Scuba Gear – Scuba Equipment

Wanted to know the cost of scuba diving equipments required?

Equipment costs for a beginner can vary. There are some items you should own, some you can get away with renting.
To own:
1 Mask: $100
2/Fins: $125
3/Snorkel: $40
4/ Regs: It’s best to own these, you know their service record then $300-$900
5/ Dive knife:$60

To rent:
1/BC ( you really ought to purchase though, $500 new)
2/Lead (to buy if using a 7mm wetsuit $30-$60 depending on if it’s bagged or solid)
3/Wetsuit (personal choice here, buy is $500 for a good 7mm plus booties and gloves $40/pair, hood $30)
4/Dive computer: (optional, to own they start at $300 for a simple model)
5/ Floating Dive flag, to own $30
6/Air tank-comes with a fill if you rent. To own $200 new)

Over the course of perhaps 20 dives or so, it becomes cheaper to own most of that gear. Rentals for a weekend for just the basics can be around $100 or more, depending on what articles you don’t currently own.

i want to learn to scuba dive, but im fat?

okay i love swimming, but i wear shirts, so if i go scuba diving, i have to wear a wetsuit/drysuit that is really really tight. i want to learn, but im fat, and you are going to see me all tight and stuff….help

You don’t HAVE to wear a wet suit when you scuba dive. It’s a matter of your tolerance to water temperature and protection from cuts/scrapes and stings. You could wear work coveralls for the later if you wish. Bob’s right, you will see all kinds of people diving. Wear a t-shirt OVER your wet suit.
Since bigger people usually prefer it colder you may not need a wet suit.

What would the full price to get certified to scuba dive, and get slightly used equipment?

I’m 14 and need to learn how, and can’t buy new equipment;i know what i need, but just not the price

Like anything you buy, shop around. If there are a couple of dive shops in your area they will often have specials on their training courses to drum up business.
Expect to pay between 200-300 dollars for an open water certification as a rule. Yup…there’s a 100 dollar difference sometimes simply because those dive shops are competing for your dollar.
If there’s only one dive shop in your area, prices are usually fixed in the 250- 300 dollar range. They don’t have competition.
As for gear, it can range considerably. Much depends on what sort of diving you’ll do. A cold water diver spends more on gear than a warm water one. Suits cost more, regulators cost more, hoods and gloves are an extra expense to name just some. Check into each dive shop. You’ll find that many offer used gear that they either used for training or it’s club member gear that’s up for consignment. You can often get good deals on it and since it’s from a dive shop, it will have been inspected and serviced before sale. Buying online is an option, yes, but you never know what you’ll actually get. It may cost you more in repairs to get it ready to dive than you saved by buying online. Don’t forget…much of this gear is meant to keep you alive. It’s not something you go cheap on so buy the best you can afford.
Some stuff you want new, not used. You’ll need to buy your own mask fins and snorkel. You can’t even start the course without it. This stuff needs to fit YOU..not somebody else so try on as many different masks and fins as you can before purchase. Like everything else in Scuba Gear, if it doesn’t fit properly, it’s no good to you and can even be possibly hazardous.
So, let’s break it down with what you need as a bare bones dive kit.
Mask: 80-150 bucks
Snorkel: 30-80 bucks
Fins: 90-300 bucks
Exposure protection: ( your wet suit) can range from 100-750 bucks depending on if it’s used and it’s thickness and features. You could always rent a suit but that’s up to you. There’s an old saying amongst divers. " Show me someone that says they haven’t peed in their suit and I’ll show you a liar." When ya gotta go…ya gotta go. Someone will probably have peed in that suit if it’s used or rented. Your choice. Eventually you will do it too.

That’s it. Everything else you can rent once you’re certified.

If you wanted to own it all then this is what you’re looking at in addition to the above:

Lead weight: Varies and depends if it’s a soft pouch or belted lead. 40-200 bucks

BC: The sky’s the limit. 200 bucks to 2 grand.

Hood: 40 bucks

Gloves: 40 bucks

Alum 80 tank: 200 bucks each on average. They don’t lose value unless they’re at the end of their lifespan or damaged. Expect a scratched up, paint peeled tank to go for almost the same as a brand new one. May as well buy new. Get two.

