gearing up for padi open water

[mustang_52]

hey guys, im getting reading to sign up to take the OW course but I need to get some gear first. I already have a mask and snorkel. I'll need to get a weight belt and fins, and prolly booties to go with. Any suggestions on what to get?

[hooligan]

First, where will you be diving? What are the water temps like? If you are going to be diving colder water, you will want an over the ankle bootie. If you are diving in tropical water, you'll want low cut booties. For fins, it all depends on how much you want to spend. You could get some hella expensive Force Fins for $500, or you can get some Mares Quattros for like $75. If you plan on doing moving up to tech/cave diving, Scubapro jets ~$80, or the new Hollis Fins ~$120 are your friend. I would suggest on holding off on purchasing that stuff until you can get it in the water and see what you like.

[Panmanmatt]

Originally Posted by hooligan

I would suggest on holding off on purchasing that stuff until you can get it in the water and see what you like.

Unfortunately those are required items for the PADI OW course that you must supply.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by Panmanmatt

Unfortunately those are required items for the PADI OW course that you must supply.

When I did my PADI Open Water course the shop let us try almost any piece of gear they had in the store during the class. We only had to have our own Mask, Snorkel, Fins for the OW dives, not the pool sessions. Same with the wife when she took hers. Both were at different shops.

[georoc01]

Same here. My local shop has all of the masks and fins for sale available for trying in the pool before you buy and a discount if you purchase during your pool sessions.

You really want to try before you buy if you can. Otherwise just find something that feels comfortable in the store, realizing you may find yourself replacing them down the road.

Don't worry, we all do that over time. That is why there is the section to buy/sell used gear on the forum.

[sravin1]

if you need to bring fins, i would suggest you buy open heel fins that can be used in both warm and cold water. you then have to decide on comfort and price range what exactly you want.

[roofless]

It's good to get things like booties at your LDS (local dive shop - I just recently figured that acronym out) so that you can be fitted properly. I would have never know to get 1-size smaller than my normal shoes size.

Glad I did, otherwise they might slip off when they're wet. (I wear the ankle-high ones, not the zip ups)

[ScubaJ]

You shouldn't need to buy weights for your OW class.

Some shops may be different, but you usually only need to supply Mask, Snorkel, & fins. I would suggest you try those on and purchase from one of your local dive shops. Doesn't hurt to shop around as the prices can fluctuate quite a bit from one shop to the next. You'll also get different opinions that will help you make your decisions.

[thesmoothdome]

Mask, snorkel, booties, gloves and fins should be all the "personal gear" you need to provide for the class. Don't stress too much on buying the right snorkel, booties or gloves. You really can't go wrong with anything that fits.

Be sure to try on a bunch of masks and use the sniff test. A good sealing mask will stay on your face without a strap if you breathe in. Make sure it doesn't press against your brow and that you're comfortable with the view.

As for fins, there are lots of good fins out there. The important thing is to get one that isn't too stiff. If you don't have the leg strength for a given fin, you'll cramp up easily and not get any propulsion from the fin.

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by ScubaJ

You shouldn't need to buy weights for your OW class.

Some shops may be different, but you usually only need to supply Mask, Snorkel, & fins. I would suggest you try those on and purchase from one of your local dive shops. Doesn't hurt to shop around as the prices can fluctuate quite a bit from one shop to the next. You'll also get different opinions that will help you make your decisions.

Really I needed to get weights and a weight belt for my ow class. Glad that I had already had the mask, fins, and snorkels though. I have to agree def go with open heel fins for diving. Good luck with the ow class.