Average set up costs for diving?

[Fallkniven]

Hello,

I'm trying to get a rough idea of how much it's going to cost to get set up for diving.
If someone has the time, a list of what I'd need would be hugely appreciated.

Me and my father didn't really get to do much stuff when I was younger, but I know he used to dive a lot. So anyway, I figured that now I got my new job sorted and a stable income again, I'd take the leap and invest in some gear and lessons so that me and my father can go diving together and also to give me a hobby on top of my current hobbies.

I know this may be a pretty generic question and that I could probably google a list, but when I do that it's only one persons view generally. It would be nice to hear peoples suggestions.

Thanks in advance,

Mike.

 

[boulderjohn]

Welcome to ScubaBoard!

I assume from what you wrote that you have not gotten started with certification. That will be your first step, and I really can't tell you what that would cost in England. Start by determining where you want to get certified. You can use ScubaBoard to help with that. If you scroll down, you will find an area that is devoted to regions around the world. Locate the area that includes England and you can find recommendations for shops in your area. You can either do that via a search or by asking the question yourself.

Really take your time in making this selection--don't just jump into the first shop you see. In England you will have a choice that includes BSAC, which operates differently from other agencies. You will also certainly find a PADI shop or two nearby. Interview potential instructors. Look around the shops. Find something you are comfortable with both now and as a potential future partner in your diving.

As for purchases, almost everyone starts by purchasing fins, mask, and snorkel. Don't jump into that too quickly. As an instructor, I have had students show up with totally inappropriate equipment that they got on the cheap before class. Having to buy two sets of gear--the first crap and the second the stuff you really want--is not the way to save money. I have owned my primary mask for 12 years, and counting pool instruction dives, I can't imagine how many times it has been in the water--thousands of times. On a per use basis, this stuff can be very cheap because it lasts so long.

After that, things vary tremendously. Many people rent almost everything else before purchasing anything else. Others go ahead and buy everything right away.

One question is where you will be diving. In my area of Colorado in the U.S., I would bet that well over 95% of the people do nearly all of their diving in warm water resort areas. Anything they own is suited for that. Others (like me) who dive locally have very different gear. The diving in England will require quite different gear than if you go on trips to the Red Sea, Thailand, or other warm water areas.

 

[PittCaleb]

This is an excellent question as you can "get certified" for only $200, but as you know, that's not even near half the story.

Long = Short - I got my initial certification last october, so I was probably in academic classed this week a year ago. My total cost to certification was $1,500.

I bought a computer you can skip (~$400) but already had my mask, snorkel & fins from my free diving days ($250'ish). We're in wreck diving country, so were required to buy a good knife ($75). But for basic Open Water, that was it. This included all class, book, instruction, pool & the two-days diving for the open water certification. My guess is you could do it for $1,000 - $1,250.

A bunch of students in our class bought wet suits, I did not. I wish dive shops would advertise an "out the door" price for certification - $1,000 and you're OW certified. i felt like every week there was another thing we had to buy or pay for. Had I been told it would have been $1,500 to get certified including the computer, I would have been happier than the money have been nickle & dimed from me.

Drop me a PM if you want to see the breakdown of my costs to certification.

PittCaleb

 

[TwoCards]

I recently got into diving and bought my own gear as well. So far I have taken open water, advanced open water and Nitrox classes. Here's roughly what I've spent:

Open water course $470. This included the online class, the instructor taught classroom time, pool sessions and my check out dives.

Basic gear (mask, fins, snorkel, weights and wetsuit) $450.

BC, Regulator, octopus and SPG $1150.

Computer $450

Advanced Open water and Nitrox class $400. From this class I got to do 6 boat dives and for me was very much worth the money.


So for my gear and my basic training I’ve spent close to $3000. You could probably do this for a little cheaper or could easily spend much more. Many people recommend not buying your own gear right away as you can rent for awhile to find out what you do and don’t like. It also is not necessary to take your advanced open water or Nitrox classes after you receive your open water certification. Diving is expensive to get into, but has been well worth it. My setup is for warm water dives and I’ve done all my training in either fresh water springs or the warm clear waters of South Florida. Expenses will vary depending on what training you are going for and the equipment you need for the type of diving you will be doing.

