Help me spend my money on dive gear :)

[FireInMyBones]

Another vote for classes. Your profile does not say that you are certified.

 

[Token]

Not to disparage other suggestions but.... You sound pretty well equipped already. In your place I'd spend it on dive trips through your LDS. Extra training and gear upgrades can wait on additional diving experience.

Have fun!

 

[fjpatrum]

Dive Dive Dive. Use the money for weekend trips with the shop. You'll get a lot more out of actually diving than you will out of more gear that may or may not be necessary. Anything you need (and don't already have) you can rent. Going on trips will give you the opportunity to meet dive buddies, make memories, and actually learn what you like and don't like, gear-wise, for future purchases.

 

[TexasKaren68]

thanks for all the suggestions everyone :snorkel2:

You have all the gear you need (except the computer). Unless you plan on doing a lot of diving locally, I would recommend against getting tanks. It's cheaper to rent if you will only do it occasionally. I would suggest you spend the money on training. If the trips you are planning are through your shop, you can probably take some courses then.

I think I agree with you. I don't plan to do a lot of local diving, just enough to keep me from getting rusty between tropical vacations

I completely agree that buying from a shop for this kind of thing is better than on-line for the very reasons you give. I know many people will disagree, but I am ok with that. The one thing I will say though that getting a camera is a mistake for a brand new diver. Underwater photography is all about bouyancy control and a new diver just doesn't have it. I advise people to wait until they are comfortable underwater and know that this is something they really want to do before they put out the kind of money a UW camera costs.

My dive shop has a Sealife camera they will let me try out once I have better buoyancy control. I also know that when I travel I will be able to rent cameras and think that's the best way to go until I do more research on the type of camera I want. I'm the type of above-water photographer that likes good quality photo equipment and when it comes time to buy an underwater camera I am going to want the whole nine yards - a high quality camera, housing, strobes, and not just a little point & shoot with a cheap housing. I currently have a Canon D10 for snorkeling and like it but it won't do me much good below 10m.

I'm sure the friendly folks over on the photography forum will be able to help me out when it gets to that point

Dive Dive Dive. Use the money for weekend trips with the shop. You'll get a lot more out of actually diving than you will out of more gear that may or may not be necessary. Anything you need (and don't already have) you can rent. Going on trips will give you the opportunity to meet dive buddies, make memories, and actually learn what you like and don't like, gear-wise, for future purchases.

That is one reason to do at least a few local dives a year after I'm certified. I don't have a buddy here in town :depressed: My only friends who dive all live in other states.

Have you considered a tank and a bunch of
air fills to stimulate you towards local diving.

I live in San Antonio - I have no desire to be stimulated towards local diving I'm a tropical kind of gal :cool2:

 

[LenC]

My dive shop has a Sealife camera they will let me try out once I have better buoyancy control. I also know that when I travel I will be able to rent cameras and think that's the best way to go until I do more research on the type of camera I want. I'm the type of above-water photographer that likes good quality photo equipment and when it comes time to buy an underwater camera I am going to want the whole nine yards - a high quality camera, housing, strobes, and not just a little point & shoot with a cheap housing. I currently have a Canon D10 for snorkeling and like it but it won't do me much good below 10m.

I'm sure the friendly folks over on the photography forum will be able to help me out when it gets to that point

*******

I have been a Canon guy since the 60's. Currently, I use a Canon D5 with an Ikelite housing. I just upgraded from my D20 and I am really looking forward to doing some macro video.

For what it is worth, this is my advice on cameras. Start out with a very basic point and shoot. If you are happy with the results, stay with it. If you are not, you will almost certainly not be happy with anything short of a high end slr, so don't waste your money on intermediate cameras. Bite the bullet and get what will make you happy. But before you do that, get photoshop. If you don't know how to use it, take a class at your local community college. You might find that you actually do get the results you want if you just play with it a bit.

Have fun with it and welcome to the clan.

 

[lucygoosey]

You do seem to be jumping the gun a bit, your LDS (or your chosen online dive store) must love you get certified, do some dives, work out what you need, then buy. Having said that every diver needs a good knife and an LED dive light, so perhaps one of these. Of course using the money to build up your experience with the dive trips would of course help your quest to dive exotic locations safely, so all of those are good suggestions. But again maybe at least get certified first, having every piece of dive equipment under the sun is great, but using it and making it worth its money is another

 

[jrwalsh20]

go for the tank

 

[Bubbletrubble]

@TexasKaren68: Please tell me that you didn't let a salesman talk you into buying several hundred dollars worth of stuff (nearly $1000?) before you were even certified. It's difficult to know what you're really going to like/want until you get some experience under your belt and try out several different brands of gear. Renting equipment and borrowing gear from dive friends can help with the gear selection process.

My shop has one of those reward/loyalty programs. To get a $350 credit there, one would have to spend a lot of money.

 

[TexasKaren68]

No,no, I didn't pay full price for all my gear. A friend of a friend was selling all her stuff because of a medical condition (ears). I got the Oceanic Hera BC with integrated weights, Oceanic Delta 4 reg, no name brand octo, Edge rolling dive bag, Tusa fins/mask/snorkel, O'Neill wetsuit, SPG and separate compass for $400. I hadn't particularly wanted that much stuff to start but the deal was too good to pass up, when the price of the BC is more than I paid for everything. I had already bought a mask, snorkel and fins at my LDS. I love my mask and snorkel but my LDS manager is going to let me trade in the Slingshots I bought for something else (see my post on the fins board for more on that).

I bought my shorty at the shop because I had no clue about size, and wanted to have it before my trip to Coz one week later.

I ended up with store credit because I had paid to get my OW cert (upgrading from Scuba Diver cert) and before classes started, I found someone selling a gift certificate for the full OW course at half off. The seller had got it for his brother who turned out to not be able to use it. I was able to use the certificate and got store credit for what I had already paid for the class.

I may end up with a dive computer from the shop so I can get support for it in case there are any problems.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Thank goodness! I'm glad there was a "good" explanation for your situation.

Have fun with your OW class.