New to diving. What to buy first?

[Scuba.com]

I take this a different direction than the rest of you. I generally tell my students and friends, depending upon where they are going to be diving, to get the wetsuit or what ever suit you will be using most. Buy the best suit you can comfortably afford. And by that I don't necessarily mean the most expensive, but rather the one that fits you the best and most comfortably. Manufacturers patterns can fit very different one to the next, so it's nice to do a bit of research and get one that fits the best.

I learned to dive originally in the Pacific Northwest, and now living here in Ca. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that it makes absolutely no difference what so ever how nice my regulator breathes, how many fun and cool (and usually useless during a dive) features my dive computer has nor how perfectly my bcd does this-that-or-the other thing, if I'm not comfortable or I'm freezing when I'm in the water.

There is nothing more miserable than a cold pocket of water at the small of my back or between my shoulder blades. And few things more uncomfortable than a suit a few inches too short squeezing to the point I sound like a soprano in a choir. If you are warm and comfortable you are having fun.

A regulator is always fun and exciting to buy, and great to own, but a reg alone is useless. It requires an octo and a set of gauges/computer. Picking a moderately priced regulator/octo from our list puts me at $494. After that I still need a console and since we have yet to purchase a bcd, I need a low pressure inflator hose. If I go inexpensive and stay analog with no compass I'm looking at $159 at the most inexpensive and then $20-29 for the LPI hose. I've broken my budget.

Same with the bcd. I can choose one from our list easily within the budget and get a nice bcd. Every manufacturer out there seems to be shooting for the $450-$500 range this year with their most popular units. And yes, you can get them a lot more inexpensively, but keep in mind as the price does down so do the features. As the features go away, so does the comfort.

When it all boils down to it, and I have to rent something from my LDS, I always look at it like this. Nobody has ever pee'd in my rental regulator or bcd.

 

[nelsonrl]

Well I am in a sarcastic mood today so I suggest he buy a dive boat. Maybe even two - one for each coast that could be made available to all of us

Just be careful so you do not have to repurchase.

I second the wet suit idea. Get your own that fits really well

 

[B Lo]

I take this a different direction than the rest of you. I generally tell my students and friends, depending upon where they are going to be diving, to get the wetsuit or what ever suit you will be using most. Buy the best suit you can comfortably afford. And by that I don't necessarily mean the most expensive, but rather the one that fits you the best and most comfortably. Manufacturers patterns can fit very different one to the next, so it's nice to do a bit of research and get one that fits the best.

I learned to dive originally in the Pacific Northwest, and now living here in Ca. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that it makes absolutely no difference what so ever how nice my regulator breathes, how many fun and cool (and usually useless during a dive) features my dive computer has nor how perfectly my bcd does this-that-or-the other thing, if I'm not comfortable or I'm freezing when I'm in the water.

There is nothing more miserable than a cold pocket of water at the small of my back or between my shoulder blades. And few things more uncomfortable than a suit a few inches too short squeezing to the point I sound like a soprano in a choir. If you are warm and comfortable you are having fun.

A regulator is always fun and exciting to buy, and great to own, but a reg alone is useless. It requires an octo and a set of gauges/computer. Picking a moderately priced regulator/octo from our list puts me at $494. After that I still need a console and since we have yet to purchase a bcd, I need a low pressure inflator hose. If I go inexpensive and stay analog with no compass I'm looking at $159 at the most inexpensive and then $20-29 for the LPI hose. I've broken my budget.

Same with the bcd. I can choose one from our list easily within the budget and get a nice bcd. Every manufacturer out there seems to be shooting for the $450-$500 range this year with their most popular units. And yes, you can get them a lot more inexpensively, but keep in mind as the price does down so do the features. As the features go away, so does the comfort.

When it all boils down to it, and I have to rent something from my LDS, I always look at it like this. Nobody has ever pee'd in my rental regulator or bcd.

That's what you think... he he he...

 

[Scuba.com]

B-Lo... You make a good point there. What was that line that everybody remembers from "Hollywood Knights"?

 

[jon1]

I already have a wetsuit that fits well. I only have to rent if I'm doing particularly deep lake dives. I did see an oceanic bcd on my local craigslist w/ integrated weights. Its $100, so I may check it out.

 

[searider]

I am fairly new to diving. I got my OW about a month ago, and I got my AOW this past weekend. I can really tell its something that I am going to stick with, so the real question is what equipment do you buy first.

