Equipment help please

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Reel Um

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Location
Ocala, FL
Hello and new to the forum. Wife and I have been certified to dive at least ten years now but just haven't had time to do it. We have a boat since 2004 and I use it quite often in FL to fish. Two trips to the keys snorkeling and now interested to go deeper and stay down longer.

I am overwhelmed and flustered with equipment. I am of the motto that I do not want to buy cheap and buy twice so it costs me more. I rather spend a little now and not have to spend more later.

I am starting off being lazy by looking at packages. They are priced a little cheaper about $125 so far. Here is the package I was looking at

Mares Package #3

I am not locked into this. Just a starting point. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated or brands I should look at.

I purchased a decent set of mask, fins, and snorkel. I am getting a 3mm wetsuit from a speargun manufacturer b/c I want to start doing that as well. So the other equipment to get started for now is the scuba equipment and then accessories come later.
 
Don't be stuck on just 1 brand. Try out several different brands from different dive shops to see what works best for you. I use a combination of Scubapro, Aqualung, Oceanic, Suunto, Dive Rite & a few others, depending on if I am diving recreational or technical. I use what works for me, not any particular brand.
 
I'm sure that setup would work great. I've been doing a lot of online shopping and for 1500$ you can really get some good gear. Don't be afraid to buy from numerous places to make your own package.
 
One thing to consider is that if you buy from multiple places you may end up having your service done at multiple sites. Most Dive Shops carry more than one brand, if you buy all your equipment mixing brands and models to your liking, from one store you will probably be able to work a deal even if it is not a package. If you piece meal your purchases out to different shops they do not have much of an incentive to deal.

If a shop says that the MSRP is the price they charge you may want to look elswhere.
 
Well brands are like cars. Depending on who you ask will give you equally as many answers. Me personally I love Zeagle for their BCDs and because they are not price fixing. If I were you I would stay away from Brands that dont allow internet sales as this often leads to Loca Dive Shops trying to get a warm water vacation off your sale.
 
One thing to consider is that if you buy from multiple places you may end up having your service done at multiple sites. Most Dive Shops carry more than one brand, if you buy all your equipment mixing brands and models to your liking, from one store you will probably be able to work a deal even if it is not a package. If you piece meal your purchases out to different shops they do not have much of an incentive to deal.
It is true that you might have more negotiating power if you purchase multiple pieces of gear from the same retailer.
The only items I've ever taken into a shop to be serviced are regs and tanks, so I'm not sure how often one would be going to multiple sites to get servicing done. Feel free to mix and match across manufacturers. Logistically, it does make servicing easier if the 2nd stages and 1st stages on a reg setup are all made by the same manufacturer, but you could easily get around that by finding a shop that services many different brands of regs, e.g., Scubatoys.
 
If you have a local dive shop I'd give them a shot at it. Local service and goodwill can't be beat if they provide good service. Check with the locals as to how they rate. However Mares is good stuff and their regs are hard to beat.
 
Thanks for the help so far everyone. At least it is a start. I haven't had much time to do individual research for each item and hoping to do it this weekend.
 
I am overwhelmed and flustered with equipment. . . . I am starting off being lazy by looking at packages. . . . Here is the package I was looking at . . . Mares Package #3 I am not locked into this. Just a starting point.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated or brands I should look at.
Four comments / suggestions: 1. I have found Mares equipment to be good, but parts (e.g. reg service kits) somewhat hard to come by at times. We are a Mares dealer and backorders seem to be their way of doing business. The only thing in the Mares line that I would buy is fins, which I think you already have. While I am not particularly concerned about brands (I use primarily Zeagle, Apeks, Halcyon and Dive Rite, because those are the other lines we carry), Mares just seems to be a bit challenging. Others may have different experiences. 2. I am not a big fan of packages. They do serve a purpose - you don't have to agonize over a lot of individual decisions. But, I have generally found that you get more value with a rig put together according to what you want. I don't necessarily see anything wrong with the items in the Mares package, and I am sure the gear will function well, but I think $1500 is a bit high for what you get (notwithstanding that attractive Leisure Pro cap :D). 3. It appears from your comments that you are on/around the water quite a bit, you are probably used to working with 'gear' / equipment (anyone who owns a boat either has lots of spare cash for service, or knows how to do most things themselves). You might want to think about some less expensive, used gear as a starting point. eBay and the various FL Craigslist sites are good sources. 4. I would echo the suggestion of at least talking with one or more LDS operations. That is not a criticism of LP at all, and I peridocoally buy items from them that my LDS doesn't stock. Rather, you might find a LDS that is both price competitive and able to set up rigs for you and your wife that can be serviced locally, and price competitive. Having said that, I know nothing about LDS operations in Ocala. I go there for 40 Fathom diving and that's about it. But, in the general area, particularly if you are willing to do a little driving, there are quite a few very good options.
 
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