Scuba Gear! What Should I Wanna Buy?

This is a order of purchase recommendation from our staff based on our professional opinions. That's all this is Other professionals may disagree and rank the order of importance differently(their wrong, but ok). We have list the equipment in purchase order. We have also given average prices that you should expect to Pay (These are very general prices). Finally, because everyone asks, "What do you use?" We will tell you.

First Purchase Group – Get this all at one time.

1. Mask – Purchase required for most Open Water Classes. Even if your class provides this, get your own. Most rental/training masks are scratched up and usually cheap. Get one that fits well on your face. If you wear glasses, spend the time with your dive professional to figure out how to make sure you can see underwater. No point in going into this beautiful world blind as a bat. Yes, you can wear contacts, but it is always good to have a backup prescription mask or reader inserts in case your mask comes off under water and you forget to close your eyes. Bye, Bye contacts. Happens at least every other class. $50 -$100. We use - XS Scuba Gauge Reader Down View Mask SKU XSS-MA290XX; Cressi Z1 Mask – Frameless, SKU CRS-DN4100XX; TUSA Freedom One Mask SKU TUS-M-211QB-XX

2. Fins – Purchase required for most Open Water Classes. If rental is available this is something good to hold off on until you figure out what you want. However, most places require you to purchase because of the wide range of foot sizes, making it hard to stock enough and store. We recommended general purpose fins. Strong enough (think firm) to move you and your equipment through the water but not stiff enough to tire your legs out. $60-$95. We use - Edge Open Heel Flex Scuba Fin SKU EDG-0551-XX; Cressi Frog Plus Fins SKU CRS-BF20XXXX; Mares Quattro Plus Fins with Bungee Strap SKU MAR-410003

3. Snorkel - Purchase required for most Open Water Classes. These come in all colors and styles, we recommend a dry snorkel (has a valve to keep out water) but one that is clear. If the snorkel is clear, you can see if something is growing in your snorkel, requiring a little bleach bath. $25 -$50. We use - Edge Costa Dry Snorkel SKU EDG-0554-XX; Cressi Supernova Dry Snorkel SKU CRS-ES259XXX

4. Booties – Needed for most Open Water Classes. This is another one that if it is provided as rental gear, you are fine renting. Don’t blow a lot of money on these. Simple, basic Booties are fine. If you are diving in springs, the full bootie is recommended because you would be amazed how much heat you can lose through your ankles. $35 - $50. We use - Cressi 3mm Minorca Boots SKU: CSBBM310

5. Defog – At SpringAdventures, LLC we will make sure we have this available for students, but it is a low-cost item and greatly improves your dive. It also works better if you put it on the night before. There is the old spit versus defog argument. A lot of people will tell you that spit is the best defog there is. Personally, I believe that spit, something designed by our bodies to help us eat and digest food is not better than a chemically engineered product designed to be hydrophobic to moisture and stick well to glass – but the choice is yours. $8- $10. We use -500PSI 2oz Mask Defog Bottle SKU FIV-506

6. First Aid Kit - This is just part of adulting, you should have one in your vehicle already. If you don’t have one, get one and watch a couple YouTube video’s on how to use them. You will thank us later, when someone you actually care about frags their head on a rock and you know what to do. $10-$25 We Use – Homemade kit.

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Second Group - Buy as you can!

7. Diving Knife or Line Cutter - Safety issue - This doesn’t have to be some crazy Rambo knife or something expensive. You won’t need this during training but will need it when you start diving on your own. Among other things, a dive knife is useful to cut any fishing line or other entanglement hazard you encounter while under water. FYI – if it isn’t stainless steel or ceramic it will rust. Don’t tell me you will clean it every time. You will forget and leave it in the boat/car/dive bag one time, and it will be fragged. $25 - $75 (you can spend way more than that, but it’s more about ego than utility) We use - Cressi Alligator and Scissors. SKU CRS-RC559200

