OP
sciondiver518
Registered
i have a new question after reading sangp's post i am curious why a black mask is important?
help picking equipment
- Thread starter sciondiver518
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
You live in Port Saint Lucie? (Last time I was there I got hit by a baseball.) You have probably been to Diver's Direct. That place is a good start, as everything they have is selected for Florida. Whatever you buy there will work. Don't buy much until you are certified, but after that consider the EVO brand wetsuits they offer. I see the EVO 3mm wetsuits all over our state. A decent dive suit for $80? Sure.
Consider the cost of renting. Around here, a suit rents for $15, so after five or six rentals you just threw money away that could have bought a suit. Renting a full set of gear around here is $50 daily. Twenty rentals of that stuff can buy a lot of Florida gear.
Diving where we are, light-duty equipment is all you need. I have been safely using the cheapest stuff available for years. Down to 145 feet. Jacket BC is OK and some spear fishermen prefer them. Back inflate is OK, too.
Oh yeah.... If your present mask fits, you are good to go. Some guys like black masks as the only light coming in is the field of view. Other guys don't care. I have used both and a black one doesn't show dirt.
Get certified and take couple of boat trips, maybe West Palm to start, Jupiter later. See what others are using and you'll get an idea as to what works.
Have fun and welcome to diving.
Consider the cost of renting. Around here, a suit rents for $15, so after five or six rentals you just threw money away that could have bought a suit. Renting a full set of gear around here is $50 daily. Twenty rentals of that stuff can buy a lot of Florida gear.
Diving where we are, light-duty equipment is all you need. I have been safely using the cheapest stuff available for years. Down to 145 feet. Jacket BC is OK and some spear fishermen prefer them. Back inflate is OK, too.
Oh yeah.... If your present mask fits, you are good to go. Some guys like black masks as the only light coming in is the field of view. Other guys don't care. I have used both and a black one doesn't show dirt.
Get certified and take couple of boat trips, maybe West Palm to start, Jupiter later. See what others are using and you'll get an idea as to what works.
Have fun and welcome to diving.
A black mask blocks ambient light in your peripheral vision making it easier to see.
Low volume for ease of clearing and more peripheral vision trough the front.
OP
sciondiver518
Registered
thanks stu s for the info yes i have been to divers direct that is the place i am going to be certified through, and im sry you got hit by a baseball. i have been looking at the evo brand stuff and tried on the boots and they seamed like fairly good quality but then again i have an untrained eye for scuba stuff (give me car parts and im good to go) but back on topic i have also been to deep 6 and a small local dive shop called kirks, and they all seamed really over priced and back to my very first question there is a dive shop at the local flea market and the guys that run it are both padi master divers and they sell the h2odessey brand,(are they any good?) once again my enthusiasm got the best of me and i bought fins and boots, i have a pool and ive been using the fins and they are super strong, the guys at the flea market said i should be able to handle it but im not so sure, im 5'11" and weigh about 265, i am wondering if because i am new to the sport if i should try a softer fin, i guess i cold rent different stiffnesses (is that a word and spelling) of fins, but two trips for renting them might end up costing as much as a set of fins
Fins and boots: If you go forward in a satisfactory manner and nothing hurts, you are OK for now. I don't own any "H2Odessey gear", so I can't comment. Some gear is generic, with different brands printed on it. But... Diver's Direct and some on-line stores sell gear at prices low enough that I avoid flea markets.
Dive shop gear may cost more than flea market stuff because it actually is better. There is some stuff you can buy that is more like toy gear than dive gear. I use DIVE gear, and have been satisfied with things like Tusa Imprex fins, Oceanic Alpha regulator and a Sherwood BC. None of these are considered expensive.
Once you have a few dives experience, you'll be familiar with what works in our area. Look and listen on that dive boat and you'll get a good idea.
Stu.
Dive shop gear may cost more than flea market stuff because it actually is better. There is some stuff you can buy that is more like toy gear than dive gear. I use DIVE gear, and have been satisfied with things like Tusa Imprex fins, Oceanic Alpha regulator and a Sherwood BC. None of these are considered expensive.
Once you have a few dives experience, you'll be familiar with what works in our area. Look and listen on that dive boat and you'll get a good idea.
