New to SCUBA - Few Questions?

[MauiScubaSteve]

As long as you want to, by all means get a mask you like, but don't just try the expensive ones. There are quality masks that work fine for many diver that cost well under $40. Brand names are often charging quite a bit just for the NAME.

In the tropics many locations it is usual to get certified entirely with rental gear. Fins are a purchase that since you have snorkel fins already I recommend possibly renting a few different styles before spending money on fancy "dive" fins.

The Sports Authority on Maui has the Mares X3's for less than $50 and I will pick up a spare pair before they sell out. For the price/performance I can't see how a new diver could go wrong with that. They are also on line for similar prices, but there is probably some S&H;

Mares Avanti X3 Open Heel Fins

 

[PUFFY_SANCHEZ]

What about dive computers and other stuff? Is this something that you rent when there or something the guide has when doing guided tours?

 

[Splash-X]

I really don't plan on going cheap on anything, but it is also something I will only be using a couple times a year. I plan to buy a nice mask because they always seem to leak on me.

As long as you want to, by all means get a mask you like, but don't just try the expensive ones. There are quality masks that work fine for many diver that cost well under $40. Brand names are often charging quite a bit just for the NAME.

Price is not an indication of quality but it usually represents the quality of the materials used to construct the goods. For example a mask purchased at Walmart meant for "snorkeling" does not poses the same qualities as a mask sold in a dive store.

While the most expensive Walmart mask may provide a comfort fit does not mean it was designed to be used for scuba.


With that said and looking at "scuba" masks, price does not mean comfort. You may find an excellent $20 mask at your LDS designed for scuba that fits better than most expensive $80 - $120 masks. Everyone's face is different so no mask fits two people the same. The main price point on masks , aside from the brand, is the type of material used to make the mask-skirt. There are different levels of firmness for the skirt which provides a range of comfort.

My personal preference is mask with a black skirt that is soft in firmness. I also prefer TruView lenses. My personal preference in masks makes the higher but I have an expensive mask that has lasted 100+ dives in the past year.

If I had bought the $20 mask I would not expect that it would have lasted the 100+ dives without the skirt starting the break down due to the quality of materials used to construct it.


So.... price doesn't equal comfort and comfort is not always expensive. Everyone has gear they prefer for their personal reasons.

 

[diablonyc2]

Dive Computers can provide you with more bottom Time (BT) due to the alogorythm used. It can componsate for different depths as when you dive without a computer you are restricted to the Dive tables which only calaculate your max planned depth. All this is covered in a certification course.

I personally do not have a dive computer yet and dive the tables. There are many types and price can vary from high to low.

I think once you go through a class, you will have a better understanding as you will actually use some of the equipment. And a good dive shop will spend time and show you the differences and let you try them out (which is why it is sometimes better to buy there then online -- I got burned getting things that I did not try out online and wound up getting something different that worked better at the dive shop).

For traveling, you can rent a lot of things...but the basics are: Mask, Snorkel, Fins...everything else can be rented. Some people feel safer using their own gear if doing some serious diving.

Hope this helps.

 

[Stu S.]

Generally, the price of gear is inversely proportionate to water temperature. Florida diving does not require the heavy-duty gear that a New Jersey diver would need. We can get equipped with less investment.

If you plan on warm water only, you can shop for it and not overspend. A reputable dive shop or online merchant can assist you with that.

Have fun with it.

 

[Gerbs]

What about dive computers and other stuff? Is this something that you rent when there or something the guide has when doing guided tours?

When you are going guided, usually the guide will tell you the depth to keep. All very nice and don't worry about a thing... Until something goes wrong.

You can rent computers - 10-15 days diving pays for your own. I would suggest a simple wrist-mount computer as a fairly early purchase - this can be second hand, providing you can change the batter(y/ies) yourself. Check online for known problems and compare with other depth gauges to sanity check. Rental regulators usually have a pod with spg + depth gauge. Unless you need your hands free for spear fishing or working, wrist mount is convenient, as you can get it into view trivially to see depth, time elapsed, remaining NDL, deco obligation etc... I have found (both from myself and observing others) that knowing your depth/time without searching makes for calmer diving - the feeling of control is quite relaxing. Suunto makes good, if rather conservative, computers. Pay attention to how it lights up - the Mares M1/M2/Nemo do this well. Some need lighting, some a phosphorescent. Either self-lighting or phosphorescent, forget needing to shine a lamp on it to read in the dark (see next point). OLED is the best, but only for the high-end stuff at the moment and as a beginner / holiday diver, you don't need a Predator or X1.

If you are considering night diving, a lamp is well worth it. Doesn't need to be anything special, check DealExtreme. Second hand + rechargeable batteries = potential expensive battery replacement coming up. Consider getting a battery driven LED light such as the Schulz GS35 or GS45, or a similar cheap-ish LED. Yes, reds suck with LEDs. Halogens that give enough light are more expensive and last shorter. HID is nice and expensive. With batteries, just pull them before flying, the lamp will fit into carry-on luggage. Nothing sucks more than a dead light on a night dive, so having your own in addition to the supplied is the way forward. Lights tend to get banged about a bit, so either get cheap to replace or rugged enough to survive.

