Mask Cleaning, Used gear, and Training?

[adamrehard]

Hi everyone, I'm new here, and new to diving. I'm hoping to get my OW cert soon, but being 15 and no job, the budgets a bit tight. I have some snorkeling gear, but it's not really in the best of shape. I was hoping to get some ideas on how to clean off the encrusted junk. The other thing I was hoping for is advice on buying used gear, I know I dont need it yet, but i'd rather pay an extra $50 to buy, rather than rent for $100 for my OW. I found what I'm hoping is a great deal on craigslist, but it seems almost too good...

buffalo.craigslist.org/spo/2081850797.html

The last thing is I can't really afford the $200+ for the OW course at my LDS, any ideas on a cheaper education?

Thanks in advance, Adam

[g1138]

Well I wish you luck in getting all this set up. It's definitely something you will not regret, money aside that is. ;P

For the snorkeling gear issue you may want to elaborate on encrusting junk.
White vinegar may work for mineral deposits, but I'm not sure if it'll damage the skirt of your mask.
I'd let others put their input in before rushing off to test this

Also if it's cheap snorkeling gear (ie. those packaged deals you get from sports stores)
it may not work to well. If the mask seals across your face you're good. The fins however should be diving fins. Diving fins generally give you more thrust with less effort than snorkeling fins. Snorkeling fins just aren't made to propel a gear ladened diver through the water.

The first thing you'll want to do if you buy used gear is to test it out on dry land.
Make sure all the purges work, the reg breaths, inflator works etc etc.
Since you're not certified, I doubt you'll really know what to check for.
It'd be ideal to have someone who's certified and knowledgeable enough to be able to look over the gear before you buy it.

After you buy used gear, you should have it inspected at your local dive shop.
All dive shops have a set of manufactures that authorize them to stock and sell their gear.
If they're not authorized by a certain brand, chances are they won't touch the gear or inspect it.
It's a liability issue, their tech won't be trained for that particular brand.

The link you posted is a very good deal. For two BC's, wet suit, and other essential I can't believe they'll sell it all for $150. Assuming it works that is. (The sticky inflator hose is a problem, don't dive with this until it is fixed)

As for classes, you'll want to ask yourself if you want a cheaper education OR a strong and reliable one.
There are plenty of posts here that detail classes that are all about C-cards, and not about diver education.
This is a fun sport but it is a dangerous one. Underwater on scuba, your life will depend on your training, knowledge of equipment, knowledge of emergency procedures, and various other things that can only come with a good diving education.
This in turn, comes only from the instructor.

Important (my honest opinion)
When going with a LDS to get trained you should really decide which shop to go with based on the instructor. No matter the cost (cheap or expensive) or the agency, a great class is taught by a great instructor.
There are plenty of post detailing how to pick out a good instructor. I'm sure plenty of other people here will have loads of info regarding this.
(I wouldn't ask me about this, I got lucky picking my instructors)

Personally I believe anyone should not buy actual scuba equipment until they've been certified and have been diving for a bit. This will give you the opportunity to try out and learn about different equipment types.
For instance, did you know that there are 3 general types of BC's? (jacket, back-inflate, & BP/W).

Scuba equipment can last a lifetime if treated right, so generally I tell others to make their purchase well informed so that you don't drop hundreds of dollars only to realize the gear doesn't fit your style.

[softballer]

Get a job or wait this is hardly a sport you can get into cheaply.

[g1138]

I'd like to add on to what softballer said.
He made a good point.

After you get certified, the only way you can dive is if you rent tanks. If buy you own tank great, but then you'll need to get it vis-ed, hydroed and filled.

It's a lot of money to dive. It's a lot less if you have your own gear, but it's still a bit.

If it's any conciliation, college universities that offer classes in scuba are generally cheaper than LDS's. (speaking from personal experience)
But of course you'll have to wait for that, if you choose that route.

[DevonDiver]

Don't rush your equipment purchases. The OW course, and subsequent dives, with rental equipment will give you a clear indication of what you like and dislike...along with what you need (rather than want).

There will always be cheap deals on Ebay and Craigslist for second-hand equipment. It'll cost you a lot more if you buy unsuitable or uncomfortable kit that you will soon have to replace.

Learn about diving...learn about what you need... do some more research once you are a trained diver.... only then buy your kit.

[aquaregia]

A different perspective: SCUBA diving can be safe and cheap at the same time.