Stu.
Scuba.com
Dive Shop
- Messages
- 1,103
- Reaction score
- 32
Some great advice and opinions for you on this one. I posted this elsewhere on a similar question a few days ago, so for those of you who already have seen it, don't shoot me. I admit it, I'm a reposter. 
When it comes to gear, especially a first set for a new diver, it can open up a whole can of worms and directions you can go, and none are honestly perfect. You'll need your own personal gear package, ie. fins, mask, snorkel, gloves and boots, which you mention you have covered. I also like to recommend to my students your own hood as it can often be one of the "yuckiest" pieces of gear to rent. After that, you can rent, buy, borrow with each having a different postive/negative. When borrowing gear, you never know that what you get is going to be the correct fit, work as it's supposed to and has been cared for properly. You are basically trusting a friend with your life support equipment. And as many people will scoff at that lable the dive industry uses, the fact is that scuba equipment is indeed life support equipment. The next time you have any doubt about it, take your regulator out of your mouth in 100ft of water and try taking a couple breaths.
Renting gear can be a good way to try different things out (in theory) but keep in mind that most shops around the world purchase inexpensive, entry level gear for their rentals. And before everybody chimes in, notice I said MOST. I know there are stores out there with nicer gear, but in general the most popular rental gear in the world is along the level of a Sherwood Brut, 2 gauge console (maybe a compass) and a Sherwood Silhouette bcd. This level of gear doesn't often give you a great look at the much more convenient, comfortable and feature laden gear a manufacturer has to offer. It's similar in thought to running down to the local car dealer and picking up the most inexpensive Honda Civic on the lot. It gives very little idea what it'd be like to drive the most expensive Acura on the other side of the lot. Another thing to keep in mind is this example. When I took my original Openwater class, the dive shop I used had rental gear from various manufacturers. There was never any heads or tails to what you'd get each time and at that time you could get a horsecollar bcd, with or without a power inflator, and a hardpack or one of those "new fangled" jacket style bcds. It seemed like for the first year I dove I had to get used to a new style of gear everytime I got in the water.
Lastly, purchasing your own set of gear is a great way to go for several reasons, but has it's own pitfalls as well. The advantage of taking your course in the gear you will be using eliminates my last example. You get comfortable with your equipment and it's functions and by the time the class is over you are all set. Another added bonus, if you live in a region where the impromptu dive after work or weekend mornings is a possibility you eliminate the need to spend the time getting gear or trying to be the first at the shop in the morning to get the "good stuff". Granted you may still need a tank fill or rental, but that's not nearly as big a deal in comparrison. On the negative side is knowing what gear you want and deciding what you need as opposed to what you don't. Over all, most dive shops I've visited over the past 30+ years have been honest and don't try to sell you the farm. The problem lies in that if you visit 10 shops, you'll get 10 different opinions on the gear you "need". Take a little time. Read up on the gear. Ask other customers you meet in the shops. Do some research before you buy just like you would for most any other large purchase.
With a little bit of patience and a little research you can quickly be on your way to enjoying scuba for many years!
When it comes to gear, especially a first set for a new diver, it can open up a whole can of worms and directions you can go, and none are honestly perfect. You'll need your own personal gear package, ie. fins, mask, snorkel, gloves and boots, which you mention you have covered. I also like to recommend to my students your own hood as it can often be one of the "yuckiest" pieces of gear to rent. After that, you can rent, buy, borrow with each having a different postive/negative. When borrowing gear, you never know that what you get is going to be the correct fit, work as it's supposed to and has been cared for properly. You are basically trusting a friend with your life support equipment. And as many people will scoff at that lable the dive industry uses, the fact is that scuba equipment is indeed life support equipment. The next time you have any doubt about it, take your regulator out of your mouth in 100ft of water and try taking a couple breaths.
