Purchasing gear as a new diver

[Littlerayray]

I see a lot of people asking what kind of gear should I get as a beginner
This is a good question
Now I am no expert and I am not a ds owner nor do I work for one but let's face it equipment is expensive
Imho when purchasing equipment we all look for the best deal when diving this is not always the case having the right gear is important as well as the right fit
(I am guilty of this so called crime as well. So I'm not judging anyone just giving tips and advice)
Before purchasing anything do your research ask around but most of all look at the type of diver you will become and purchase equipment that will be use able in that field.
For example that 120 dollar puck computer is great for ow but if you plan on tech diving in the future and using trimix gases the computer may not be suitable for your needs spend the extra and get the gear that will suit your future needs as they will work for ow as well .
The order in which you purchase gear is fairly important as well I personally recommend purchasing a reg as your first purchase as this piece of equipment will be what's keeping you alive. Same thing goes for this look at what you plan on doing in the future since regulators are different and have different qualities for example the sherwood blizzard was designed with heat bars in the reg to transfer heat from your breath to the reg so it is perfect for cold water diving and prevents freeze ups
I stress again do your research ask questions also look at how easy is it to breath from is the first stage environmentally sealed lots of options out there
After purchasing the reg I then recommend you purchase a bcd this could either be jacket style or wing again I stress do your research both styles have their advantages

Thirdly is your exposure suit try on different styles or thicknesses and make sure they fit well if your wet suit is too big you may as well not wear one
As for fins masks and snorkels these should already be in your possession on your first day of pool sessions for fins they should be suited for your strength a person who is physically fit can benefit more from a longer broader fin where as the same fin worn by someone who is allergic allergic to excersize will get Charly hoses from the same fin as well as get exhausted and burn more air I know I forgot a lot of things but I was trying to cover the basics and was stressing more on looking to the future of what you will be diving

 

[t-mac]

I tend to fall into the camp that says the personal comfort items should be at the top of the list. Especially for a new diver who will have some level of stress, minimizing discomfort is very important. After a mask that fits, which I think is really at the top of the list, I'd say exposure suit or BC next. Those for me are the top three discomfort issues. As for regs, I think it makes intuitive sense that you should invest in life support, but honestly that almost presumes that there are some brands that can hurt you, which I don't think any of us really believes. I've used a lot of different regs and there are definitely differences, but they aren't as dramatic as the discomfort caused by poor personal items. The big thing with the reg is environmental sealing (or not), but that's mostly a warm/cold thing and surely local rental gear will be appropriate. So, for me, after the BC and exposure suit, I would get a basic computer. Having a computer and knowing how to use it also reduces stress and empowers you. Renting a computer and not knowing your way around it could be the opposite for a new diver. I'd put a reg after that. My 2 cents!

 

[Littlerayray]

The reasoning I suggest a reg first is it is a life support and for familiarity in your gear also so you know what has been done and where the reg has been and it's service record yes rentals do get regula servicing but you don't always get the same reg everytime you rent and knowing this critical piece of equipment by feel is key as dive shops usually rent more then one type of brand or at least my lds does

 

[t-mac]

Certainly makes sense and in line with my rationale of focusing first on things that reduce stress and maximize comfort.

 

[Colliam7]

This is a useful discussion of a frequently raised topic on SB. And, as the responses already suggest, the particular order of preference in acquisition very much depends on the individual. In various threads, recommendations have been made for starting your gear purchase journey (possibly, the first step, toward financial ruin) with any of the following: BCD, Exposure Suit, Personal Dive Computer, Regulator. [I omit mask, snorkel and fins (and boots) only because these are more often considered to be the personal items acquired during initial training.]

Frankly, a thoughtful argument can be made for starting with any of these items. And, all the arguments have some merit, and all are subjective and reflect individual preference. There is no ‘ONE AND ONLY ONE’ optimal order of purchase. Gear is often purchased on the basis of a) fit (exposure suit, in particular, and BCD), b) perceived criticality (e.g. the ‘life support’ argument for regulators), c) versatility of use (e.g. computer), d) limited rental availability (certain BCDs, computers), and e) cost. And, the relative order of importance of those criteria vary from individual to individual. The general argument is also made that people who purchase their own gear, even if only one or two ‘major’ items, are more likely to a) dive more, and b) continue to dive. And, there are some data, not infrequently compiled by training agencies, that support ‘a)’, with not as much data available to assess ‘b)’ – the ‘longevity’ of an individual’s diving is simply harder to track.

The good news for the newer diver, or the traveling diver, who needs to rent items – catastrophic gear failures – of personally owned OR rental equipment - that lead to injury or death are exceedingly rare. Instead, shortcomings of rental gear are more often a matter of inconvenience, or annoyance. The vast majority of dive shops and dive operators, in the US, and abroad, are generally not stupid – they realize that renting sloppy, poorly maintained, marginally performing gear, which catastrophically fails during a dive and injures a diver, is not good for business, and is associated with a degree of liability!

My bottom line – the order of purchase is not critical, it is more a matter of individual preference. Do a reasonable amount of research on whatever item(s) you are considering, but don’t carry even that process to an extreme. Chances are you will buy some items that you find you like, others that you find you don’t. But, you probably won’t know twhich is which until you try / buy / gain experience (which is actually a good argument for borrowing gear whenever possible, or renting before you buy, to try it out). I bought my first regulator (Zeagle 50D) after walking into the shop where I did OW, and listening to advice from the shop manager. Fifteen years later I still dive that regulator as my preferred recreational unit (with a few adjustments of hose length). And, I liked it enough that over the years since I have bought (and use) ~ 10 more 50Ds, in teaching and for my personal SM rig. Yet, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend an equivalent turret reg (Apeks DST) available today as the first regulator for a new diver. My first BCD was a Zeagle Ranger, bought because my dive buddy bought one first and he really liked his. It was a great BCD in many ways, I still have it, and don’t dive it, because I have moved on to a BP/W. But, I probably wouldn’t have been dissuaded from either purchase THEN, by many of the arguments I read (and make) on SB TODAY, simply because I didn’t have enough experience and knowledge to fully appreciate the reasoning. Today, I am a big advocate of buying used gear. As a new diver, I wanted new gear, shiny gear, gear that smelled new.

If you find early on that you like diving, putting money into personal gear is a satisfying experience. And, whatever order you choose is probably right for you, until you gain enough experience to decide that it wasn’t.

 

[Littlerayray]

So I assume we can all agree that tanks should be the final purchase since as a beginner you don't know how much air you will consume and don't know what type of fills your lds can provide since theirs no point in purchasing a hp tank if your lds can't provide hp fills and if you have a short torso a longer lp tank may not be right for you since it may be longer then your torso as well

 

[Colliam7]

So I assume we can all agree that tanks should be the final purchase since as a beginner . . .

Well, yes and no. You outed me! My first purchase actually was a cylinder, but that was out of necessity, based on poor planning on my part. I signed up for AOW, and didn't arrange for rental gear until the night before the class (I was a bad student). I got everything I needed, but my shop didn't have a single rental cylinder still available for the weekend (Memorial Day) by that time, Went to another shop - same story. So, I bought my first AL80. But, all kidding aside I would agree, that a cylinder should usually be among a dive's last major purchases.

 

[PfcAJ]

For example that 120 dollar puck computer is great for ow but if you plan on tech diving in the future and using trimix gases the computer may not be suitable for your needs spend the extra and get the gear that will suit your future needs as they will work for ow as well .

A puck is fine so long as it has gauge mode. I've been technical diving for years and only recently got a computer. Its absolutely not required for even the most complex technical diving.