Most of the shops around here will let you try new equipment in the pool, but their rentals are primarily leftovers. It may not be this month's model, but you can still get a good feel for the differences between back inflation verses a jacket BC, large stiff fins, jetfins or split fins, etc.
The folks at the local shops showed me some great stuff, but everything had a great dollar amount. One thing I learned from taking up golf is that you can have good equipment and still not be satisfied. So I bought almost all of my original stuff at pawn shops. (Disclaimer - I did have friends check the stuff out before buying anything) My son now uses my first BC - it works fine, but I fell in love with weight integrated back inflation. He also uses my jetfins - I prefer split fins.
Maybe it's just the folks I run with, but I bet once you get a year of diving in, there's a good chance you're going to change your mind about what type of equipment you REALLY want. One of the reasons is that the first few months are a blast in themselves. It doesn't take much to start leaning from doing some photography towards getting into wreck diving or caving, etc. Making the switch is harder if you've already got 3 grand invested in your present stuff.
Do get a decent reg set. You can find a reliable one without going broke. And if you do change your mind, it will always come in handy as a spare.
