Canadian Buying Gear....need help...

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Got you there. Here's a checklist of stuff you will/may want as you go forward:

1) Reg set. (Recommend primary donate, 2 identical seconds, simple brass-n-glass or plastic spg, cold water rated)
2) BP/W (for cold water go with a steel plate, dir harness, and a 30-35lbs wing to float it)
3) Dive computer
4) Thermal protection (drysuit with undergarments, dry gloves, hood, and boots that fit over socks, and/or wetsuit, gloves, hood, and boots, and/or semidry with gloves and boots.)
5) Primary light
6) Backup light
7) Compass
8) Slate
9) Fins
10) Mask
11) lead weights to match thermal protection buoyancy changes
12) bolt snaps to clip off lights/gear to harness, cave line to tie them together
13) smb as the cheap option; finger reel and dsmb as the best boat diving signaler
14) Reel for wreck diving, occasionally needed, get one once you need it
15) glow sticks or a battery-powered glotube for night diving, when you get there
16) Flag N float for shore diving, once you get there
17) Tanks so you don't have to go to the LDS every time you and your buddies want to dive. Steel 100's are very popular for wreck diving in the Great Lakes. Most people buy used tanks if they can. Aluminum tanks are okay, but the steels help a lot with the weighting you need to dive thick thermal protection in cold water and aluminum just doesn't. Also al80's are borderline capacity for a lot of Great Lakes divers below 100 feet. 2 or 4 steel 100's is a great tank stable for Lake wreck diving. You'll add an al30 or 40 to that as a pony once you start deep diving.
18) Primary and backup dive computers, optional
19) Gopro with underwater housing, optional
20) Dive camera with housing, video lights, optional
21) Small dry box for seasickness meds, tools, keys, phone, cards, etc.
22) Mesh bag to carry kit
23) Padded bag for reg set
24) Knife, shears, trilobite line cutter
25) weight pouches to mount onto your harness
26) trim weights to trim out

Hope that helps.
 
Got you there. Here's a checklist of stuff you will/may want as you go forward:

1) Reg set. (Recommend primary donate, 2 identical seconds, simple brass-n-glass or plastic spg, cold water rated)
2) BP/W (for cold water go with a steel plate, dir harness, and a 30-35lbs wing to float it)
3) Dive computer
4) Thermal protection (drysuit with undergarments, dry gloves, hood, and boots that fit over socks, and/or wetsuit, gloves, hood, and boots, and/or semidry with gloves and boots.)
5) Primary light
6) Backup light
7) Compass
8) Slate
9) Fins
10) Mask
11) lead weights to match thermal protection buoyancy changes
12) bolt snaps to clip off lights/gear to harness, cave line to tie them together
13) smb as the cheap option; finger reel and dsmb as the best boat diving signaler
14) Reel for wreck diving, occasionally needed, get one once you need it
15) glow sticks or a battery-powered glotube for night diving, when you get there
16) Flag N float for shore diving, once you get there
17) Tanks so you don't have to go to the LDS every time you and your buddies want to dive. Steel 100's are very popular for wreck diving in the Great Lakes. Most people buy used tanks if they can. Aluminum tanks are okay, but the steels help a lot with the weighting you need to dive thick thermal protection in cold water and aluminum just doesn't. Also al80's are borderline capacity for a lot of Great Lakes divers below 100 feet. 2 or 4 steel 100's is a great tank stable for Lake wreck diving. You'll add an al30 or 40 to that as a pony once you start deep diving.
18) Primary and backup dive computers, optional
19) Gopro with underwater housing, optional
20) Dive camera with housing, video lights, optional
21) Small dry box for seasickness meds, tools, keys, phone, cards, etc.
22) Mesh bag to carry kit
23) Padded bag for reg set
24) Knife, shears, trilobite line cutter
25) weight pouches to mount onto your harness
26) trim weights to trim out

Hope that helps.

