My best advice is to rent first and buy later.
Reasons.
1. You may go through the classes and:
a.) not get certified because you find you really don't feel comfortable under water (my 17 year old).
b.) get certified and spend money buying sutff only to find you really don't like diving that much. (My 20 yr old - $400 custom wetsuit she could not wait to finish her lessons to buy. Dove it once two years ago. Total life time dives including certification 6 in two years.
2. Renting gives you the opportunity to see what is availabe in equipment and what you like.
3. Price is an issue, I understand that. Remember when shopping your are purchasing LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. Yes, that's right life support, and your very life does depend upon this equipment being reliable. Price does NOT necessiarly mean quality or reliable. So get some experience and research on reliability and value (quality and price).
4. Buying Used - only if the seller will agree to have it serviced first, wiht you paying the bill if it passes. Send it in for an annual service and get it checked out. It may be junk, it may be gold but you need to know before you dive. Salt water (and even fresh) is a harsh environment and takes its tole on equipment. So does age as seals an gaskets age and dry out. This equpment has to be waterproof (1st stage particularly) and airtight.
5. Dive equipment is expensive. This is because it is life support equipment and the liability of equipment failure resulting in death causes the mfg to have a high liability premium which they pass on to you. But you can buy a good rig from your local dive shop (LDS) for $1,200 including 2 tanks (on sale $99.00 each) a dive computer and custom wetsuit (you may do fine off the rack, but I have long arms and at 6Ft and 155lbs can't find a suit that does not bag on the bicypes).
Reasons.
1. You may go through the classes and:
a.) not get certified because you find you really don't feel comfortable under water (my 17 year old).
b.) get certified and spend money buying sutff only to find you really don't like diving that much. (My 20 yr old - $400 custom wetsuit she could not wait to finish her lessons to buy. Dove it once two years ago. Total life time dives including certification 6 in two years.
2. Renting gives you the opportunity to see what is availabe in equipment and what you like.
3. Price is an issue, I understand that. Remember when shopping your are purchasing LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. Yes, that's right life support, and your very life does depend upon this equipment being reliable. Price does NOT necessiarly mean quality or reliable. So get some experience and research on reliability and value (quality and price).
4. Buying Used - only if the seller will agree to have it serviced first, wiht you paying the bill if it passes. Send it in for an annual service and get it checked out. It may be junk, it may be gold but you need to know before you dive. Salt water (and even fresh) is a harsh environment and takes its tole on equipment. So does age as seals an gaskets age and dry out. This equpment has to be waterproof (1st stage particularly) and airtight.
5. Dive equipment is expensive. This is because it is life support equipment and the liability of equipment failure resulting in death causes the mfg to have a high liability premium which they pass on to you. But you can buy a good rig from your local dive shop (LDS) for $1,200 including 2 tanks (on sale $99.00 each) a dive computer and custom wetsuit (you may do fine off the rack, but I have long arms and at 6Ft and 155lbs can't find a suit that does not bag on the bicypes).
