newbie gear guidance

[movieflick]

Is renting really a safe bet? I am ok with the thought of renting most everything but a reg since that little gal is important I do not mind spending the money for a good one Thaks for the invite to PM though you may regret it JK

 

[xwhitesmokex]

I had thought about it this way after going through my class in regards to regulators. they gave me the crappiest, cheapest looking reg.. took me to 50 feet and worked just fine for me. but of course i had an instructor looking out for me in case anything went wrong.

and no problem on the PMs. this is a friendly board, all levels of knowledge and experience.. i think anyone will be willing to give you their thoughts and experience...
But please, (with no disrespect) learn to use the SEARCH feature of this board, before you post a new question... tons and tons and tons of answers

Renting is far better directed as to your local shop and what recommendations have been given to you to choose them. otherwise personally, i'd be leary of renting!

 

[Jackie]

What is your local dive shop like ? Some of these places are a diver's version of starbucks- people come in with no intention other than talking - about diving.
You will get many opinions on preference.
There is absolutely no reason to buy a regulator at this point. I did not know that I was going to be a cold water diver and the reg I bought initially (a sherwood) is not in the same category as the atomic for this type of diving. You too may be an ice diver- The only point that I will heartily DISAGREE with is that you should indeed by great fins from the start. Even if you never dive and just snorkel, the split fins rock. Its best to have booties no matter what as you will not always be going off a sand beach or a dive boat. And I will say that in the water you will have a much better time as you effortlessly glide with your fins. Plus, you never grow out of them, and they are pretty much going to last forever unless they are very heavily used/abused. In which case you probably will have more than one pair.
I know that I am passionate on the issues of mask and fins, because these are your basics.

 

[movieflick]

Well I guess I will wait until after my class to start looking at asnything. I am just excited by the whole thing and want to get going Thanks for all the great advice though.

 

[EvaL]

Welcome to the board. I agree with most of the posters, wait till you get certified.
Someone did a calculation - economy wise - you should buy dive gear only if you make over 20 dives a year. Cuz you have to factor in yearly reg overhaul/maintenance which can cost $100 or more in addtion to the cost. That said, if you haven't already done so, you probably should get your own mask (fit is important), fins (fit and whether they suit your kicks are important) and snorkel, and then wetsuit, before buying a reg and BCD.
In the meantime you can check out dive gear at your LDS, talk to your instructors/DM or experienced divers in your neighborhood/town about what gear they prefer, bearign in mind each person is probably gonna tell you different things as gear preference is subjective. I usually refer to Rodales scubadiving (http://www.scubadiving.com) for extensive and objective reviews of scuba gear.
Good luck to getting certified.

 

[Splitlip]

My $0.02

Buy fins and mask now. Fit is important. Fins can be cheap as you will change.Try them on in a shop. Even though warranty is not a big issue with these, purchasing on line won't serve you.
Don't just depend on the "suck" test for the mask. Make sure it lays on your face with a nice seal without inhaling.

Do your class using their gear. Ask to change BC's etc and see what works.

Then if you know you are going to stay with the activity, buy a regs and SPG that will serve your plans. Make it a good one. Don't cheat yourself. Does not have to be the best of the best. It may be just me, but I prefer to know the history of my gas delivery system.
I would also buy over the counter from an authorized dealer for the warranty. (I have had Scubapro regs for 5 years purchased through an authorized dealer. With the free parts for life, I am pretty close to making up the Leisurepro price difference.)
Then rent and borrow as many BC's etc as possible until you know what works for you.
At some point, sooner rather than later get your own exposure protection as well.

My daughter is doing her open water now. I am buying her a Scubapro Mk11 w/ S555. Not their top of the line, but one of their better combinations. And if she does not stick with the sport it'll be a good back up for me. Part of the the reason for Scubapro, quality product. I have good experience with them. Also very important I have 3 Scubapro dealers in the area. Get a quality reg. I would recommend having somebody on hand who can take care of warranty and QC issues. I have no plans in the near future to purchase a BC until I have exhausted every loaner available to me including BP/w's.

 

[TSandM]

Jackie, I will respectfully disagree with you about the split fins. One of the most egregious wastes of money I did when buying my first set of gear was the split fins. $180 for fins I will NEVER use again.

Razors, which are what my husband bought for class, will get anybody through OW. Once you have a chance to learn a bit more, and discover there are other kicks than the full-leg flutter kick, you may want to make other, and MUCH cheaper fin choices.