Starting Up, Please Help!

[dbays4394]

I'm just starting my first dive class and having to get the beginning stuff mask, fins, snorkel. I was wanting to shop around a bit and see if I can find some used equipment and perhaps save a little, plus I enjoy the trading/bargaining aspect of it. The problem I'm encountering is I don't know what to be looking for. I was wanting to know what are some solid brands I should keep an eye out for, what are the cheap brands I should stay away from, key words to look for when getting equipment. When dealing with used equipment what are the questions I should ask the previous owners and what are definite red flags in equipment that should send me packing?

For my class all the dives will be in a pool and fresh water. I am originally from Florida and plan to do a lot of diving there as well.

Thank you in advance for your shared knowledge.

 

[WB2GLP]

You may save a few bucks if you know what to buy, but if I were to tell you to buy Forcefins, someone will tell you to buy Mares Planar fins, Scubapro split fins. Etc. Etc.

The best place to ask questions about dive gear is a dive shop. The time you waste getting up to speed on what's good and bad, what to avoid...running around grabbing things off craigslist not knowing what you're buying, avoiding scams, no-shows or whatever, you could be diving already. Why not buy those basics from the shop where you take your lessons?

 

[TSandM]

Make sure the mask you buy is for scuba; you need tempered glass, and not all swim masks have it. A mask MUST fit, and honestly, given the wide variations in faces and masks, I'd highly recommend you just suck it up and go to a local dive shop, where you can try on a whole mess of masks in one trip, and find one that works for YOU.

All you need for your original class is a simple snorkel. Forget the dry valves and purges -- just get a J-tube or a snorkel with a little corrugated area for flexibility. They're cheap, even if you buy them new. There is no issue with a used snorkel, except that you might want to clean it pretty well to get rid of anything that has grown in the cracks.

Fins . . . that's a can of worms. It is my VERY VERY strong recommendation that you buy a set of inexpensive paddle fins to start off with. If you want to do some searching, you can look for nice ones. If you are primarily going to dive warm water, look for plastic fins, because they are lighter -- Dive Rite EXPs are nice ones. If you are going to dive cold water, look for rubber fins. ScubaPro Jets, Hollis F1s, Turtles, or Mares Power Planas are good examples. If you want to buy new and inexpensive fins, the Deep See Pulses are available through LeisurePro at a reasonable price. They're not stiff enough to suit me, but they'll do quite nicely for a class, and I think most people would be happy with them in warm water.

Whatever you do, don't spend a ton of money on fancy. First off, fancy fins often offer little advantage to simple ones, and secondly, sad experience tells us that a lot of people won't do much diving after their class, and investing a lot of money on something that looks hot is unwise.

 

[lamarpaulski]

Like he said: At least check out your dive shop's stuff and try on...you will also need booties. Mask has to fit to hold a suction. There is a HUGE choice of gear (Capitalism at its best) and I doubt anybody is ever perfectly satisfied. Fins ought to be open-heeled with straps tho. Have to see if fins fit with your booties on...these issues are why you need a good Dive Shop's help/advice or a veteran diver.

 

[Corleone]

my advise would be not to hurry up and buy....just because you want to have it. i would recommend that you give yourself some time and see what you want do as of now and your future plans. as one of the tech instructors told be before " everything goes underwater, cost a lot "

use rental or buy whatever gets the job done for time being without focusing too much on words like " the best, the most and ...ect "

 

[dive!]

Welcome to the exciting world of SCUBA, dbays4394! There is lots of great advice on Scubaboard about equipment and a classifieds section with items for sale.

I would agree with other posters, use it before you buy it. Your dive shop can help you determine the right size of equipment for you. Different dive shops carry different brands of equipment. You might want to try a couple different dive shops rental gear after you are certified to determine which wetsuit, BCD, regulator, etc. fits you and your goals best.

It can be almost as exciting to buy equipment as actually diving itself. That being said, there is considerable risk when purchasing used scuba gear. For example, the gear can be outdated, broken, not regularly serviced, wrong size for you, etc. Best to gain some experience before shopping for used gear.

I have been diving in Florida since 2006 and love it more every year. I hope you find scuba diving very rewarding!

 

[Locus]

I am still a newbie myself but I've put together my first set of gear mostly through extensive craigslisting, ebay, etc. The only major items I bought brand new are my regs, mask, and light. Here are a couple of words of advice I can offer:

If you're going to buy a used drysuit (and it's pretty risky to do so if you don't know what you're looking at) get something on the newer end of the spectrum, as materials for suits are always improving. My buddy bought a used old-school seal suit that seemed to fit fine, but when it was time to gear up she found she didnt have enough mobility in the stiff neoprene suit, and she exhausted herself just gearing up.

Pass on bulky lights. There are a lot of these around and used they sell for cheap, but why would you want one when you could get a 6" long, 1.5" wide LED light that shines 820 lumens for less than $90? Point being, buy only what you can actually see youself diving with, even if it costs a bit more.

Tanks are a good investment if they are in decent shape and you can get them cheap. If your LDS is open to barter, you can sometimes trade them for services or credit and get more value than you paid in. I never pass up a good deal on a tank, even if it's one that I don't plan to use.

One last point: Get used life-support equipment inspected before you use it. Can't stress this enough. It's easy to say it looks fine and just go with it. Squash this impulse. You don't know where it's been or what's been done to it. Regs, tanks, bcds, drysuits, all need to be checked over by a trained eye before you entrust your life to them. I had a guy sell me some high-end regs that he swore were ready to dive, and when I took them in to get looked at I was informed that the first stage was shot and needed to be rebuilt. Trust no one.

 

[icechip]

Find an experienced diver in your area, get to to know them and pick their brain. They are usually a font of information and often have leads on possible used gear for sale, know of kinds of extra/backup equipment that might be available, might know of other potential dive buddies as well as their knowledge of the good local dive sites.

 

[52brandon]

no used on masks. Don't wanna get one with the silicone broken in for somebody else's face

 

[rlallen]

You may already have gear by now but if you don't, you can find decent beginner kit at: Research, Review, and Buy Scuba Diving Equipment and Gear - DiveCatalog.com for $73.
TUSA Splendrive Travel set ...

They offer fast shipping and excellent customer service.

I'm just starting my first dive class and having to get the beginning stuff mask, fins, snorkel. I was wanting to shop around a bit and see if I can find some used equipment and perhaps save a little, plus I enjoy the trading/bargaining aspect of it. The problem I'm encountering is I don't know what to be looking for. I was wanting to know what are some solid brands I should keep an eye out for, what are the cheap brands I should stay away from, key words to look for when getting equipment. When dealing with used equipment what are the questions I should ask the previous owners and what are definite red flags in equipment that should send me packing?

For my class all the dives will be in a pool and fresh water. I am originally from Florida and plan to do a lot of diving there as well.

Thank you in advance for your shared knowledge.