What will all the equipment cost me?

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Plan on spending:
$120 for mask fins and snorkel,
$250-$400 for a regulator
$50-$100 for an octopus
$150 to $300 for a set of guages or computer
$300-$500 for a BC
$150-$250 for a wet suit
$175-$200 for an aluminum 80

Prices in your area may vary but you can usually save money with a package deal and many LDS's will cut you a student discount if you also get your open water training through their shop.

You can plan on about $1000 for new equipment but you can also save some money if you can find good used equipment and you also do not have to buy it all at once.
 
Shop around as almost every shop is gonna have a different price for lessons. Make sure there are no hidden costs. Most important of all choose a instructor you feel comfortable with.
 
The equipment cost vary greatly depending on style, quality and manufacturer. DA's list may be a little on the high side but it gives you an idea. Don't be in any hurry to buy anything except maybe a mask. You can rent everything you need and until you have some experience diving, you really can't make a good decision on what type and manuf of equipment best suits you. You can also find good deals on used gear at times. Quality dive gear is pretty tough and it's hard to actually wear it out. I have gear from the early 80's that is a little worse for wear but it is still fine to dive. You can always buy it piece by piece as you can afford to and rent the rest. If you have friends who dive, you may can borrow some gear...most of us have old gear that we can't bare to part with but have other gear we just had to have. I have my old gear that I loan to friends who are just getting started.
 
DA Aquamaster once bubbled...
$120 for mask fins and snorkel,
$250-$400 for a regulator
$50-$100 for an octopus
$150 to $300 for a set of guages or computer
$300-$500 for a BC
$150-$250 for a wet suit
$175-$200 for an aluminum 80

Wow! Warm water diving sure is cheaper

good 3 mil suit under $100
reg can cost under $200 and still function great
$150 max for a AL80

Cold water diving is expensive! (certified in Michigan)
 
i beleive you can hit the search button and have better luck but ,i have found some lds will try to get you to buy stuff you arent ready to buy yet, however if you want to buy the stuff ,try it on and buy it from where you try it on ,however you can get alot of stuff online cheaper ,but will it fit and will you have service after the sale ,mask fins and booties should be bought together
evreything else is up to you e bay is still agood source as is leasure pro ,but i would suggest from previous experience
buy regs and tanks where you get them serviced and everything else is about fit and choice ,prices will very so i cant commit on where you are but shop around dont buy the first thing stuck in your face steve
 
Well, this is an interesting question...

I have been effectively unemployed for just over 3 years now with little or no source of income. Due to so much free time I found SCUBA (among other "outdoorsy" activities). So it was very important to me to be able to find what I needed to enjoy SCUBA without paying too much.

Basically make sure you shop around ALOT before purchasing anything. I managed to secure about 2k worth of equipment for under $800 or there abouts.

I got my regulator from an online source at less than half the price. Which meant even with paying for service every year I could afford to get it worked on for 5 years before I had laid out the same cost if Ihad bought it at the LDS.

I got my BC from my LDS but it was marked down 80% since it was a "used once" by the boy scouts and returned.

Also got my guages from an LDS. Took alot longer shopping around than I expected because I had to find the price I wanted AND the feature I didnt want to go without (Analog Max depth readout for that dive. Who would have thought that was a hard feature to come by?!). I found what I wanted at the price I wanted at the LDS because it was a "last year's no longer being produced" model.

Got my 6.5mm Semi-dry suit for 45% off by going to the Leisure Pro shop in Manhattan.

Got my Reel, Suasage, Whistle and most of my other accessories at the yearly SCUBA flee market held down the shore here in NJ.

Knife from E-bay.

Etc.

The hardest part of SCUBA on a budget though is not finding the deals but dealing with the attitude most divers in the sport have that the "poor" should not be permitted to dive. Not to say all SCUBA people share this view but you will definately encounter a very simular face that you get when "undesirables" attempt to join a golf country club. Be prepaired to do alot of smiling and nodding.

Spydertek
 
SpyderTek once bubbled...
I got my regulator from an online source at less than half the price. Which meant even with paying for service every year I could afford to get it worked on for 5 years before I had laid out the same cost if Ihad bought it at the LDS.
Spydertek

I see this a lot and it's what the manufactures and LDS's want to believe but it's not zackly true. By buying on line or used you give up the warranty, maybe, BUT just what is covered by the warranty? If you read it, only PARTS are covered or in other words, rebuild kits which run in the $15 to $30 range. The labor and hoses are not covered and that's the major part of the annual service cost. At $25/yr it takes a long time to recoupe the $200-500 you save. I still believe there is value in buying from a LDS, esp for a new diver. The warranty thing is just blown out of proportion.

As far as the "poor should not dive" attitude thing. Well, just remember that the horse is the only animal that has spare parts.....at least the back half anyway. It your gear is safe and in good order and you are safe, diving within your limits (and mine) I have no problem diving with anyone unless my buddy and I have specific plans.
 
Transpac + Travel wing: $339
Scubapro MK16/S550: $260
Scubapro R380 Octo: $115
OMS Brass SPG: $75
Aeris Atmos 2: $250
Mask + fins + snorkel: $65
Suit + boots + hood + gloves: $190

Total (w/o training): $1294
 

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