buy good quality" and "work with a reputable dive shop" and "get good guidance". done, done and done! (well, soon enough)

im going to start looking for a good scuba forum, anyone have any friendly, knowledgeable places bookmarked?

thanks all!!!
Jim~

 

[thardey]

I bought all of my gear from a dive shop that was selling it's rental equipment. I timed it just right, as they were upgrading their equipment. I got the full setup for $500, (BCD, regs, and wetsuit -- I already had the mask and fins) which was a whale of a steal. (Like was said above, it was a reputable dive shop!) They also continued to service my equipment for several years, until the owners moved out of state.

 

[Mr. E]

Consider one advantage to renting over buying, you can try out a lot of different items and see how well they work for yourself. Then you can buy the one you like best.

Keep a little log of each piece of equipment you try out. If you get deep into the hobby and get your own gear, you will thank yourself later.

 

[Flying Crane]

good follow-up points, gentlemen.