Dive Gear

[victorzamora]

No "normal" scuba gear is complicated to use. I highly recommend taking your class, trying out a bunch of stuff, figuring out what you like, and then determining IF buying scuba gear is right for you. If so, THEN worry about what to buy.

However, if you're required to buy Mask/Snorkel/Fins for your class...I suggest
Mask: Try getting in the pool with the mask before you buy it. They fit differently on different people and can leak and be annoying if they don't fit right. If you can't dive it first, you CAN do a dry fit that is close. DON'T smush it on your face and suck in really hard. Look up, place your mask GENTLY on your face, inhale GENTLY through your nose (just enough to feel the mask suck onto your face), and then look straight ahead. You should be able to feel the mask "leaking" air. If it does, try another. If it doesn't, you're likely good. Do NOT get a "fancy" one. Anything with extra "features" like a nasal purge valve is a failure in wait. I like a low volume, black-skirted mask.

Snorkel: Any "features" are just unnecessary and just waiting to break. The cheapest, simplest snorkel you can find is your best option. First of all, you're likely to never use it (regional differences, but I haven't used one while SCUBA diving except for my OW cert 12 years ago). Secondly, look at what the pros use. The world's most serious freedivers use really boring snorkels....no extra floats or balls or cages or purges. Flexibile hose near your mouth is about as "fancy" as they get.

Fins: I'm starting to sound like a broken record, aren't I? Don't get anything fancy. Anything with rubber bands and slingshots and "vortex-producing, vision-correcting, manhood-enlarging" characteristics is pure marketing. I'm an Aerospace Engineer, specializing in Fluid Dynamics. I have yet to see one piece of marketing actually provide me some useful information. All of that extra crap is for people that don't know any better. My favorite fins to recommend are Jet Fins or Hollis F1s. Boring, simple, impossible to destroy, will work forever. Some people like split fins, which I don't. Generally: split fins trade strength for cardio. With a split fin, you kick more often. With "paddle" fins you kick harder. Now, there are stiff splits and floppy paddles....but my statement is a VERY wide brush, and typically true. Not that it will really matter for you as a new diver, but split fins also tend to limit your types of kicks. They're really designed almost exclusively for the basic flutter kick.

Having said that, let me explain some of the motivations here. Dive shops make money. They need to to stay open. Very rarely do they make much. Many shops try gouging you for every penny they can, which costs them in the long term. One of their gouging techniques (that has become super common and almost an "industry standard") is to prey on new divers that don't know any better and sell them things they don't need so they can get the margin. Masks/snorkels/fins have the largest margins. The fancier and more ridiculous the design, the higher the margin. Dive shops often sell them as better, because they're better for them. Heck, many dive shops probably BELIEVE that it's better. But, if you look at the people that have hundreds and thousands of dives....you'll see a common theme (not 100%, but common): Simplicity.

 

[danvolker]

Hey everyone, I'm working on getting started on my certification and was wondering, what's the best brand of gear for a beginner that isint complicated to learn to use....?

I would answer with more value to you if you specify your dive shop, so we can look at the gear they sell.
In general terms, I would be pushing you toward a bp/wing system instead of a jacket BC....there are some that are very easy to configure, and some that really require an instructor good at setting up a specific make of bp/wings to get you to perfection quickly.

Near you, there are probably dive shops with either Dive Rite, Halcyon, Apex, and a few other brands possible. The suggestion to avoid the jacket style BC will cause severe screaming and moaning from many members on this board....if you read through past bp/wings threads, you will see the arguments, and how contentious this topic is....

I see it somewhat like snow skiing and first choice of skis...there are some people that will start with novice skis...good for the bunny slope and green runs...but not really good for much progression...but you don't need to do much right for them to get you down the hill. Then you toss the novice skis, and get performance skis you can actually learn high skill levels with, and get to be a good skier with.
Bp/wings allow you to get perfect trim and low drag, in your very first ow class. While not impossible for you to get perfect trim in a jacket, they keep more divers kind of sloppy in trim, and are harder to tune for ideal trim....in fairness, a really good diver can get perfect trim in a jacket....but the jacket was never designed for perfect trim and low drag....

The other failing of the jacket BC is drag....If you can learn to kick good fins well, you should be striving for "Kick and glide"....you do a big kick, and get a long glide. Watch a barracuda or a dolphin swim at a 4 mph pace. Kick and glide.
Bp/wing with a 20 or 30 pound lift wing, is slick, so kick and glide can be easy.

Kick and glide allows you to keep your heart beat at near a resting level, so your breathing rate stays low--your tank lasts much longer, and the 80 cu foot tank lasts plenty of time for you---versus a huge floppy jacket, poor trim, and a kick and no glide at all....and high heart rate to get anywhere....and high breathing rate, not much time on the al80 tank---and NOW the dive shop can talk you into a steel 120 for 4 times the price of an Al 80

As to fins....I think this is THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF DIVE GEAR for you to be concerned with...bar none.

