another newbie thread...sorry :(

[Debay777]

there are over 100 threads, its 1 a.m., and im not reading them all to find my answer. I am about to start my ow class through a PADI LDS and I have a simple...err......well potentialy simple question. how cheap is too cheap? i dont live off a huge budget and want to own my own gear rather than rent it. the LDS that holds the class is like most others in that they sell everything at really high prices. not to say that the product quality is not there, but expensive none the less. i found a BC for less than 150.00 usd on a web page and the LDS's cheapest is around 350.00 usd. i can scrounge around and do about a grand +/- for the basic equip --- mask, snorkel, fins, booties, wet suit, tank, reg, bc, belt, weights, watch...maybe a computer----- but at their rates it willl be closer to 2k. Ive had enough expensive hobbies (paintball, R.C. planes, shooting, etc.) to know that there is a line of "cheap" that should not be crossed, but in diving i dont know where that is. i dont want to be 60 feet down and find out that the k-mart blue light special mask imploads past 1 atmosphere. (no, I did not, nor will i buy a kmart dive mask............i shop wal mart..lol). if there is already a post here that covers that by all means redirect me, if not please send me a nugget of info i can chew on.

 

[Matsya]

Hi Debay,

I do not have sufficient experience to recommend gear but I can give you MHO regarding buying gear too soon. If you have been diving for some time without certification (if that is possible) and are now going for certification to expand the range of your diving and have decided that you are going to continue diving then what I say below is not applicable to you.

I suggest that you do your classes using rental equipment. Complete the classes, get your basic certification and do a few more dives on rental equipment. Make sure that you do like diving and that you intend to continue diving. Once you do that, you will want to go ahead and do more advanced and speciality certification. You can then decide to buy gear. If your LDS has a selection of rental equipment you will probably want to try out different configurations, brands and types of gear before you decide what you feel is the best for you.
I can give you my personal experience in the case of first stage.
I rushed into buying a first stage without knowing much about it. After buying the first stage I took a couple of months to buy a computer. By that time I had a clearer picture of what I wanted and decided to go for a model with wireless air integration. At this point I realised that my first stage had only one High Pressure port. The wireless transmitter needed a High Pressure port and the regular SPG that I had needs one too (I want the SPG too for safety in case of transmitter failure). Since I WANTED the wireless air integration, I had to buy another first stage with two HP ports. Not that the first stage that I already had is a waste. The point I am trying to make is that it is worthwhile to dive for some time, take time to decide on your total equipment configuration based on optimum integration of each piece of equipment, and then go ahead and spend money.
Having said that, there are extremely informative posts in this Board on buying your own equipment and no doubt you will get a lot of replies to your question from very experienced and informed divers.

 

[scubamickey]

You might want to check out some other LDS like Scubatoys at scubatoys.com. I just checked and they have a couple of packages for under $1000 that include BC, regs, computer or gauges and free reg bag. They are new and while not the top of the line with all the bells and whistles, they are good reliable brands that will not fail you. Plus they have warranties.

I would take a print out to your shop and ask if they can offer something similiar. If not, then consider going to someone like Larry at ST and get a package that suits your budget.

Have fun with your OW class and welcome to Scuba board.

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
Don't go with cheap gear, esp unseen, unknown gear off the internet. You will not be happy with it and getting it serviced may be next to impossible. Brand names from reputable dealers (like Scuba Toys) are a lot better way to go.
Another option than you may have not considered is used gear. There is a lot of it on the market and lots of it is in great shape. Quality gear will last many years and most us have gear around we no longer dive just because we wanted (as opposed to needed) a new reg or BC. There is another thread here talking about the age of our regs, there are lots of 25+ year old regs still being used every day. I don't recommend the eBay route. Great deals can be had on occasion but rip-offs are also common. You need to see and touch the gear before buying and then have it checked by a service tech before using it. The LSDs in your area may also be a good source of used gear. A lot of the shops sell their rental gear from time to time. Most of its well used, lots of pool fading which makes it look bad but does not really hurt it. It would do you for several years until you get some experience and know what you really want or need
.

 

[m3830431]

The consensus is try untill you like and buy when you can.