You will need a lot of patience and some mechanical inclination. You will need to spend a lot of time reading, thinking and asking stupid questions and being ridiculed. Prepare to be wrong, often. Get someone to check your work the first few times you mess with gear. Make sure you know the failure modes of the gear you're working on -- both how it will fail and what you will do if that happens. Break stuff. Meet old crotchety dudes who like to tinker and talk. They seem to love enthusiastic people who are willing to work and think for themselves.

Spend money on your mask and exposure gear. If those are ineffective, you will hate diving.

It will be very difficult for you to understand SCUBA gear well enough to make good purchasing decisions if you haven't used SCUBA gear. My opinion is that you'll end up wasting money if you try to buy gear before your OW class. The craigslist ad you posted is a good deal if, and only if, everything fits and is what you want. If you wait, you'll be able to get a similar deal again. I got my BC for $10 and my dive computer for $20. I spent $25 on a pair of fins that didn't fit, and it took me almost seven months to find someone who would take them off my hands.

A cheaper education probably isn't particularly likely. Last time I tried to save money on a class, all the savings got taken up by materials fees and certification card fees. There's a thread on here somewhere about picking a good OW instructor; it would probably be worth spending extra money to get a good instructor, even if it delayed your diving by several months.

Good luck.

[herman]

Scuba is not a cheap sport. Poor instruction and failing equipment can kill you so going cheap it not the best of ideas. If your parents can't help you out with cash then waiting until you have a job and finances is a much better option.

As for the Craigs list deal, it's an OK offer but not great. The equipment is older and will need service (there is another $125-150) you will have to spend on it. And I suspect you do not know that regulators need to be inspected every year which will cost you another $125-150 (each year). To give you some idea of why you need some experience before buying used gear (and I often do, it can be a great deal), the second stages on that reg are prone to breaking if dropped (I have broke 2 of them) but the damage is internal so you can't see it until it is opened up, on the outside it will look fine. Not sure what the cost of replacement is but since it is an older reg there is a good chance you can't get the parts at all. The BC that is listed as having a sticking inflator....not a surprize there, that particular model was know for having a badly designed inflator and worst of all, it is a custom size so replacements are hard to find. The price of your great deal just went up another $150-200 or more depending on what else is wrong.

Do yourself a big favor, save up some money, find a GOOD instructor and learn to dive safely. Then find a job to make money for good equipment. I know this sucks but welcome to the real world......and just wait till you see the government has taken a large part of your paycheck to boot.

[MichiganScott]

You can save money when you realize you don't need all the frills or latest whatever; as well you can find good deals on older new stock or even used equipment, but all of that is secondary.

What you can not aford to do is skimp on your training! That is not the place to cut corners, as your life is far more important thaN A FEW BUCKS. IMHO, get a source of income, research a reputable instructor and learn as much as you can.

Listen to them, watch them, all the extras come later.

[Sask Diver]

Don't rush your equipment purchases. The OW course, and subsequent dives, with rental equipment will give you a clear indication of what you like and dislike...along with what you need (rather than want).

Learn about diving...learn about what you need... do some more research once you are a trained diver.... only then buy your kit.

I have been diving less than a year, the advice above is golden.
Put your money into the training right now and not the gear, at least untill you discover what kind of diver you want to become.
I have bought a bcd and bp/w this year,along with all the other gear needed to dive.
I have spent almost $5000.00 dollars on gear this year, in part to poor choices.

Learn from my mistakes and spend the money on training and the gear will come.
I have learned little training can lead to bad gear choices.
Good luck to you

[TSandM]

Adam, you're 15 years old, which gives you some very interesting possibilities for reducing your costs to dive. You have (I assume) a healthy, strong body . . . which means you can do work that other people don't want to do, or can't do.

I know, for example, that my husband would happily do an open water class in exchange for someone doing some physical work around our place. It wouldn't be fun work (chopping blackberry bushes, for example) but it's an example of the kind of thing you can do, either to earn money to give an instructor, or to trade for an instructor's services.

I'm going to sound like a crotchety grandmother here, but when I was a kid, we all found jobs to earn money to buy the special things we wanted, that exceeded our parents' willingness to spend. Mowing lawns, picking fruit, babysitting, whatever . . . I can't FIND a teenaged kid willing to do those sorts of chores these days. But it's a great way to earn money, before you're eligible for a more standard sort of job.