I bought my first wetsuit, reg set, BCD and computer new. Now I realize that really wasn't necessary, and I have bought mostly used stuff for years now. If you can actually see and even try the gear first, it certainly isn't necessary. Lots of people with fairly deep pockets buy scuba gear and then either decide they need tech gear (and then always newer/different/more tech gear...) or decide a year or two later that they have done the scuba thing and they could just as well sell their gear. I love the fact the most people live with too little storage space, it does wonders for prices. Lots of people want gear sold and will price nice stuff to sell in a couple hours or less -so keep your eyes open and you can save a lot of money.