buying dive equipment?

Question

Having recently finished my open water certification I am looking into purchasing my own gear.The dive shop by my house isnt very helpful and just try to sell me one of the 500 dollar bc's on the shelf.my questions are,what are the items absolutely not to skimp on?I was planning to go middle of the road on everything,but should I get a top of the line bc or regulator?I can see everything costing around 800 to 1000 dollars,is that a fair estimate for decent gear.I plan to dive about 10 times this year.thanks for any help

what are brands to stay away from if any

Answer 1

LIke other people mention here you should wait a little. Get more experience and see what kind of specilaties you are more incline too. More diving and more experience are going to change what you like. Never buy any equipment without trying it out or reading professional reviews on it. AS a rule of thumb try to buy the best you can for your money.starting with regulator, bc and computer. All your equipment underwater is keeping you alive in some sort of way or manner but you reg is by far the most important. Go and dive more, talk to divemasters and instructors. Talk to experience divers, try out masks, bc's, even regs if you trust the person, lol. check out the dive equipment reviews in scuba diving magazine. Anyway, good luck

Answer 2

Dear,
every act of ours is somehow related to our economical condition , but you should not forget that what you buy has your life hanging from it.
i would buy a very good regulator and a very good computer because these are of vital importance.
regarding all the other gear you should for now rent as long as you will dive 10 times this year.
experience and getting in touch with other divers will influence your decisions about gear in the future.
just a reminder i have some gear that is old 15 years and still working good like fins and mask.
regarding the other gear like wetsuit and the bc and whatever else look for prices in internet , i bought a wet suit for 140 usd.
there are many websites out there
www.scuba.com
www.leisurepro.com
and more
just search through the internet , and read all the books and magazines available
scuba diving
sport diver
dive training
they are a source of information always updated
best of luck and enjoy diving

Answer 3

Most experience divers will recommend that you get a good set of regs (let's face it, they're keeping you alive) and make sure you have a comfortable BCD that fits properly.

Most divers don't bother buying weights and tanks unless they dive a lot at home. In general if you are travelling to dive, those items are too heavy to take anyway.

You'll find that it'll cost upto AU$2k for all the gear, and for me it just isn't worth it. I can hire gear for AU$50 for 2 dives and I don't have to worry about maintenance or upgrading.

Answer 4

I'd personally never buy from an unauthorized dealer and I'd think twice about buying used. You never know what's wrong with it.

http://www.scubadiving.com/GeneralMenu

The forums should be a good guide for you. I subscribed to their mag for over 2 years. Fantastic info.