Personal Gear Package-yay or nay?

[PepsiTwist]

Looking around and came across this personal gear package at Scubatoys.com, are these "good products" per say? Is the price good for what I'd be getting? I'm still new to all of this but I'm trying to figure out how much everything is going to cost me.


X-Pert Zoom Dive Package

The Tusa Zoom Fins are some of the top split fins available. Comfortable, efficient, and good looking! A top pick by Larry, you can get these in 3 sizes and 5 colors, and the Tropical Booties will feel great on your feet in these fins.

The Genesis Panoramic mask will give you great vision with the no frame side windows, and of course we're going to toss in one of those Soft Straps that is covered with advertising for our website, plus some defog.

The package rounds out with handy Mesh Back Pack Bag and a Totally Dry Snorkel.

This is some top notch gear - at a fraction of the normal retail of $395!!

Price: $199.95

Thanks for any and all feedback!!

 

[spectrum]

This stuff needs to fit you and work together on you. An online mail order package is a roulette game for this stuff. Get off to a good start with a local shop. Here are more thoughts.

Pete

 

[RJP]

Your profile says you're not yet certified. When/where are you going to take an OW class?

You might give some consideration to shopping for mask/fins/snorkle at the shop where you will do your class. This way if there's any issues of quality or fit of the item you can get it rectified on the spot. Mask typically need to be fitted to ensure they don't leak. Fins are also a personal thing, which you may wish to try before you buy.

Also, some (many? most?) shops don't take kindly to folks showing up with gear they just bought elsewhere, many times asking the local shop to help them fit/adjust said gear.

(Not looking to start a "web vs LDS" thread.)

 

[PepsiTwist]

Yeah, that is something to consider about the fitting personally, but what if I could find said items in a local shop, are they good products or should I look for something better?

I will be getting my OW Cert, this summer in July from a local shop with highly certified instructors, the best I could find in my area. They will provide the Reg, tank, wet suit, and bc.

In the future I plan to obtain all my equipment and only have to worry about getting air but for now, I'm just going for:
~Fins, Booties, Snorkel, Mask, Wetsuit, hood, gloves, weight belt, and weights.

Also, do you absolutely need a dive watch?

Aside from personal equipment, in the future when I get my bc, reg, etc. would that be ok to get from online, or is is more of a local store thing?

 

[Thalassamania]

While I like ScubaToys, I'd avoid like the plague anything described as or associated with a "Totaly Dry Snorkel."

 

[RJP]

While I like ScubaToys, I'd avoid like the plague anything described as or associated with a "Totaly Dry Snorkel."

My snorkle is "Totally Dry" at home in my basement since OW class!

 

[Thalassamania]

My snorkle is "Totally Dry" at home in my basement since OW class!

Like I said ...

 

[scubatoys]

While I like ScubaToys, I'd avoid like the plague anything described as or associated with a "Totaly Dry Snorkel."

Actually, the snorkel comes with both a dry, and a semi dry cap, so if you don't like one, you can just swap it for the other in a matter of seconds.

I personally don't use a snorkel much, except for snorkeling, but since they are required in OW classes, we picked a versatile one to put in the package.

 

[jmichaels]

There are plenty of good online shops out there. Many are normal dive shops that also sell their stuff online.

scuba toys and 123scuba.com are a few.


I have always been a fan of package deals:
Scuba and Snorkeling Package Deals

 

[Damselfish]

Scubatoys is good, and nothing wrong with any of the gear itself, but it's not good if it's not the right stuff for you. The mask is only as good as it fits which you can't tell on the web. The fins are fine if you've tried both paddles and splits, or maybe at least read about the differences, and have decided you want splits. The tropical booties are fine as long as you're diving someplace tropical booties are adequate - where are you? Any snorkel will do the job, the only requirement for a snorkel in class is that you have one. That one is probably fine for snorkeling but bulky for diving - it's a bit big to have hanging on your mask, or to stow away anywhere.