 

[jbichsel]

Don't be in too big a hurry to get your own gear! This is a major mistake that too many new divers make which very often puts them in uncomfortable gear, spending too much money by trying to save money and often leads to giving up on diving.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! I cannot express this enough.

Whether or not you end up buying the gear I like, recommend, seel, the important things are that:

1. Safety. The majority of dive gear available today is much safer than it was 10, 15, 30 years ago. However, problems still arise. Check for recalls, failure rates. There are a couple of manufacturers that have recently issued recalls on BC power inflator buttons sticking. All in all, you should be fine, but I like doing my homework, especially on life support equipment.

2. You are comfortable. Comfort goes a long, long way towards making diving enjoyable. If you are continually having to readjust, move something or something is not adequate, you will not be spending time enjoying your dives.

3. Feel good about your purchase. You don't want to have some nagging thoughts like "Man, I wish I would have spent that extra $100 to get a reg that breathes easier below 100feet.", or "This wetsuit is difficult to put on, I wish I would have spent another $75 for one with ankle zippers."

You need to spend some time diving in order to get a feel for the type(s) of diving you want to do.

My recommendations are:

1. Find an LDS that will let you try/rent gear from multiple manufacturers, I suggest at least 3. From those manufacturers, try several modells from each. Try different styles of BC's (jacket, Backplate/wing, weight integrated and non), different regulators. What one person recommends may not feel right for you. This even goes for mask, fins, snorkel. There are reasons that more than one style, size, shape, color are made.

2. Find out if the LDS will apply some or all of your rental fee towards the purchase price.

You may find out that your budget is too limited at this time. Ok, fine. Don't be in such a hurry. This is important gear with major safety, comfort and monetary investment. Not anything to rush into and regret later.

 

[eckybay]

As a newbie myself who wants her own gear but doesn't want to go in debt because of it, I'll chime in. I bought my first BC and reg as used rental equipment from my LDS. They get all new gear every six months and did an inspection/service of everything before it went out the door. It was the same equipment that I learned in, so I was use to using it already. On the down side, it means I didn't try out other stuff. But I'm happy with what I got and it seems to do fine for me. It may not have all the bells and whistles out there, but more than meets the diving needs I'll be having for a while. Like others have mentioned, I'd be wary of purchasing used gear site unseen, but getting it from a reputable source, you'll be fine going that route and get gear that still has plenty of life left in it.

 

[drbill]

Hey, don't be sorry about "another newbie" post. Heck, without newbies getting certified and joining this board, the sport and SB itself would gradually wither away and die!

 

[DeputyDan]

One more thing - all gear is used gear after dive # 1.

 

[nolatom]

I didn't wait to buy gear, bought simple basic but reliable stuff from my LDS, and am not sorry. I told them I wanted decent "Chevy Malibu" gear rather than "Cadillac", and they guided me accordingly (Scubapro MK2 and R190, basic Scubapro BC, and depth gauge), and bought a used wetsuit from a friend. It wasn't that expensive, and I'm still using it 7 years later (okay, I don't dive every week and I'm not a gear hound, and my wife bought me a computer later on as a birthday present).

The fact that I'd invested the money (less than $1K) made me get out and dive, in order to "get my money's worth". Bear in mind that 10 rentals is about 500 bucks, that's over half what I spent on gear. So I went out and made about 20 dives a year, got the experience, and was, and am, a happy diver if not a prolific one.

A friend took OW class with me, and he was going to wait til he had the money to spend (or wanted to spend) on "Cadillac" gear. He was always "going to do it", but never did. 7 years later, I have 120 dives, he's never dived. Maybe your motivation's different, but buying the gear made me more determined to get out and dive, and use it.

I'm not at all knocking the "rent first, try lots of different gear, see what you like") suggestions above. I'm just saying for me, buying basic gear early was the best thing.

Whether to buy from your LDS is a whole other question. I'd recommend it, if you're going to use them for your early trips and for your future instruction, at least for your regs and BC. This assumes you trust them not to over-price you. My LDS didn't (yes it was a little but not a lot more than on-line, but I wouldn't've known what to order on line at that point anyway), and I've stuck with them.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. Welcome to the sport and best of luck.