 

[BrianBruemmer]

One thing to realize as well... you don't have to buy it all at once. I paid for my Open water Cert (About $270) and my immediate needs for class (mask,fins,snorkel,boots $300 roughly). I then went through classes, and shortly after that bought my computer, BC, regulator, and wetsuit. You can also rent all that until you can buy it.

So it can get expensive, but you can also spread the cost out to what you can afford.

I didnt buy weights, or a tank. I figure I can rent that when I dive.

 

[Mark Derail]

Just take the course through a dive shop.

As part of the PADI Open Water course, your instructor will show you around the shop.

Just remember that most dive shops need money - and are specialty boutiques. Where you will dive is important. Fresh/cold water is different to "down South" ocean diving.

Everything can be rented - do that first. Exception being the mask & snorkel, less than 100$ for high quality set. You want a mask that won't hurt your face when you're at +4 atmospheres.

If you want to "own" everything, 1500$ USD is about right. You don't need anything fancy, but a dive computer I find helps the beginner, for logging purposes. Mine mounts on the octo. Some are wireless/blutooth, so you can wear the computer on your arm and the air sensor is wireless on the octo. More $$$.

Learn where you can do shore dives, as most "boat" rides can cost you 60$ or more.

 

[buton]

it will cost your around 1200 to 1700 USD depending on what brands and models do u choose, but if you go fancy it can cost you more !!!

 

[Ste Wart]

If you're based in the UK have a look through these websites:

Diverswarehouse
Scuba Gear & Accessories / Deep Blue Dive
DiveLife | Scuba Diving Equipment | PADI Scuba Diving Courses | Apeks | Suunto | Scubapro | Fourth Element

You should be able to find some good prices on package deals. Stick to good Brands, Such as Aqualung, Apeks or Scubapro when it comes to Regulator and BCD combos.
With Masks, you need to go to a shop and try and find a good fit. If that's the £20 mask, then great, if it's the £50 mask, well that's the one you need.
Fins or Flippers (real divers call them flippers to annoy other divers ) Mares Avanti Quattros they will run you about £80, but will last. Mine are 10 years old this year and have lasted me over 2000 dives. Divide the 80 by 2000 and its pretty good value.
Exposure suit; If you're going to dive in the UK then a Drysuit is a must. Have a look around, the UK has got a lot a cottage industries making great suits. UK super brands are Otter and O3 but these bad boys cost close £1000. I've just got a made to measure from Robin Hood Watersports for just over £500 including undersuit. Cheap and cheerful.
However if you're only going to dive abroad look for a solid 5mm semi-dry wetsuit. Again Scubapro and Aqualung are good, so to 4th element, Pinnacle and a few others. And these will run close to £200.
Computers: For starting out, get a Suunto Zoop Suunto Zoop by Suunto This will have all you need for your first few years off diving and then some.
So for a complete kit, I'd look at budgeting close to £1000. Luckily a lot of dive stores realise this is a big outlay and are now offering finance on purchases to make starting out easier.

Another option is to think about getting 2nd hand Regs & BCD's from your local dive shop. Dive shops will replace shop kit every few years and sell it on at great prices. This was how I got my first kit, a well -used Aqualung Reg and Wave BCD. I used that kit for the next 4 years before upgrading to actual new stuff!

Don't let the price put you off. Dive equipment is expensive because it is usually a one time buy. Your equipment can last a lifetime, most likely you will never need to buy this stuff again.

 

[Mndiv]

Hello, I just got certified in spring and here were my costs:

- OW Certification (both parts): $418.00 (PADI)
- Fins (required for class): $100.00
- Boots (required for class): $40.00
(TOTAL CERTIFICATION COST=$558.00

- I bought all the rest of my equipment shortly after certification (exept tank and wetsuit) for about $1125.00 all quality good and new equipment.

Piece of advice on gear, don't jump on the first online price on an item (and obviously do a good amount of research prior to purchase), but look around on places like scuba board, as there are some smaller distributers/manufacturers that can make you personalized offers and get you the same quality equipment (often even better) at a much lower price. I got my regs from James Lapenta who is present on scuba board. In my case my LDS was a lot more expensive and I simply didn't have the money to get the same amount of gear from my LDS.

Hope that helps, cheers

 

[Dannybot]

You can go bargain basement for about $500-$600 for perfectly serviceable gear, or several thousand. I advise taking your training and renting for a while to make sure that diving is really for you, and figure out what kind of diving you will do.