questions from a new diver

[tttetgilbert]

After your basic personal equipment what is the next best thing to buy on a budget? I have heard so many things.

[loudgonzo]

Welcome to the forum, glad to have you aboard!
You are correct, you will get different advise from people on what you should buy next after your personal gear, which would be mask, fins, snorkel and booties. The top two will be your regulator and BC, and you will get the pros/cons of going with each.
On a budget like you say....both the regs and a BC can cost roughly the same, around the $150-200 range up to around the $1k mark.
In my case, my first purchase after the personal gear was a BC, with the logic that it is a "fitted" item, and I would get used to the where the pockets, dump valves, are, also how much weight I would need to carry etc.
On the other hand you will hear arguments about how the reg is your life support and you want to make sure it is working right, read "you know when it was last serviced".

Whatever you choose to buy first, do some research, read up on ratings, reviews etc. and make sure you are able to test them in a pool.

[TAH 73]

I first purchased a BC, right after I got a wetsuit to fit the dive conditions I was diving in.
The BC was to get one that fit, that I could adjust to fit me perfectly, and I was familiar with all the buckles, snaps and straps.
At this point I can find anything attached to my BC without needing to look for it. With the idea of a rental BC all the D-rings etc vary and it's tough to get used to the positioning.
Also different BC's affect trim in different ways, so if you are dealing with your own it's easier.

[WaterRat]

I agree. BC and reg for sure. Let us know what your budget is and we can make some suggestions.

Ron

[Illini_Fan]

Loudgonzo covered this well. Although I bought both the reg and the BC at the same time, if I had to pick it would be the BC first.

I'm not going to discount the proponents that say buy the reg first since that is critical to you staying alive. But in my opinion, having a good fitting BC that you are comfortable in can make a big difference as you are learning.

I had a day of diving where I ended up with rental regs since my reg had an O Ring leak in the first stage. It worked out just fine - in part because I was using my BC and was very comfortable with the set-up and where everything was clipped or stored. I have a safety sausage, slate, secondary light and dive knife either clipped to my BC or in my pockets. Having to set this stuff up for each dive with a rental BC is also a consideration -- albeit not a huge deal.

[ertechsg]

Remember if you buy a reg 1st you still need some sort of computer and octo more cost to completly set up then rent.

[Harshal]

Welcome aboard!!!!
Yes, every diver has different opinion on which one to buy first and each has its pros and cons.I don’t know how much is your budget and what you are willing to spend. Also another factor you need to consider when buying your gear how often you are going to use it.
My advice is you can start with a very basic set very basic BC and basic Reg no fancy dry valve and stuff and if you want computer then a basic computer or analog gauges whichever you like.
All this should cost you around $1000 from ST. You did not mention where you from, if you from Dallas try the Orange BC from ST it’s the least expensive BC with some good features.

[thesmoothdome]

Welcome to the forum! I'm going to switch things up a bit and say that it depends where you're going to be diving.

I agree that the BC and reg are going to where most people start and the reasons for that are well presented here. If I had to choose one, I'd start with my reg set up, including the computer and octo. This way you know it's service and usage history.

Now, here's where I'll switch it up. If I'm diving cold water climates and could only afford 1 piece of gear at a time, I'd really consider getting the proper exposure protection first. Assuming it's a wetsuit, fit is the most important fact and rental suits are never going to fit as well as your own. Also, the fact is that most rental suits have seen better days and the more the suit is used, the less effective it will be at providing warmth. Finally, it's sorta nice to know you're the only one to pee in your wetsuit

[Illini_Fan]

Thesmoothdome is right (in my opinion). I was assuming that you had a wetsuit since I consider that part of personal gear, although I know that it technically is not. So, if you don't have a wetsuit, get that than the BC

[Joew]

After mask/fins/snorkel I'd recommend a wetsuit. I would much rather use a rental reg or BC than a wetsuit. It's hard to get one that fits right, and I can assure you it's been peed in a few times. If you already have a wetsuit, than what to get next is personal preference. You'll end up with everything in the end, so it doesn't matter how you get there. If you find a good deal on a piece of gear, then get that first.