Going to save this in a document on my desktop, thank ya sir! :cheers:
 
Yep the scuba swap in April! You got to go!
 
Hey everyone,

New user here, doing my dive course this month for the classroom/pool sessions and June for open water dives. I will be going to my LDS for my gear but I'm kind of lost as to what I should/could get for my price range, maybe someone has opinions on here or advice. I know I'd like a backplate and wing setup and my budget is around 2500 (canadian). Right off the bat I know drysuit would be off the table, which is fine, I plan on moving into a drysuit next year. My LDS is selling their rental halcyon backplate/wings and regs for 1200 which is a good price for sure, just not sure if that eats up too much of the budget or if I could finish getting geared out with the rest of whats left.

Any advice welcome!

Slow down a bit on the purchases until you know without question that you will continue to dive and be a diver. The number of people who take lessons and become regular divers is kind of low. You'd be surprised!

Of course, my wish for you is that you become as passionate about diving as the rest of us commenting here.
 
Where do you plan to dive? I would just get the mask, fin, and snorkel package from the shop if that makes you more comfortable taking the course there, renting the rest, and then deciding whether you are a traveling occasional renting diver or a serious regular local diver, or the most expensive, the serious traveling regular diver. Then decide on the gear to suit your style. There will be lots of used gear to choose from on kijiji or craigslist. especially in the greater Toronto area, some of which will be a good value. I know Canadians really like a good value.
 
Great advice and I agree with the recommendation is do your course before buying gear.
Used gear is good if you know what you are looking at or have someone who does. I’m training on and servicing different brands of gear; each LSD supports specific brands so look at what can be serviced locally as well. If buying used regulators make sure they are cold water rated/environmentally sealed, recently serviced and parts are available. Used regulators usually have no warranty and you pay for kits and bench fees. Used BCDs are a great option in my opinion same with dry suits etc.
Hold off on tanks etc until you know how much you will actually dive.
 
Slow down a bit on the purchases until you know without question that you will continue to dive and be a diver. The number of people who take lessons and become regular divers is kind of low. You'd be surprised!

Of course, my wish for you is that you become as passionate about diving as the rest of us commenting here.

Admittedly I've only done a few dives (typically as a cruise excursion, like a "discover" scuba type deal), just always been drawn to the water. That's always been in warmer waters than I have here of course so maybe that will change my enjoyment of it, hahaha.

Where do you plan to dive? I would just get the mask, fin, and snorkel package from the shop if that makes you more comfortable taking the course there, renting the rest, and then deciding whether you are a traveling occasional renting diver or a serious regular local diver, or the most expensive, the serious traveling regular diver. Then decide on the gear to suit your style. There will be lots of used gear to choose from on kijiji or craigslist. especially in the greater Toronto area, some of which will be a good value. I know Canadians really like a good value.

Local diving mostly, maybe some travel diving..I would like to do some dive trips with the diving community. After the wedding I'd like to travel quite a bit the following year, and plan on going on some dive trips.

Great advice and I agree with the recommendation is do your course before buying gear.
Used gear is good if you know what you are looking at or have someone who does. I’m training on and servicing different brands of gear; each LSD supports specific brands so look at what can be serviced locally as well. If buying used regulators make sure they are cold water rated/environmentally sealed, recently serviced and parts are available. Used regulators usually have no warranty and you pay for kits and bench fees. Used BCDs are a great option in my opinion same with dry suits etc.
Hold off on tanks etc until you know how much you will actually dive.

The tanks I hadn't been looking at yet, figured I'd rent for a bit until I know I'm 100% in. I'm torn between doing the drysuit addon for the OW course or not, I know eventually I'd want a drysuit so part of me thinks I should just do it, but then I wouldnt be accustomed to wetsuit diving after the course and wouldnt know what to expect really...decisions..lol
 
@Gee.Eleven

I did OW/drysuit at the same time. Highly recommended. Even if you don’t buy for a while you will have the cert to rent a drysuit if needed.
 

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