- I also need reading glasses. I bought some Hydrotac stick-on lenses at Walmart over a year ago and they are still fine.
Hydrotac Stick-on Bifocal Lenses, 2.00 - Walmart.com
The trick with the Hydrotacs is to put them on and then let them dry for AT LEAST 24 hours before you get in the water with them. I used them in my mask for a couple of months before I figured out that my mask itself didn't seal to my face well enough. At that point I bought new masks with built-in gauge reader lenses. But I bought them because I got to try a buddy's same mask on a dive and found that it didn't leak at all.
As a better indicator of how well the Hydrotacs work, if you put them on correctly, I also put a pair on the inside of my sunglass lenses, which are curved. They have stayed on for almost a year now and I have had one come off on two different occasions. Each time, it was laying on my desk so I just put it back on. But, even if I had to buy new ones, they are only $15 a pair... And, you can see as they start to get air under them and are preparing to come loose, so you have LOTS of warning before one actually falls off. They stay on with a lot of air under them. And they stay on even better on a flat surface - like the inside of a mask.
Also, just FYI, Hydrotac makes a scuba-specific version of their lenses. They are simply bigger and cost twice as much. I have found no need whatsoever for bigger ones than the regular ones from Walmart. In fact, I think the bigger ones would just get in the way of seeing the far away stuff.
To read well with the Hydrotacs, you do need to make sure you position them correctly in your mask. I recommend to put your mask on, then look at your wrist as if reading your watch. Use your index finger to find the spot on each side where touching the mask obscures the "watch" you're looking at for that eye. A fingerprint smudge will mark the spot adequately. Put the lenses on the inside over the fingerprint smudge that's on the outside and you should be good. Fortunately, if you're off, the Hydrotacs can be popped off, re-wet, and put back on as many times are you want. Even after they've thoroughly dried and been on there for months.
- I found out that, because the Seavision masks have prescription lenses, I could pay for my new masks with my Health Savings Account, so no money out of pocket. I got the Seavision 2100 in all 3 lens colors, with gauge reader lenses, and they work great for me. The Magenta lens really is nice for color correction in blue water.
BuildMask - SeaVisionUSA
- I followed all the common wisdom for making sure my mask fit before I bought my first one. The one that fit the best was also one of the most expensive. When I started diving and having frequent slow leaks, I just chalked it up to my mustache. It was a real eye opener to dive one dive with my slowly leaking mask and then do the next dive with a Seavision and not have to clear my mask a single time during the whole dive.
What I decided that I wish I had known before I bought my first mask is that putting a regulator in my mouth changes the shape of my face in the mouth/nose area and I think my original mask was leaking a bit around the smile lines that are a little more noticeable with a reg in.
So, for you, I would suggest getting a snorkel or a regulator mouthpiece and putting that in your mouth when you are trying on masks and checking the seal.
- Actual ScubaPro Jet fins are pretty negatively buoyant. That is probably not ideal for you, especially in warm water. However, there are clones that are the same design, but are neutrally buoyant. I think the OMS Slipstreams are an example. I have never used a Jet fin or clone, so I can't comment on their performance. But, I have neutral fins for diving in a wetsuit and very negative fins (Hollis F1) for diving in a dry suit and, based on that, I would definitely not choose to use Jet fins in a wet suit.
- Getting stuff like fins and snorkels on CraigsList is a great way to score decent gear for cheap. Once you start diving, you'll most likely develop more of your own tastes and opinions about what to spend more money on and then, potentially, have a good new set of gear that works really well for you and a backup set that cost you almost nothing.
- Ask the shop where you are going to take your class about full-foot fins versus open heel. They MAY specifically require you to have boots and open heel fins. Or they may not. Best to ask before you buy anything. Personally, I would definitely go with boots and open heel fins. I prefer not to be barefoot when I'm moving around a dive boat and also not if I'm doing a shore entry to a dive site that has coral or rocks around. Sub Gear makes some pretty good dive shoes that are low cut, like regular low cut tennis shoes. They work great with open heel fins and are also nice to wear on the boat and on shore. I have a pair and wear them for most of any dive weekend.
http://www.leisurepro.com/p-sbgdbs/sub-gear-dive-n-beach-shoes
- Lastly, don't buy split fins just because they are trendy or "newer technology". There are valid reasons that split fins are a good choice for some people, but those reasons are not the ones you usually see in the glossy ads or what you hear from shop sales people. There is a reason most experienced divers do not use split fins. If you start considering split fins, make sure you do some research first and buy them for the right reasons.
