Info Newbies first gear..

[00Joff00]

Completely agree with Shearwater if OP has any technical aspirations. Depending on OP's budget, I think AI is well worth investing in. If OP has no intention of getting into tech diving, might be better off for the same money getting a non-shearwater, wristwatch format, with AI. Or just ponying up for a Petrel or Perdix for the best of all worlds.
Also, consider that other models can double as wristwatches or fitness trackers, whereas the Peregrine/Perdix/Petrel are pretty much dedicated computers.

A friend of mine gifted me a Garmin Descent. I have to say it was pretty fantastic.
I'm on a budget so would second hand computers be worth looking at

 

[Jersey1971]

A friend of mine gifted me a Garmin Descent. I have to say it was pretty fantastic.
I'm on a budget so would second hand computers be worth looking at

Yes. Before I got my Shearwater Perdix, I had a used Aqualung i450t with AI, which I got for around $300. It’s still a great backup and freedive computer. If I weren’t delving into technical diving, it would fulfill all my needs. You can also also find used transmitters at a significant discount.

 

[lowwall]

Majority of our dives will be warm water.
I found some Seac Propulsion for £15, second hand, have never been used and came with a Fin bag.

They should be fine.

 

[MB | MN]

Ditto on mask, fins, computer. I'd add 2 more items to a starter list for comfort and peace of mind.
1. DAN insurance. Wouldn't dive without it.
2. Wetsuit. Many vacation shops carry only a limited selection of unisex (men's) sizes. But our forms are all different and well-fitting thermal protection = more comfortable diving.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Majority of our dives will be warm water.

So are you thinking of local diving at all? Or just not sure at this point? As that would be a drysuit investment, which is not cheap and you mentioned a budget. I do think used is the way to go in general for starting out. There is no difference between a used and new BP or STA. A well maintained wing will last you forever. Harnesses are cheap to replace.

Now I personally am a wimp when it comes to temperature. Even in warm tropical waters, I'm wearing a 5 mil and hood. With a SS BP + SS STA, neutral fins, I trim out nicely and don't require any additional weight (which is nice for shore diving where I don't have the hassle of renting weights).

Exposure protection is a highly individual thing. Diving would be miserable for me if I followed a lot of the advice here. But those people would be miserable from overheating if I advocated using the same exposure protection as me.

Good luck!

 

[ams511]

My wife has odd size feet between 4.5 and 5.5uk.

If your wife is difficult to fit then I would recommend buying at an LDS if possible. If Amazon has free returns in the UK then you also buy a variety and keep what fits and return the rest. The same goes with rash guards and wetsuits, some just fit better than others even though they may both be the same size. If you like the dive computer your friend gave you, then pick up another one for your wife. Different computers use different algorithms so you want them both to agree. If you are looking for regs and other gearcheck out 4th Element, they are in the UK and have reasonable prices.