a few more lessons and im certified...but should I continue diving?

[newbie_diver]

well,okay,this is my final desicion....yes,I want to continue diving....no,not occasional diving,but im putting time for diving maybe once every week (at least),yes,Ive taken the decision,and I've put my maximum diving limit to 10 meters,and I'll get deeper every time I feel more comfortable.my current equipment:Mask,fins,booties,snorkel,regulator......what I REALLY need help with is a BCD,a dry/wet suit(which ones better for warm waters?) and the tanks....and Id also preffer a shorter suit than a long suit

 

[diverdown247]

A future purchase of dive gear should be based on roughly how much diving you expect to do. If you expect to only dive once or twice a year, then just rent. It's less hassle for you to deal with, not to mention the costs for upkeep every year if you're on top of the maintenance schedules for your gear.

You should expect to spend a fair amount of money for dive gear. It is, after all, a life support system underwater. I noticed a package deal on some Dacor/Mares gear (BCD, Regs, and gauges) at a LDS in Arkansas for just under $600 USD. When I purchased my SeaQuest/Mares setup in 2002, I paid $700 for the Balance BCD, Mares Axis regs, Mares "dashboard" type gauges, O'Neill 3/2 full wetsuit, soft weights, and Volo fins. The package was too good to pass up at the time.

I logged just over 60 dives on that gear. If you do the math on what your LDS charges for rental gear, the gear should pay for itself at around the 30-40 dive mark, depending on how often you dive.

 

[BarryNL]

well,im currently taking OW with PADI,but after taking a long surf on the web...I tried looking for bargains...but the cheapest I can find was a 90 dollar regulator!!the BCDs are USD118 (yeah,thats about a good price) the fins are 80 USD.....if I do get certified....should I continue,or should I rent for every dive...no,its not about affording it or not,but....I also have another hobby that makes you pay 50 every time you want to enjoy it...NO,it aint prostitution...its video gaming,so,what do you think?or do any of you know any awesome dive equipment dive shops on the internet?

If you're doubting, I'd rent for a while and see if you stick with it. There is no doubt that this can be a very expensive hobby - and if you think recreational gear is expensive try looking at technical gear; hell, you can pick up a complete set of recreational gear for the price of a single trimix VR3 computer.

Personally, I think this is one of these hobbies where, if your car costs more than your dive gear, you just aren't taking it seriously.

The good news is that, once you made the initial gear purchases, it can be quite a cheap hobby as you only pay for air and gasoline. But of course, there's always that new bit of dive gear that would be nice...

 

[Lost_At_Sea]

Diving can be an expensive hobby, but you do not want to be cheap on your dive equipment, since that is your life support. My suggestion is www.scubatoys.com , they give 10% off to SB members.

 

[scubafire]

well,okay,this is my final desicion....yes,I want to continue diving....no,not occasional diving,but im putting time for diving maybe once every week (at least),yes,Ive taken the decision,and I've put my maximum diving limit to 10 meters,and I'll get deeper every time I feel more comfortable.my current equipment:Mask,fins,booties,snorkel,regulator......what I REALLY need help with is a BCD,a dry/wet suit(which ones better for warm waters?) and the tanks....and Id also preffer a shorter suit than a long suit

Your location has a lot to do with your gear. Finish your profile so we know your situation. You would need different gear for New England diving than you would for Florida diving. And um....I hope they taught you about wet and drysuits in class. They were supposed to...or are you not even done with the classes?

 

[newbie_diver]

I currently am in Saudi Arabia for a month's vacation (the red sea was awesome when I took a submarine cruise down there),but I live in Canada (no,I wont be diving in winter,just the summer)...the waters in saudi are fairly warm-cool....maybe about 20-30 degrees celcius in the afternoon...back to the BCDs....which one is best for me (warm water diving)?

 

[scubafire]

I am unsure of Canadian water temps so I won't comment there...although I am sure someone will.
On the issue of your BCD, nobody can tell you what is a good one for you. You have many options but if they don't fit your body style or if you don't like the layout, then they won't work. I would not buy one without trying it on. If it is too big, the buoyancy will cause it to ride up on you. Too small and you may have problems inhaling because it will be restrictive. It is up to your comfort and preference. First decision would be back inflate or jacket style. Basic difference, with a jacket style, if you stop moving, the tendency is for the air in the BCD to float you in an upright position. With a back inflate, it keeps you horizontal and they are not as restrictive as the air is in the back instead of around you. You will find lots of opinions here. Some say back inflate forces your head into the water while at the surface...my position is that you are supposed to be underwater scuba diving anyways. Plus they really aren't difficult to get used to...they don't force you face first if you know what you are doing.
First thing to do would be find a Local Dive Shop (LDS) and try some on. Then check prices. Find the lowest price and go with it (making sure it has full warranty).

 

[ckjacques53198]

Couldn't you get a paper route to pay for the video games and soda and leave the diving to people who do grown up things.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Canadian waters are cold. You'll need a full suit.

 

[scubafire]

Couldn't you get a paper route to pay for the video games and soda and leave the diving to people who do grown up things.

Yeah, grown up things like having a Mickey Mouse avatar....things like that...