Renting gear can be a good way to try different things out (in theory) but keep in mind that most shops around the world purchase inexpensive, entry level gear for their rentals. And before everybody chimes in, notice I said MOST. I know there are stores out there with nicer gear, but in general the most popular rental gear in the world is along the level of a Sherwood Brut, 2 gauge console (maybe a compass) and a Sherwood Silhouette bcd. This level of gear doesn't often give you a great look at the much more convenient, comfortable and feature laden gear a manufacturer has to offer. It's similar in thought to running down to the local car dealer and picking up the most inexpensive Honda Civic on the lot. It gives very little idea what it'd be like to drive the most expensive Acura on the other side of the lot. Another thing to keep in mind is this example. When I took my original Openwater class, the dive shop I used had rental gear from various manufacturers. There was never any heads or tails to what you'd get each time and at that time you could get a horsecollar bcd, with or without a power inflator, and a hardpack or one of those "new fangled" jacket style bcds. It seemed like for the first year I dove I had to get used to a new style of gear everytime I got in the water.
Lastly, purchasing your own set of gear is a great way to go for several reasons, but has it's own pitfalls as well. The advantage of taking your course in the gear you will be using eliminates my last example. You get comfortable with your equipment and it's functions and by the time the class is over you are all set. Another added bonus, if you live in a region where the impromptu dive after work or weekend mornings is a possibility you eliminate the need to spend the time getting gear or trying to be the first at the shop in the morning to get the "good stuff". Granted you may still need a tank fill or rental, but that's not nearly as big a deal in comparrison. On the negative side is knowing what gear you want and deciding what you need as opposed to what you don't. Over all, most dive shops I've visited over the past 30+ years have been honest and don't try to sell you the farm. The problem lies in that if you visit 10 shops, you'll get 10 different opinions on the gear you "need". Take a little time. Read up on the gear. Ask other customers you meet in the shops. Do some research before you buy just like you would for most any other large purchase.
With a little bit of patience and a little research you can quickly be on your way to enjoying scuba for many years!
TEArrington
Registered
One more thought, and then I'll leave you alone. For primarily warm water diving, depending on your tolerance for cold you may not need a wetsuit to get started. As previously menitoned, I bought too much stuff before I got started including a wetsuit. Then I went for checkout dives in St John USVI and it was too warm for me to even wear it.
If you decide you don't need a wetsuit, you still might consider one of my favorite purchases - a dive skin. It looks like a wetsuit, covers arms & legs, but is very thin isn't really designed to provide thermal protection. What it does give you are protection from the sun and from some stings/scrapes. I'm not saying you have to get one, but if you decide not to get a wetsuit please be very, very careful about sunscreen (the water/spray will wash off even "water proof" sunscreen faster than you might realize).
Happy diving!
If you decide you don't need a wetsuit, you still might consider one of my favorite purchases - a dive skin. It looks like a wetsuit, covers arms & legs, but is very thin isn't really designed to provide thermal protection. What it does give you are protection from the sun and from some stings/scrapes. I'm not saying you have to get one, but if you decide not to get a wetsuit please be very, very careful about sunscreen (the water/spray will wash off even "water proof" sunscreen faster than you might realize).
Happy diving!
Ft. Lauderdale and points further south may not require a suit during August. Most everybody uses the 3mm here, with a shorty sometimes seen.
One thing, then I'll go away. Many places around our state sell wetsuits. They all look about the same. Some are surf, sailboard "above water" suits. Neoprene that is best for those sports goes thin in 20 feet of water. My pal Mike bought one of these at a sports store. Looks good on the surface, but is thin as gauze at 60 feet. When you get a wetsuit, go to a dive store or make sure you get a SCUBA suit. Don't let that nice sales gal at a surf shop say "yes you can dive in it" (which is true). Get a SCUBA suit.
Stu.
One thing, then I'll go away. Many places around our state sell wetsuits. They all look about the same. Some are surf, sailboard "above water" suits. Neoprene that is best for those sports goes thin in 20 feet of water. My pal Mike bought one of these at a sports store. Looks good on the surface, but is thin as gauze at 60 feet. When you get a wetsuit, go to a dive store or make sure you get a SCUBA suit. Don't let that nice sales gal at a surf shop say "yes you can dive in it" (which is true). Get a SCUBA suit.
Stu.
OP
sciondiver518
Registered
hey guys no need to leave me alone i have gained a lot of knowledge in a day or so, but i appreciate all the posts and info i have gotten from you guys
Similar threads