8. Surface Marker Buoy (SMB)– Safety issue - It’s an inflatable sausage that will ensure people can see you. Not to be profane, but size matters. Your 3ft SMB is a joke when in the ocean, but a 10ft SMB is definitely too much to deal with in and out of the water. A 6ft SMB is a nice comfortable size… pun intended. Jokes aside, you will need this when you dive and want a boat to pick you up or hope to be picked up. No one is going to see you waiving your arm, get an SMB . You will laugh and think it is stupid while training in the pool. You will not laugh when you’re in the ocean and need it to signal a boat for pick up. Nobody will see your skinny little arm, but they will see a SMB. Get a SMB. Did we say, “Get a SMD?” $40. Hog SMB Safety Sausage 72in SKU HOG-0038

9. Whistle – Safety issue - So not going to spend time on this, just buy one. Think “I’m over here.” 2 bucks. (Not the place to save money) Trident Standard Whistle SKU TRI-DA10.

10. Computer - Some would argue that this can come later. However, a computer greatly extends the amount of time you can safely remain underwater. It also greatly reduces the headache in planning your dive and increases your flexibility. This DOES NOT mean “don’t plan your dive.” This DOES NOT mean just jump in the water and get out when the computer says. This DOES mean, the computer can help you plan your dive more easily. Trust us – you want one. You really want one. Now, it doesn’t have to be some fancy smancy piece that links to your baby monitor and tells time on the moon. A basic dive computer is just fine to start with. You just want something that says, “Hey dummy, time to go up!” $175 - $500(You can spend WAAAAAAAY more. Not really needed). We use - Atmos Mission One Dive Computer SKU ATM-KD2-XX;

11. Wetsuit – Depending on your level of germaphobia, this might be before a computer or even part of your first purchase. There are two types of divers: People who pee in their wetsuit and people who lie about it. The deeper you go the more pressure there is on your bladder. Many people can’t make it 45 minutes in a car without going, much less 45 minutes with 2-3 atmospheres of pressure on their bladder. We sanitize all our training suits but don’t count on every teenager working for minimum wage at “Joe’s” dive shop to do so. Jus’ sayin’. Nice to have your own and are easy to pack for travel. $120-$390 (really depends on how cold you are diving) We use -Pinnacle Cruiser 5mm Wetsuit SKU PIN-WS41MBKXX; Pinnacle Venture 3mm Wetsuit SKU PIN-WS13XXXX

12. Regulator/Octopus/Pressure and Depth Gauge combo - This is another thing that is easy to travel with and will greatly improve your dive experience. “Why” you ask? Most rental gear has very poor regulators and makes you feel like you’ve been a 40 year smoker. You can breathe, but not great. Don’t gauge what rental gear will be like based on our gear at SpringAdventures, LLC. We use better and newer gear than most rental or instructional gear. Additionally, this is something that goes in your mouth – see above comment on teenagers and their cleaning propensity. Note: There is a trend towards not having a depth gauge in this combo because a dive computer already provides your depth. However, we like a backup old school depth gauge. Knowing your correct dept is important. Therefore, redundancy is key. We use – (Hog D1X Yoke Env Classic 2.0 Regulator Set SKU HOG-0536; Sea Elite Scout Compact Octopus. Edge Precision 2 Gauge Console Global SKU EDG-2030-G); (Aqua Lung Core Yoke Regulator SKU AQL-129900, Aqua Lung Abs Octopus SKU AQL-116920, Aqua Lung Console 2 Gauge w/compass SKU AQL-NS11411XX)

13. Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) – This is toward the end because it is bulky and difficult to travel with. Some brands make travel versions that fold up well, however, some styles just don’t fold at all. BCDs are hard to rank correctly in the tier of equipment. Admittedly, other people probably have valid opinions on this. Why? Because a BCD plays a crucial role in diving well. This is the single most crucial piece of equipment you can get when it comes to balance in the water. We like balance. We don’t like looking like a bobble head toddler who can’t walk when we are diving. Think about the imagery, it works. However, it’s one of the more expensive pieces of equipment that doesn’t travel well. Look like a drama queen in the airport with a ton of luggage or a newbie in the water. Pick your poison. We use - EDGE Element Jacket BCD SKU EDG-0590-X, Cressi Scorpion Ultralight BCD SKU CRS-IC77000X, Aqua Lung Axiom i3 BCD SKU AQL-BC1310110XX

