Reputable manufacturers??

I'm new to diving. I haven't even bought the basic gear yet... mask, fins, etc. I'm trying to do as much research as I can, but I'm overwhelmed at all the different manufacturers of diving equipment. I would like my first set of basic gear to be of good enough quality to last me many years of regular diving. Is there really much of a difference in the overall quality of equipment offered at most dive shops? The LDS's I have visted around here seem to offer the same high quality selection. Are there any brands I should avoid outright?

Brands to avoid outright? Not really, but here's a quick rundown of many of the brands.. Stuck with regulators because so much of the other stuff is personal preference (BCs, gauge types, etc.), wheras regulators are more performance oriented:

Tusa, Mares, Sherwood, Genesis, Cressi-Sub- Good entry level regulators.

Zeagle, Dive-Rite, Beauchaut- Very nice regulators without the price tag of the "premium" brands

Apeks, Scubapro, Atomic, Aqualung- Top shelf regulators. Expensive, but not necessarily better performing than lower priced regulators.

Most gear will last many years if properly serviced.

-Brandon.

You have to consider the type of diving you'll be doing, ie cold water, tech, cave, wreck, maybe just travelling. Try gear out first and go from there.

Nearly all local dive shops handle quality products. Doubt they would stay open long passing off junk gear that gets people hurt or killed.

Mask, fins, booties, & snorkel are basic to open water lessons and are normally required to be provided by the student in a lot of shops around here.

Snorkels are an easy choice of preference (standard, purge, no-purge, dry-valvel). Mouthpiece fit with a mask on is a consideration.

All things being nearly equal on materials, the mask is really a matter of fit on your face and comfort. You'll know the right one when you press it on your face.

Fins to some extent are a matter of foot fit with a bootie on. Bootie thickness will impact fit. If you anticipate cold water diving, then maybe a 5mm boot is a good start. Everybody has their gimmick blade design out there. Whether you go with plain fins or splits is a personal preference and impacts cost. I had my son take OW lessons a year ago. I picked him up a set of Scubapro Jet Fins from a rental clearance at the dive shop for $20. They got him through the course. Now he has tried my Twin-Jet split fins. He didn't want to give them back. Next set are on his nickle.

Exposure suits, BCs and regulators, as mentioned in the other posts, are tuned to the type of diving you are planning to do. Rentals will expose you to some brands and models. Comfort and fit are also deciding factors. Staying with brands that are serviced and supported locally is a plus for me.

I'd have to say that several brands make equipment of many levels, often from economy to premium models. Just like Ford, GM, Toyota etc.

Making searches on specific models is a good way to get opinions.

Checking out www.scubadiving.com is another good way to get started.

Chad

Yes some are better than others but they all offer entry level to the higher end stuff. Just make sure you are getting your gear from an authorized dealer so you can get it serviced and if something does go wrong, they can fix it. Just remember if the price is so low you think it's too good to be true.... it usually is.

I personally like Oceanic, and Aeris, and XS Scuba.