**Newbie needs advice**

[Boomer]

Ok i posted this on rec.scuba and re.scuba.locations but newsgroups rareley are usfull anymore and seem to actually do more damage than good.

Ok, i was on a cruise and at the Bahamas you could do a un certified dive (only to 15' but what do you want when your not certified) got the nice basics on the boat ride to the site. And well i'm hooked. I'm 15 with a minimum wage job ($5.15 here in Fl) and have the money to get certified, the prob is the equipment. How much does it generally cost? I'm not talkin about top of the line stuff. What should i buy so whenever i go i dont have to rent everything?

thx for any help

 

[SubMariner]

Basically, the gear you want to invest in right away is your "personal gear": mask, fins {booties) & snorkel. Rent the other stuff until you decide if you are really into the sport enough (and will be doing enough dives) to justify the cost of getting your own gear.

It *is* possible to get some decent USED equipment from dive shops for an equitable price. What happens is they wind up getting great promotions from the manufacturers to turn over their rental gear almost yearly. So they sell of the used stuff. My 1st set of gear was just that: reg, octopus, gauges... $325 CDN.

The same can be said for BCs, but they tend to get used to death & may not be worth it. You really have to check them out thoroughly, as dive shops are as worried about selling these in decent condition; they have more liability exposure on the "lifesupport equipment" aka the regs. And at your stage of training, you probably don't know what to look for in terms of wear & tear on a BC.

Does this help at all?

~SubMariner~

 

[jenmichigan]

I have some used gear that I am selling if you're interested. The bc has been on two dives. It's not weight integrated which is why I bought a different one. Great shape, good deal. email me if you're interested. jbchristenson@mail.com

 

[Boomer]

Thx SubMariner that helped out.

 

[old_mike]

Heya Boomer, congrats on joining the ranks of the bubblemakers! As you do more and more dives with rented and owned equipment , you may want to try renting different types of BCs, tanks, weightbelts etc. Depending on your individual characteristics, you may find some products out there are total pieces of junk and others that may work flawlessly for you. That way you can experiment ahead of time and purchase only what really works. That is sort of what i did back when i got my OW card.

P.S. one of the most important items may be the humble weight-belt. If you find that the things tend to slide around on you, bite the bullet and buy one, and then customize it /w/ keeper clips and balance the weights so it stays put properly... it may save you a lot of headache!

DSAO

 

[Iguana Don]

Boomer,
Check your mail, make contact. He's in your neck of the woods, great advice, from one who has lots of experience.

 

[Mario S Caner]

Buying used gear is a mistake. If you look at the amount you are going to save vs the cost of having to maintain the gear without a warranty, you will see that as well. Since you're talking about top of the line gear, here is a general guidline as to what to expect:

BC: $400-600
Reg: $400-800
Computer: $500-1200
etc.

If you would like some specific advice on any peice of gear let me know, I'd be glad to steer you in the right direction.

Mario = )

 

[herman]

Hi Boomer,

I would like to add my 2 cents worth on used gear..I purchased a set of used gear in 1994, I am still using the BC ( it is getting a bit ragged around the edges but it has been on many great dives with me and is still going strong). The Sherwood regulator is still working fine, although it is now my back up. I recently purchased a complete set of high quality equipment (Scuba Pro reg, Oceanic computer, Dacor BC plus a bunch of other stuff), about $1500-$1700 worth of gear for $700. It had been used 3 times. The point I am getting at is that GOOD QUALITY scuba gear will last for years and many times divers just want to upgrade equipment (that's why my old reg is now my backup)and there is plenty of life remaining in the old gear. If you are looking at (or buy) used gear, do take it to a dive shop and have it serviced. This will ensure it is working properly and as you know, equipment should be serviced annually anyway so it's not really an "extra" expence.

Herman

 

[Mario S Caner]

Nice try Herman but no cigar.

When you purchase new gear it comes with a warranty. That warranty (depending on the manufacturer) will even allow you to get free parts on it for life as long as it's serviced annually (like it's supposed to). So in all actuality all you pay for is the labor charge (which you pay for anyway). Now you tell me... what's the smart choice?

Yup you guessed it, buy new!
gg
Mario =P

 

[herman]

Well Mario, It appears we will have to agree to disagree. At least both sides of the issue are on the table and Boomer can make his own decision. I think you will agree, that in either case, he should buy good quality gear and keep it maintained.