We need to start to build our gear and we are looking for info on the order that seems to work best. We have Mask and Computers. We know we will need Fins and Boots first. I'm not sure how much local diving we will do as we do not like cold water. (we will give it a go but may rent gear for now) I don't see us hauling all our gear on vacations so I'm not sure where to start.
Hi MC,
Regardless of whether or not you want to local (cold water) diving or not, I'd recommend getting a good set of open heel fins and boots. When I first started diving I was just diving in the Caribbean but I still opted for boots and open heel fins. If closed heel (water water) fins don't quite fit they can cause cramps or it feels like they are going to fall off. I'm talking about the fins might come in 7 and 7.5 but you need 7.25. The size 7 will be a little tight and cause cramps but the 7.25 will feel a little loose, like they are going to fall off. With open heel fins you'd buy a medium fin and 7.5 boots. Not too tight so no cramps but you can tighten the strap and they won't feel like they are going to fall off.
Additionally, if you do any shore dives, taking the fins off and walking out of the water is nicer when there are rocks.
Haul your gear on vacation. Once you get it nicely set up and it feels good, the diving is much nicer. You spend less time getting used to rental gear and more time enjoying the marine life. I started seeing so much more (vacation and locally) when I get my own gear and brought it on vacation with me.
Diving cold water is a real personal choice. I rented my first cold water wetsuit. At first I wondered if cold water diving was for me. Getting into 14mm of wetsuit (two layers of 7mm), getting gloves on, diving with a hood, etc. was a real pain... until I got in the water. Then that wonderful feeling of weightlessness. After a while I just got used to getting ready for a dive. Now that I dive locally, a lot, I got a drysuit. But dropping $2000+ for a drysuit took a while to justify. So I'd recommend trying wetsuit for local diving. If you find local diving might be for you, save up for a drysuit but buy a wetsuit.
When I started diving locally, I just bought a whole package. It was affordable and got me everything I needed, except tank, to start diving. I just rented the tank. It wasn't great gear but it was mine. Now that i owned everything, I started diving more. As I went diving more I meet more people, I learned things, I started buying replacement gear (better gear) and selling the old gear. After a while I replaced most of it. I still had the original boots and fins. I switched from jacket and console (SPG, compass, computer) to BP/W and the compass plus computer moved to wrist mounted.
Bottom line, buy something good to get started. This will get you diving. More diving and you'll learn what you like and don't like. Trying to figure this out reading posts or talking to others just doesn't work. Everyone is different. If you buy good gear to start and it isn't quite right for you, you should be able to sell it at a reasonable price. So it won't be a complete loss.