Posted by Mojo.Mike on December 18, 2004 at 21:12:36:
In Reply to: New to Scuba..again posted by Mike on December 18, 2004 at 19:28:03:
You are wise to be re-trained after such a long pause from diving. I was originally certified in 1970 and recertified in 1988. Even then, there was a huge change in scuba diving in all aspects.
You need to decide what kinds of diving you will be doing and where. Southern, Central or Northern California, Ice/Cold water diving, Tropics? How deep do you plan to go? I advise you try, if you can any equipment that you plan to buy. If this is not possible. Ask someone for their experience with it. Do you want the BEST or good enough? Most gear is safe enough nowadays. It depends a lot on your personal taste and comfort level. Many types of equipment have very strong following with strong opinions.
I have many different sets of diving gear and many different brands. If I was shopping today for a new rig today. I would get a Atomic regulator, DUI drysuit, and I would get a back plate and wings instead of a BC. I own two dive computers, but my experience with them is limited. I refused to use them for years. Nowadays they are so reliable and make diving so much easier. That I finally broke down and got one. Liked it so much, I bought a back up.
Don't let the dive shop that trains you. Pressure you into buying a bunch of gear the first day. Go and try as much as you can, before you buy. There is a huge smorgabord of scuba equipment out there.
I buy most of my gear from Ebay. I would not do this unless, you are a good shopper and know exactly what you are buying. Then have it checked out by a dive shop. If it is life support equipment. Most of my gear I bought used, and used only once or twice. A newly trained diver is talked into buying a bunch of new equipment and then decide they don't like it.
I advise checking out the dive shops. Whcih are closer to the ocean. They seem to have better prices on dive gear than inland ones. I suspect due to a higher turn over. I use to buy my stuff from Pacific Wilderness in San Pedro. When I lived in Long Beach. If I had a good local dive shop where I live. I would do with business with them, but I don't.
Good Luck.
Mojo