I can dive any BC, and do any recreational dive on the planet. I can dive any reg, and do any recreational dive on the planet....However, there are many fins that are so floppy and poor in propulsion, that there are many recreational dives that just won't be feasible with them....

PLUS, the SAFETY fACTOR with fins....If you have a set of fins YOU can deliver huge power and thrust with, if your BC fails, if the current gets huge, if you have to react in an emergency, your Fins and propulsive skills are a huge part of how easy or hard this event will be for you.


Most split fins are made for sedentary non-athletes that have no strength or cardio--when these people become divers, they like the split fins because they don't stress their tiny muscles...they also don't get them anywhere fast when the sh&t hits the fan.

Jets are ok....Force Fins are better, and they have about 6 models to choose from where based on your fitness level, they will have a model that will make you all that you can be.

For someone doing wreck dives, the Force fins are the best.

For mostly reef dives, and drift dives, freedive fins are awesome, though they require more coordination ( like racing snow skis) , and more fitness if you choose a medium or stiffer freedive blade...though most makes of freedive fins have stiff ( for deep dropping or very powerful divers), medium for just fairly fit divers, and soft, actually made for freedive competitions that could last 8 hours, so the fins must not use too much muscle power to kick them.

Freedive fins allow a very slow and much larger amplitude kick shape, that helps keep heart rate very low, so breathing rate for the scuba diver stays very low, compared to his evil twin wearing jets or splits. The downside of freedive fins, is you need to be well coordinated to learn the kick shape they require ( if you are an athlete, this should be a non-issue), YOU do NEED to be aware of where your fin tips are on top of a coral reef--you need optimal trim ( assisted by a bp/wing set up that keep you horizontal easily)...and, there are people that are more concerned with ease of walking on a dive boat, than they are with how well you can swim with a fin....I don't begin to understand that at all....I walk from one end of a dive boat to the back, with a huge camera in my hands, and the biggest freedive fins you have ever seen I'd say this is easier than a skier's first time on the bunny slope.....
My fin choice for drift and reef, is DiveR freedive fins, the Lamborghini Gallardos of Freedive fins [ Dive-R Freediving & Spearfishing Fins - Hybrid Composite Design ] Can be open heel with strap using Riffe Silent Hunter foot pocket, or they can be full foot if you prefer. Choice of soft, medium or stiffest is very important

 

[eelnoraa]

Just one advice. Don't buy more than you have to until you at least get certified as OW diver. Usually, a PADI facility will require student to get mask, snorkel, boots(if applicable), fins, gloves(if applicable).

 

[Doctorfish]

ddmatos makes a great point. I bought all the wrong stuff when I started to dive and my instructor was no help as he had an affiliation with the dive shop. I agree the OP should get a good mask and fins and not rush into anything else you learn by trying stuff and talking to other divers over time.

Better to acquire good equipment over time then to make costly mistakes.

 

[UserNameBella]

Depends how rich you are and how much diving you are going to do. I bought everything before I even went in the pool. It gave me a reason not to quit and I can now dive more and I know my equipment.

If you have money for more than just the fins and mask and snorkel, a wet suit that fits nicely that you know no one else has peed in is a good start. Try on as many as necessary to find a good fit. Fit is more important than anything really when it comes to a wetsuit. A regulator is nice to have, or if you don't have enough money for a good one (they can be pricey) a mouth piece so at least you aren't putting something that has been used by who knows who in your mouth. Aqualung titan and legend are great regulators. Most of my instructors have either one. Mine pretty much breathes for me.

As for best manufacturers. It is all up to fit and taste for masks it seems. Find some fins that give you power and maneuverability. I have Mares Xstreams. I can frog kick and back up and turn in them but also fight a current in them. Stay away from split fins until you know you need them. Stay away from anything too gimmicky or too long or too rigid. It just complicates matters. I don't use a snorkel and I think unless you want to snorkel on your surface intervals just get any old one.

 

[eelnoraa]

it depends on what conditions you'll be diving in and where and how often. Your instructor should be able to guide you. just don't buy stuff based solely on price. Cheap gear will not last and won't perform. The name brands cost more for a reason. With dive gear you usually get what you pay for.
One plug for a line of quality gear that is a great value is Hog and Edge (Edge | HOG)
also a good line is Subgear (http://www.subgear.com/en-US/). Subgear is ScubaPro's more value driven line.

I don't disagree, but how good the advice highly depends on the instructor. While there are certainly very good instructors out there, there are equal number of zero to hero instructors as well. Before you listen to your instructor, you should do your own research and make your own judgment.

