What kind of gear do I really need?

[Lost down under]

You need a a tank, two breathy things, one gauge, a cheapo computer that's about two technological steps from being an abacus, an inflatable tube and some straps to tie it all together, a mask and some 'feet enhancing' devices to make your feet bigger. Without the second neoprene skin to keep you warm it should come in under $1-1.5K, anything else and you may be suffering from "all the gear no idea" syndrome or have SGT Tackleberry-itish both are serious conditions that are treatable by spending atleast 5 hours in the chamber that is the Hog forum.

On a more serious note take a look at HOG regulators, seriously hardy piece of kit whilst being the cheapest reg around.

ScubaPro kit looks nice but I really don't know many divers who could justify the price.

 

[KenGordon]

I have learned not to spend money before courses. A decent instructor will have kit to lend or rent to you. At the OW level that is essential.

Courses are about learning. One of the things you will learn about is the kit you are using, so you will be in a better position to buy after the course.

I find it quite hard to reason about diving kit up front. For example I have a wing which I bought specifically because it has a dump operated by pulling on the inflator hose. I wanted that because I was used to diving BCs with a shoulder dump but I never use that facility.

The best way to get gear is gradually and with help from fellow divers lending you stuff to try, some will tell you that their choice was great whatever but just try stuff out and see what you think.

What you need and like will change over time. Stuff you might hate to begin with will become great and stuff you like to start with will go to eBay.

Buy the personal stuff, spend some of the money diving and renting gear and then decide what you need from a more informed point of view.

 

[Ricky B]

Check out this thread:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/476857-getting-started-cheap.html

There's a lot of good advice in that thread.

For many, many years, the only equipment I owned was a mask, snorkel, and dive computer. Resist the urge to get completely geared up at the outset. In most cases, it will only bring regrets.

 

[ev780]

........ There is a lot of scuba gear sitting in garages collecting dust from people who wanted to dive but lost interest...........

And that my friends is why I use Ebay and Craigslist. When I was first staring out money was a big factor so I got almost everything I wanted from e-bay. Once a reg is serviced it is as good as new so I had no fear of that. Computers either work or they don't. BCs are a bit more of a challenge because it is sometimes hard to judge condition from photos. But I have had incredible luck that way, just takes patience.

Still at it as a matter of fact. I was doing some "stream of consciousness" web surfing the other day and found a Poseidon regulator mis-categorized on e-bay. The price was so good I bought it. I think I can scavenge the pieces I need and part out the rest and come very close to breaking even. It looks like it was one of those storage auction people who had no clue what they had.

 

[Aguablanco1]

I outfitted my wife and I with BCD's, regs, fins, masks, wetsuits and a bunch of extras, ALL NEW, for way less than $3400.00. Granted, I bought most of the gear on the internet. It is all name brand gear and has been with us for 8 years now. No problems, just regular service. While the LDS deserves the first shot at my business, they still have to earn it by pricing appropriately. Check some of the online retailers and see how the deal you were offered compares to what's on the internet. There is no shame in saving money.
RichH

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

You need a a tank, two breathy things, one gauge, a cheapo computer that's about two technological steps from being an abacus, an inflatable tube and some straps to tie it all together, a mask and some 'feet enhancing' devices to make your feet bigger. Without the second neoprene skin to keep you warm it should come in under $1-1.5K, anything else and you may be suffering from "all the gear no idea" syndrome or have SGT Tackleberry-itish both are serious conditions that are treatable by spending atleast 5 hours in the chamber that is the Hog forum.

On a more serious note take a look at HOG regulators, seriously hardy piece of kit whilst being the cheapest reg around.

ScubaPro kit looks nice but I really don't know many divers who could justify the price.

Almost like the joke about the car...what do I really need to drive this car - a vise grip clamped on the steering column to steer with and a milk crate to sit on.
It's funny, back in the Mike Nelson days all that was needed was a mask, some flippers and a tank with straps and a double hose reg...retail value about $200.
Now we need everything including the kitchen sink, value about $3000 - $4000.
And the kicker is the dive profiles were about the same.