Basic Equipment

[jonny0783]

I am a few weeks away from getting certified for basic scuba diving. I am looking to get the basic stuff needed just for the class like Mask, Fins, and snorkel. I am not going to buy my major equipment until I rent a few times to see what I like and what is comfortable.

I am looking for a good mask that doesn't fog a dry snorkel and good fins that provide good thrust. I know everyone has their own favorites so I just want to see if there is some that are more suggested than others and which brands are durable.

Thanks in advance for the advise.

Be safe out there!!

 

[dkktsunami]

DiveRite low volume,double lens mask - $50

OMS Slipstreams - $89

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Jonny,

Welcome to ScubaBoard. Glad to have you here.

The most important thing about masks is that they fit your face. Since faces are pretty different, and since mask molds are made in "small, medium, large, thin, fat, etc." finding a mask that happens to fit your personal face is not necessarily an easy task.

So, it isn't a matter of "buy a ScubaPro Mask" or "I like Oceanic masks" - but its a matter of which one fits your face.

Second, you're likely getting certified through a dive shop. It would likely be considered poor form to show up for your first lesson with mask/fins/snorkel that you bought elsewhere "because some guys on the internet told me this stuff was the best". The dive shop you're certifying through wants to sell you those items, and unless you consider them to be a bunch of incompetent profit-motivated boobs (in which case why are you certifying with them?), you'll likely be better off selecting your initial equipment from the brands/stock they have in the store.

Buying stuff elsewhere and taking it to the store with you the first night is not going to start your relationship off on a nice, tolerant note.

What you may want to consider is something like this:
1. Find out who your instructor is going to be.
2. Call the store and tell your instructor you want to talk to them before the course starts.
3. Meet your instructor at the store and explain that you want their help in fitting masks. (They're going to cover this during the course anyway, but you may want some one-on-one time...)
4. Listen to what your instructor recommends.

You don't have to go with what he recommends, but to not ask before you buy stuff (and to show up the first night with stuff you bought from someone else) is guaranteed to not go over real well with your instructor.

Hope this helps!

(Hint #1: Mask manufacturers often sell the same mask to different suppliers...only thing thats different is the name on the box. Three or four different branded masks could all be made from the same mold.)

(Hint #2: You can always find something from your dive shop cheaper on the internet. Buying it from the internet is not always the best option. There may be benefits to buying stuff from your dive shop at slightly higher prices. Key words: "May" be...; and "slightly". If you search ScubaBoard you will find many threads on this topic. Search button is 4th from the right, at the top of this thread.)

Regards,

Doc

 

[frogman159]

Mask- Every mask i know of will fog eventually. Try on a bunch to see what is comfortable/fits right. I rub baby shampoo on my lenses let it dry overnight then wash it off. This will keep them fog free for a few dives. Or you can treat your mask with de-fog drops before a dive..Many divers do this.

Snorkel- Don't spend a lot of money on one, and I prefer a super basic no frills J snorkel...Had one with the purge thingie, the rubber seal went at the beggining of a night snorkel excursion and left me breathing 1/2 salt water 1/2 air for about 45 minutes.

Fins- Most brands are durable. Got weak legs and don't dive in current...try splits, have strong legs and dive frequently in current, get solid fins...I would consider upgrading to spring straps, much easier to don/doff fins in surf and don't have to worry about breaking or loosing a strap. I can get my spring straps on in 1/4 time and effort as my wife does with standard straps.

Good Luck

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

DiveRite low volume,double lens mask - $50

OMS Slipstreams - $89

Dont forget spring straps on those fins but otherwise I couldn't have said it better myself.

Snorkel get a fold up one to stick in your pocket, the cheapest folding one you can find. This would probably be perfect: Tech Folding Snorkel [Snorkel-Tech] - $19.95 : Tech Diving Limited, a subsidiary of Scuba Training and Technology Inc.

other than my annual test for DRI I have NEVER needed or used a snorkel nor carried one (let alone leave it strapped to my head) since open water class...

 

[TSandM]

Doc Intrepid hit it on the nose -- a mask has to fit. A leaking mask is at best an annoyance, and at worst a significant stressor. Trying to figure out the fit of a mask can be challenging, but do not put the mask on and inhale sharply to see if it will seal. Almost anything will seal if you put enough vacuum on it. Instead, place the mask on your face, and gently press on it with your fingertips. Then release it. It should remain in place. If it doesn't, it doesn't fit well. (A well-fitted dive mask will stay in place, even when the mask strap has come completely off the diver's head. I know )

I'm also in the "buy the cheapest simple snorkel they sell" camp. Fancy snorkels have huge markups, and add very little to your comfort or function. A lot of us don't use our snorkels much after certification, anyway.

Same with fins. There are amazingly complicated fins out there, with rubber bands and joints and all kinds of strange vents and things. They are very expensive. Especially if you are unsure how much diving you are going to do, you are better off starting with something serviceable but inexpensive. Scubapro Jet fins or Dive Rite paddle fins, or the OMS Slipstreams recommended above, are simple fins with a reasonable resale value if you decide at some future point to change what you are using. (It is very interesting to watch the "for sale" threads and ads -- all kinds of people "downgrade" from fancy fins to simple ones, but you rarely see somebody selling the simple ones because they've decided they can't live without the fancy ones. It happens, but not often.)

I also HEARTILY second the recommendation for spring straps. Spring straps rock.

 

[halocline]

One other tip, when trying on a mask, put a regulator in your mouth, or at least a mouthpiece. People will look at you funny, but it really does make a difference in how a mask fits.

You can often find deals on the mares quattro fins; they're pretty simple paddle fins and very popular. There are several different models of them but they're pretty similar.

I have mixed feelings about the "buy it at the store at which you're getting certified" advice. It is true that you could (unfairly!) piss off the store because you bought something somewhere else. There was a thread a while back about someone who signed up for and paid for an OW class, went out and bought his own mask/fins/snorkel, showed up to the class and was hit with a an "inspection fee" of something like $50 because he had not bought the stuff there. They said that it was an insurance regulation that they inspect any foreign gear before letting it in their pool.

That was a beauty, worthy of the shakedown-of-the-year award. Unfortunately, this sort of behavior is likely to continue as long as the current industry model of combining certification and dive education with gear sales continues.

The other side of that issue is that the dive shop does offer classes primarily to create and sustain a market for gear sales, and probably the large majority of their sales are to their students. So, without the gear sales to the students they would surely go out of business.

 

[jonny0783]

Wow!! Thanks for all the great info!! About who/where I am getting certified. I have a friend who was an instructor out of Tampa Adventure Sports. He has been instructing for 15 years and is a fellow police officer. He told me most of the same things everyone on here is saying. I just like a variety of opinions and different views. I figured all this information is good and I can take a little bit of info from everyone.

Again thanks a lot and I hope you guys continue to pour out your wealth of knowledge. I truly appreciate it.