I still say hold on until you get certified and even get a few dives on your own. Before that, you really have no idea about diving, what gear is right for you, or even if diving is right for you. Once you get some experience, do your research, and buy the right items at the get go.

 

[Johanan]

Many good recommendations have already been made. Just my 2 cents. I agree with people who recommended to make the course first. Much of the equipment choices will depend on how seriously you will devote yourself to diving. But ... When I started to buy my own gear, I didn't find "something simple for a beginner" a practical approach. Any gear costs money. Why not to buy something serious right away, even if piece by piece? You will use it for long time, and you might want to sell it one day, too.

To start with, I would opt for equipment that is suitable for cold water diving. It allows you to dive in both cold and warm water. That would mean a cold water regulator which does not freeze. I am an Apeks loyalist, but many people like Hog regulators for their good value. Dry suit is a good idea, too. If you dive dry, you will need heavier fins. Hollis F1 "Bat" fins are great. Scubapro Jet Fins are classic. Apeks has recently released new RK3 fins. If you don't plan to dive dry, Mares Quattro are hard to surpass, just get those without clasps. Spring straps or rubber bungee are much easier to use. Regarding BCD there is a choice between jacket and Backplate & Wing. After quite extensive reading I opted for a Deep Sea Supply BP&W rig, which was good, but soon I switched to sidemount which is another option. As some said before, I would start with mask and fins which are the most personalised parts of gear. Dive Computer is a must nowadays. Uwatec Aladin, Suuonto Zoop are nice entry level computers. I would avoid combo consoles. I general, it is good to keep your gear as simple, minimalist and clutter-free as possible. Availability of service is an important factor, too.

 

[TSandM]

Assuming your profile is right, and you aren't yet certified, you should only be looking at buying basic gear: mask, snorkel, fins, perhaps booties and gloves, depending on where and when you are going to be diving. You shouldn't rush into anything else, because some people decide this sport isn't for them, or your vision of what you want to do with it may change during your class.

Masks have to fit. You pay as much or as little as you have to, to get one that doesn't leak. Check the fit carefully: If you put a mask on your face and inhale, almost any mask will stick. If you put one on your face, hold your breath, and push in on the mask to create a very mild vacuum, a well-fitted mask will stick for quite some time. A mask that falls right off does NOT fit.

It is my personal opinion that you are best off with the simplest snorkel. The ones with the fancy "dry" attachments at the top tend to fall over, twist mask straps, and cause mask leakage.

What you need for fins depends on the diving you are going to do. Cold water divers like negative fins to keep their feet from floating, and stiff fins to push heavy exposure protection and a lot of lead through the water. For warm water, a plastic fin that is neutral may work better. For open heel fins, anything with a stretch or spring strap will be MUCH easier to manage, and quite a few fins are coming with those standard nowadays. For new divers, I really deplore split fins, because they make it quite difficult to use fins as horizontal stabilizers. All our students who come with splits are way worse about waving their hands than the ones who have standard fins, and I have stopped the hand motion on more than one, simply by trading fins with them. Paddle fins are generally cheaper, too, unless you get into the fancy ones (which you don't need as a novice).

You should be able to put together a very serviceable set of mask, fins and snorkel for $250 or less; if your totals are getting much above that, ask some questions about what you are being advised to buy.

 

[hroark2112]

Many instructors will guide you to buy what is sold in their shop, and may very well push you towards the higher end gear whether you need it or not.

For starters, get a proper fitting, basic entry level mask. Get a basic snorkel, nothing fancy. Get a basic set of fins that fit your boots properly. Get basic boots.

Focus on skills and learning how to dive, and pay attention to the important aspects of your class, like the physics and tables etc..

Once you're certified, try as many different types of gear as you can get your wet little hands on. Figure out what kind of regulator suits the kind of diving you'll be doing most. Find out what kind of BC actually suits you bet in the water by trying as many different kinds and brands as you can.

Then you can buy your own big ticket items and be confident that they won't end up in the classified section here on the board.

 

[htatton]

As a new OW diver. 10 dives past certification I do have a couple of recommendations.
1- Wait to buy a BCD and rent and try different types. I found the wing very difficult on the surface but like only some of the jackets. I'm still looking and testing. I have no idea what I will eventually buy, I'm sure I will find my sweet spot somewhere.
2- Test fins in the pool. I'm 71 reasonable shape but bad knees and ankles. Vortex 17 split fins work well for me, but only after I test 4 others.
3- Buy a computer. I purchased an Aries Manta wrist mount. It really makes diving easier and the digital log lets me learn a lot about my profile.
4- Gauges: Every set I have rented worked just fine.
5- Regulator: Every set I have rented worked just fine but seem just a little different. I'm recording the differences in my log book. Again, in a year or so I'm sure I will find my sweet spot.