DSMBs are worth having (and practising with!), same as line cutters/knives. Some area dislike divers carrying knives due to a perceived threatening of innocent sea life, so a cheap line-cutter hook avoids discussions and can still get you untangled from lines.

If you are following a guide - which you will be initially - you don't need a compass. You will need one for AOW, though, so if you see a good deal on a Suunto SK7, get one. If you decide to get a compass, get a Suunto SK7. You want easy to read, robust, works at high tilt angles - in other words, an SK7. More expensive computers have an electronic compass built in. Some like, others don't, price sensibly and choose yourself.

For the rest... don't worry, diving equipment tends to randomly accumulate.

If you are in the shop anyway, consider getting a spare mask band and either spare fin straps or spring straps, as well as a couple of spare regulator mouthpieces, a bag of cable ties and an o-ring kit. This stuff is useful and sometimes the dive centres like to charge you an arm and a leg for saving your dive, so you can charge only an arm and your fellow divers will love you.

Hope that helps.

Gerbs

 

[rstofer]

I will continue to ask questions, but is there any good books out there to cover some of the basic information.

Your course manual will cover a lot of the material. PADI also has an encyclopedia:
PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving

Richard

 

[Colliam7]

I actually have a decent snorkel set with fins, snorkel, and mask. The only thing I want to upgrade is the mask.

Probably, the most important criteria in a mask is fit - does it fit your face comfortably IN/UNDER THE WATER, not just in the shop, without leaking or fogging. There are some general guidelines that can also be considered. For example, a 'low volume' mask is generally considered preferable to a large volume mask. And, a dual lens mask is more likely to provide that lower volume (and probably a bit less weight) than a single lens mask. For warm water Caribbean diving, where you are generally diving over a reatively bright/colorful or sandy bottom, a black silicone skirt might be preferable to a clear skirt, if you happen to drop it, or it gets knocked off by a nearby diver kicking around nearby. Some of the usual frame colors (e.g. yellow or red) or a clear skirt might get lost in the colorful background of a coral reef. A few years back, I bought a mask for my then 15 y.o. daughter when she was taking OW - at the time I bought the least expensive mask we had in the shop, a SeaDive Caribbean. About a year later, I borrowed it for a dive and found I really liked it. I now have two - a clear skirt and a black silicone skirt - and that is all I dive, be it for for classes, recreational dives, deeper deco dives. Fits well, seldom fogs, never leaks. My second favorite is a relatively inexpensive ScubaMax Frameless which I carry as a back-up. Both also have 'plain vanilla' clear lenses. Notably, my least favorite is the most expensive (and first) mask I ever bought - a single lens, Ocean Master View 3 Purge.

I am just trying to get an idea of all the equipment needed. Right now I am pricing the following: regulator, BCD, and mask. What other equipment is essential and won't be supplied on guided dives.

I would echo the comment on getting a good 3mm exposure suit - something that fits you, and provides thermal and physical contact protection. While it might be 'provided' at resorts, the quality and condition is likely to be variable. Plus, you can drive down to Lake Rawlings in the summer and use it there.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

If I had bought the $20 mask I would not expect that it would have lasted the 100+ dives without the skirt starting the break down due to the quality of materials used to construct it.

Here in Hawaii one of the popular snorkel and dive rental gear distributors has/had(?) gear with the same name (SeaSport), much like NeoSport back in Florida from what I remember.

Good quality masks costing shops as little as $12 are available from more than one source. Those masks then get rented out and seriously abused daily for years! We often have guests with expensive new masks asking us if they could just buy the old, cheap, beat up rental mask that worked better than any mask they have ever used.

It's kind of like batteries; there aren't really that many battery manufacturers, just a bunch of different brand names.

 

[paddler3d]

What about dive computers and other stuff? Is this something that you rent when there or something the guide has when doing guided tours?

This has been mentioned, but when you go through your class, many of these questions, and answers, will become more clear for you.

As mentioned, cost is inverse to water temp can't be more true!

If you see yourself diving mostly in warm tropical waters, start looking at 'watch style computers'.

They are smaller and less bulky and you can wear them as a regular watch. Suunto Mosquito (I believe discontinued), Suunto Stinger (I believe discontinued) were both watches/dive computers your wouldn't mind wearing in public. I believe they've been replaced with the Suunto D6.

For warm waters I have a Aeries Manta.

Look for a Nitrox capable watch. If you get Nitrox down the road, you're computer can do it.

Something you will learn in your class is you do not share dive computers (two divers on the same dive using one computer) and you follow the most conservative computer. If computer A says you have 10 minutes left and computer B says you have three, you and your buddy will follow computer B.

If you have a watch style, you can travel with it, easily. Two advantages are that you don't have to rent one when you get there and you're guaranteed to have a computer you understand (not all computers present info in exactly the same way).

A computer is not a bad first 'investment'.

For your class however, they will provide one.