What to buy next!

[Montana Diver]

Sorry if this has been answered a billion times, however I was unable to search and find a post regaring this subject.

I am a newbie and need to know what is next. I have mask, snorkel, fins and wetsuit and want to know what to purchase next. I am upgrading my fins this month.

I am a very recreational diver, will spend time diving in Maui on vacation and hopefully a trip to the Cancun this spring. You will probably see my problem...what is the best investment for airline destination diving?

[DMWiz]

You can buy me a plane ticket to go with you... That would be money well spent! =)

Seriously, if you're looking to burn some more money you can look into a regulator to travel with you or a nice and light bc.

[ektess1]

Unless you really hate your fins, save your money. Having a regulator that you trust is a good idea. Having a bc that you are familiar diving with will make you more comfortable. A SMB, whistle, and mirror may help you make it back to the boat alive.
So much to buy. So little money.
Have fun.

[bane51031]

I would say one of my first purchases after getting certified was my bcd and regs, I personaly prefer to carry my own gear especially regs and computer when traveling as I do not want to take a chance on rented gear.Take your time and do the research, do not make the mistake most of us made in the beginning and buy stuff you do not need or junk, you will only have to shell out more cash in the future when you decide it isn't for you..

[BobbyWombat]

Hi Montana Diver,

This is a question that comes up many times....The simple answer is that you will get lots of different opinions from lots of people....AND....there isn't really a wrong answer. It really boils down more to opinion and type of diving/frequency.

I put a list together a while back that I'll repost here. Maybe others will have additional thoughts to add. You should see what argument resonates with you.

Common arguments for and against buying a particular piece of kit first (not an authoritative list, just my experience):

BC
For:
Every rental is a little different. You have to get used to the new placement every time you dive. Your buoyancy changes so you have to dial in your weight and trim every time you dive. With your own BC, you will have a consistent location for putting away/clipping your gear.
Against:
There are lots of choices: Jacket, back inflate, BP/W. Lots of brands, lots of features in each style of BC. Highly likely that if you buy the BC too early, you will decide later that you want a different one. (starting with jacket and moving to back inflate or BP/W is known to happen). Better to try some different styles before dropping the money on a BC. Plus for a new diver, buoyancy changes aren't THAT big a deal. You are going to be working on buoyancy anyway....you probably aren't dialed in enough to begin with for a new BC to actually make a noticable difference.

Wetsuit
For:
Other people pee'ed in the rental wetsuit. It doesn't fit perfectly.
Against:
You will need to buy multiple wetsuits for different water temperatures. Rental may not be perfect, but it works fine. Not life-support equipment....so why invest in this first?

Regulator
For:
This is the most important piece of your life support equipment, and you really want to know that someone wasn't dragging it in the sand and that it has been maintained. Rental regs are typically the "economy" models....not as many features, don't breathe as well. Someone may have vomited through the reg just before turning it in.
Against:
Rental regs may be the "economy" models, but this doesn't make them less reliable. All reputable dive ops will regularly service their regs, and make sure they are taken care of. One reg is much like another: insert and breathe. Better to invest elsewhere first.

Dive Computer
For:
Easy to travel with. Maximize your underwater time. DC are hard to rent, but everything else is readily available for rent.
Against:
You don't need a DC to dive. Just dive off the tables starting out and invest your money elsewhere.

-BW

[MSilvia]

With the exception of "wetsuits aren't life support" I agree with pretty much everything BobbyWombat posted. Given that you have a wetsuit already, I'd recommend buying an inexpensive BC to get started with. If you outgrow it, it'll still retain about half (or more) of it's value, and you'll learn a lot about what you do and don't like.

[fisheater]

I recommend that you step back and re-assess your starting premise. Are you SURE that you only want to be a vacation diver?

Unless you have lots of money and free time, you'll only be able to get in a few dives each year, and most of them will be to re-acquaint yourself with the diving skills that had atrophied since your last vacation.

Have you looked into local diving? Joined a local dive club? For that matter, thought of moving somewhere that would allow local diving?

Most diving isn't what you see in the scuba magazines, with clear water, pretty fish and young, thin models.

Most diving is local, with low viz and cool to cold water. Local diving is challenging and oh so rewarding. It's actually fun, too (once you get used to your heavy exposure protection.)

[DMWiz]

Originally Posted by fisheater

Most diving isn't what you see in the scuba magazines, with clear water, pretty fish and young, thin models.

You bursted my bubble!

[Montana Diver]

Fisheater, burst my bubble also, especially the part about the young thin models...I have a few friends that dive however being from MT where the temp today is 20 F and tomorrow will be -15, it's hard to get excited about choppping a hole in the ice to go diving. I am interested in local diving, however I am the work hard type of guy so I take off limited amounts of time from work. Therefore I get a lot more excited about Maui and Cozemel vs the reservoirs of the upper Missouri river.

[Splitlip]

Regulator without a doubt.

Have one that you know the history and can be confident does not have chnks of vomit.