What kind of gear to invest in?

[tbone1004]

that was a bit tongue in cheek, however clear skirted masks yellow with time and if you are diving in the right conditions can create a very bad glare. You can actually see your cheeks in the lens of the mask due to the light coming in. Black prevents this from happening.

Regarding the suit, it is a bit of a tough one because those three sites are very different. With your lack of "bioprene" for your local diving it may be worth going straight to drysuit....

 

[gcarter]

+1 on the black mask. My first almost 200 dives were done with a clear skirt. My last 30+ have been done with a black skirt. I would not go back to a clear one.

As to wetsuit, when you are ready you might want to look at a custom. They are not that more expensive.

 

[KevinNM]

Don't buy a wetsuit without trying it on and making sure it fits tighly but not ridiculously tight. (Don't be afraid to try a kids size if it looks like it might fit.)

If you are near a big dive store they might be able to find a suit fairly easily. By big I mean something like Scubatoys in Dallas, Dive Right In Scuba in Chicago or Divers Direct in Florida. They have a pretty huge on-hand inventory of wetsuits.

Otherwise there are some really nice reasonable priced custom wet suit makers out there. And you can get a dry suit starting at less than a thousand dollars for a fusion essence.

 

[diver0008]

Bare wetsuits might be your best bet. Try to find a dive shop that stocks a good selection. A good dive shop with gear from a large variety of manufacturers is an excellent resource. if you clue the group in on where you live, some shop suggestions may follow.

 

[Slym]

One thing I did when buying masks was to stick my fingers out to where my peripherals where so I could get an idea of a viewing field on each mask. Now if only 1 mask fits you right they you only have 1 to choose from but if there is a great selection and you like them all, then why not view more of the world?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I agree with the Bare brand advice.
They are priced right and they have tall sizes.
I'm a tall skinny male and they are the only ones I could find that had an XLT one piece, but it was a 4 mil. I saw thwy also have 7 mil suits. I don't know what they make for females but I'm sure it must be similar.

The rest of your gear: get a mask that fits, not something that seems stylish. The fit is paramount. Inagree on the black skirt. The glare from clear skirts is maddening.
Your fins should be next. There are multitudes of styles and types. If you can, try as many as you can in a pool before you buy. Fins are one thing that you may end up lwning several pairs just because your physical conditioning changes. A style that was terrible when you first start might end up being your favorite fin later. Physical conditioning, improved finning technique, gained knowledge about different kicking techniques can all have an affect on which fin you like at which stage.

Regs and BC, rent for now. These are expensive and also are succeptible to vast changes as you progress. Don't spend money right now on that. Get certified and some diving in then begin your research on regs and BC's.

 

[dmaziuk]

Why? Is it better?

Any colour is better as long as it's black.

How's your cold tolerance? If you're skinny, you may want a thicker suit to compensate for lack of bioprene. What @outofofficebrb said: hold off on the wetsuit until you know what you need.