14. Dive weights - If diving locally, buy them. End of story. If you are flying to your dive site, you don’t want to pay the fare for the extra checked baggage weight. Also, DO NOT carry them in your dive bag. DO NOT. Get a separate weight bag or egg crate because they are heavy (weights, duh) and will tear the seams in your dive bag quicker than anything else. They really are right there with tanks as the last things to buy. We use - Marine Diving Shot Lead 1lb Weight SKU MAD-L-S1

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Advancedish

15. Dive Light – These are great to have even if you aren’t doing cavern or cave diving. Be aware of your dive location’s rules, as some places do not allow dive lights unless you are cave/cavern certified. There is a belief that the lights will create a temptation for divers to go beyond their training. We always dive with lights recreationally because there might be something cool under that log. You don’t know if you don’t look. If you are hearing impaired this is a must have for all your fellow divers at all stages of diving. If I need to explain this, you aren’t hearing impaired. We use - Sofirn SD01 6000LM Powerful Diving Light 3* SST40 LED Dive Flashlight Underwater Torch 4 Modes Magnetic Control Switch, Kraken NR-650 Light SKU KRA-NR-650

16. Line and Reel – Not much use for open water divers other than underwater deployment of your SMB. May put you in the Cool Kids Club with the Cave divers (not likely, they are snobs). We use - Hog Spool with SS DBL Clip 150FT Orange Line SKU HOG-0064

17. Tanks – Yes plural. You will want at least two. This is a last item to buy since tank rental is cheap and tanks are not. Additionally, you don’t have to keep up with maintenance and inspections. We do recommend it if you’re doing Florida vacation diving where you want to dive a lot, want flexibility, and local rental rates are prohibitively high. Tank rental in the Florida Keys is insane. Oh, we also recommend to rich people who just want to have all their own equipment for no reason. Please buy them from us, ours are better (not really we just love rich people). $225-$275 We use - Catalina Aluminum 80 Tank w Valve SKU CAT-AC80XX-HSV-48

18. Underwater Camera – An underwater camera can either drive you crazy or transform your dive experience. If you are the type of person that goes on vacation and takes all the pictures, then take the time to invest in the right equipment and get the right training. Warning, NOT a cheap hobby. If you could care less most of the time, get a housing for your cell phone and take pictures that will remind you of the experience, and make your friends jealous, but not take away from the dive itself. We use - Kraken Smart Housing SKU KRA-KRH04

19. Tank Bangers – Helpful in getting the attention of ADD divers who like to swim off. Don’t get insulted, you know who you are, and the author of this just might be one too. Ohh Squirrel! We use - Edge Tank Banger Deluxe SKU EDG-TB-4-X

Accessories – Nice things to have at any level

20. Writing Slates – Helps you to communicate underwater since most of us only know one thing in sign language and it isn’t polite. We use - Econo Slate SKU INS-SL1601

21. Compass – We prefer one that is on your computer console attached to your regulator. You will rarely use a compass, but they are very important if you need one. If it is attached to your console, it is one less thing for you to leave at home. We use - Cressi Compass Module SKU CRS-KS764109;

22. Dry bag – Nice thing to have but not crucial. Assuming you are ok with wet underwear and cell phones. We use - SealLine Dry Bag Baja SKU CAD-0849X

23. Changing Poncho - One of those crazy long oversized jacket things that surfers use to change in parking lots and not show everyone their bum. Nice! (Make sure you get one that is large enough for you to move in and not flash pieces and parts. We use – Amazon surf poncho.

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