d33ps1x once bubbled...
Out of all the pieces of equipment I would rather own regardless of how many times I use it, it would be Regs, BCD, and Mask.
Regs= Primary life support. Why mess around...
BCD= Familiar and reliable bouyancy
Mask = Lose that at 100' and good luck on your ascent rate.
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I'd have to add exposure protection in there, too. But for me, regs are essential, because, well, how do YOU drive a rental car?
BC - no brainer. Fit and control
Mask - I HATE leaks. Someone else's snot is pretty below average, too.
For me, what pushed me over the edge to dive more was getting my own cylinder. I mean, OK... so I have a suit, and a BC and all that open water stuff (fins, mask, etc...) but all that stuff (sans BC...sorta) can be used by snorklers.
I
felt like a diver when I got my own cylinder. And THAT is when I started diving more. It meant no longer did I need to go to a dive shop before I went diving.
Friday night... get a call, lets go diving tomorrow... dang - shop is closed...can't rent my stuff...
The tank completed the rig, was the last thing I bought (before upgrading all the rest recently) and is the only thing that has survived several gear upgrades over the years.
But you gotta start with Regs and BC, and add that to your OW stuff.
K