buying new Equipment, need advice

[Atomic081]

I just booked my honeymoon to Bali and my future wife signed up to get padi certified this week (Great Week!!). I have never owned any of my own equipment (other than mask, fins, snorkel) and am looking into getting some. I only dive on vacation every year or 2 so i dont think ill get alot of use out of everything. Is it worth it? or should i just find find a good rental place and not deal with it.

thanks
Ross

 

[fire_diver]

No. For that amount of diving, just rent at the location. Dive gear is heavy, bulky, expensive and requires yearly maintenance. You would probably spend more $$ having your regs serviced each year than you would to rent.

 

[buddhasummer]

Rent, owning your own gear is nice but unless you have money to burn it's not really worth it if you are going to dive so infrequently. The, assuming you keep up with it, annual service will cost you and you may not have even used the regs that year. Of course owning your own gear often means you will dive more often which is always s good thing. It's a great hobby to share with your loved one. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage and welcome to SB.

---------- Post added July 8th, 2014 at 08:47 PM ----------

I type too slow.

 

[Centrals]

I bought a prescription mask because of my eye-sight in the beginning otherwise I hired everything.

 

[knotical]

You might consider adding exposure protection. Often rental wetsuits are "well-used" and/or poor fits.

 

[ajduplessis]

Rent!

 

[drrich2]

I'd consider a fairly inexpensive non-air integrated dive computer so that you can get used to the interface. If you rent a computer, you may not be familiar with the interface, so there's less of a comfort level. If you mainly dive very sporadically and on vacation, I'm guessing you're part of a group playing 'follow the leader' (dive guide) and are not diving a tables profile, so you should have a dive computer. Granted, your wife should have one, too, ideally.

Get one that has a user changeable battery unless you're going to want the local dive shop to do it, and are willing to pay for that.

I know a pair of dive computers cost some money, but think about the reasoning. Even though new ones come out and yours will seem obsolete by the time you get in another dozen dives, it may well continue to do what you bought it for. You'll have to judge the value proposition for yourself.

Richard.

 

[victor]

A contrary voice.
I have had a few horror sets of rental equipment.
I originally bought my own kit after a vacation to the Canary Islands (~1990) where the gear was dreadful, I should have aborted when I saw the Kit but desperate to get wet I went forward.
More recently on short trips where I decided to rent rather than slep my gear I have had regulators that were very wet breathing, an serious problem in salt water for me, BC's with sticky inflator buttons, a real pain when you try for a puff of air and you get a 10 second blast that fully inflates the BC, and everything ill-fitting, uncomfortable, and unfamiliar.

Yes slepping gear around the world is a pain in the a$$, however it is yours and you should know it works (do a couple of pool sessions before going), it will be comfortable, etc.
personally don't worry about fins but take neoprene socks and blister pads, thats the one item that I will rent by preference rather than carry.
Dodgy gear is the one thing that can put you and/or your wife off diving forever.

Just my 2c worth
Victor

 

[eelnoraa]

Beside your mask and snorkel, you should just rent the rest. At least wait until you finish your class, and decide you want to be more than a vacation diver, then start to think about buying anything else.

if you end up diving once or twice a year on vacation, don't bother at all.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

I'd get a mask, snorkel & fins. You can snorkel when and where ever you want and they are all subject to personal fit and comfort.

After that a good wrist watch dive comp.

After that wet suit.

Then everything else.