Say, I had 400-500 dollars to spend on one essential piece of scuba gear, what do you think I should buy from my LDS? I have fins, snorkel, mask, wetsuit, gloves, boots, and a hood, but i was thinking of a BCD, a computer, or a Regulator 1st and 2nd.

My LDS sells Aqualung, Scubapro, and Oceanic, so any equipment recommendations within those brands are encouraged. I would really prefer to buy it local as I really like my store and have done all of my training through there.

Buy dive computer..atleast with nitrox feature.

 

[fjpatrum]

I take this a different direction than the rest of you. I generally tell my students and friends, depending upon where they are going to be diving, to get the wetsuit or what ever suit you will be using most. Buy the best suit you can comfortably afford. And by that I don't necessarily mean the most expensive, but rather the one that fits you the best and most comfortably. Manufacturers patterns can fit very different one to the next, so it's nice to do a bit of research and get one that fits the best.

I learned to dive originally in the Pacific Northwest, and now living here in Ca. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that it makes absolutely no difference what so ever how nice my regulator breathes, how many fun and cool (and usually useless during a dive) features my dive computer has nor how perfectly my bcd does this-that-or-the other thing, if I'm not comfortable or I'm freezing when I'm in the water.

There is nothing more miserable than a cold pocket of water at the small of my back or between my shoulder blades. And few things more uncomfortable than a suit a few inches too short squeezing to the point I sound like a soprano in a choir. If you are warm and comfortable you are having fun.

A regulator is always fun and exciting to buy, and great to own, but a reg alone is useless. It requires an octo and a set of gauges/computer. Picking a moderately priced regulator/octo from our list puts me at $494. After that I still need a console and since we have yet to purchase a bcd, I need a low pressure inflator hose. If I go inexpensive and stay analog with no compass I'm looking at $159 at the most inexpensive and then $20-29 for the LPI hose. I've broken my budget.

Same with the bcd. I can choose one from our list easily within the budget and get a nice bcd. Every manufacturer out there seems to be shooting for the $450-$500 range this year with their most popular units. And yes, you can get them a lot more inexpensively, but keep in mind as the price does down so do the features. As the features go away, so does the comfort.

When it all boils down to it, and I have to rent something from my LDS, I always look at it like this. Nobody has ever pee'd in my rental regulator or bcd.

Ah, yes, but the OP already mentioned having a wetsuit, hood, gloves, boots, fins, and mask. Clearly after your exposure suit, it sounds like you would recommend a reg. I'm with you on the peeing, but after a wet/dry suit, what to buy?

 

[Cruisin Home]

I say BCD first and oceanic makes great stuff. Why BCD first?

1) learn to dive without computer, then you will aprreciate it more when you do. Not essential for rec diving, I am living proof thousand times over.
2) You can rent regulator from reputabe LDS and it is likely to be serviced more properly, more often than most people do themselves.
3) BCD is also a very important piece of gear. I see more accidents and potential accidents involving lack of proper buoyancy control. Why I say buy is that you must really be comfortable with this gear and know "blindly" where/how to access all of its features including dumping wieght, or dumping air. You also want all straps adjusted properly each dive. Best done if you own it.

As for regulators, I am a diehard sherwood fan. they patented a long time ago the most simplistic and reliable mechanism, so easy to service. Maybe you can find another that has "easier" breathing, but me I want simplicity and reliability. IMO

 

[orlandoscuba]

It is best to know how to use the tables well first, that way you have some "background information" on how computers work. Also if something happens to your computer (lose it, battery dies 3 seconds before your dive, etc), you have tables and can contune your dive as planned.

For the budget stand point, the very first thing I got out of Open Water Class was a basic BCD and later got the regulator set. If I had the money I would of went the different route, got the Reg set first and then the BCD. This is based on my thinking of best to know your life support equipment, you know when it was serviced, who used it etc.

My LDS is pro Sherwood, and now I am also a big sherwood fan, with recently getting the SR1 Regulator (very good expensive one)

Enjoy the sport of diving.

 

[MORAY SCUBA]

I say BCD first and oceanic makes great stuff. Why BCD first?

I totally agree. Regulators are pretty much one size fits all. They all function basically the same. A diver can easily transition from a Mares to a Sherwood to whatever and probably will not be able to tell a difference. If you were to take 6 different BCs from 6 different manufacturers none may function the same way with regards to location of dump valves, inflator mechanism, integrated weight releases, etc. Also sizing can vary. When given the choice of purchasing either regs or a BC, I always advise my students to first get a good, comfortable BC that fits them and their needs well.