Regulator set: Varies with make and model. 200- 1500 bucks with a basic console. Double that if it’s got a computer console.

Dive computer: Pretty well indispensable these days. Everyone should be diving with one. 400 bucks and up. I’ve seen one for 23 grand.

Dive knife or shears: Not a weapon. These are tools to get you out of fishing line, nets or electrical cables. Buy the best you can afford. 90 bucks and up. In knives I prefer blunt tip as opposed to pointy tip. It can be used to pry with and not break. It’s also a little safer. Some divers have poked holes in themselves let alone their wet suits.

Dive light(s): You’ll want at least one. Two if you’re even considering wreck or cavern diving. 130 bucks and up for your primary and 70 and up for your back up.

Wreck/Cave reel: 50-100 m length. Anywhere from 100-250 bucks.

A watch that can take a dive: This is your back up timer in case your primary timer or dive computer fails. I use a Timex Ironman looped on a D ring. Cost me 40 bucks and haven’t killed it yet, even on a dive to 170 feet that was beyond it’s stated limit.

A second exposure suit: Think you’ll only dive in one place or just in one season? Think again. You’ll want something you can use in the Carib and you’ll want something you can use at home.

A save a dive kit: About 40 bucks. These kits contain little items like tank O rings, fin straps, mask straps, nylon ties etc. Have one of these and you’ll rarely have to abort a dive because something small broke. That tank O ring ( 40 cent part) is the difference between you diving and you not diving. Sucks being 5 miles offshore and the only thing stopping you diving that reef is a 40 cent part after paying 70 bucks for the charter boat.

A Gear bag: A 50 dollar hockey bag (preferably on wheels) or a full blown dive case like those made by Armour @ 250 bucks and up.

There’s more but that’s an average gear kit for a responsible diver.

Can I scuba dive without protection?

What I mean is can I wear the BC without any rash guards or anything, basically shirtless or should I wear a shirt. I don’t have a wetsuit or anything like that. I will be diving in tropical waters.

you can do whatever you want..

How do you breath underwater without a snorkel or scuba gear?

I would really like to know how to swim without a snorkel or Scuba Gear?I mean how do I do that in my neighbor hood swimming pool.If that can’t be figured out how do I hold my breath longer?I would really like to now because swimming is one of my favorite sports and I have been swimming since I first got in the water.

You can’t breathe underwater.

You *can* practice breathing exercises and expand your lung capacity so you can stay under longer. Take long deep breathes for several minutes then go under and trying to stay down longer each time. DO NOT take short shallow breathes and hyperventilate before going under because it can cause you to become unconscious and drown from Shallow Water Blackout. Also, it’s best to practice breath holding in a pool with a certified lifeguard on duty.

Free-diving is a very interesting sport where one discipline is static apnea – timed breath holding in a pool (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-diving). If you watched the movie Blue Crush then you know that Hawaiian surfers sometimes practice by diving down and carrying large lava rocks back and forth underwater. Breath holds are important for them because large breaking waves can hold a surfer down for several minutes before they have a chance to come up for air.

SCUBA equipment?

I’m am looking into getting certified for SCUBA diving. What is the Equipment I need? Please specify.

I would go ahead and buy a mask, snorkel and fins. The rest I would rent until I found out if I liked the sport. Nothing quite like spending 1500 dollars on gear and then turning around 2 months later and getting 500 bucks for it if your lucky! Your instructor, and usually the dive shop will fill you in on details of gear needed. Follow directions and remember. Never, ever, ever hold your breath.

Are there any good places to snorkel or scuba near Anchorage Alaska during the summer? Fresh or salt. Thanks!?

I will be in anchorage mid-july and would like to try snorkeling in the safest, warmest water possible, what are water temperatures like in the nearby lakes and rivers, and are there any good bays close to anchorage? I do have a thick wetsuit. I won’t have much time so the closer to anchorage the better, but if there is somewhere else on the peninsula let me know! Thanks.

Whittier is the closest place for ocean dives. It is on Prince William Sound which has clear water. Anchorage is on Cook Inlet which is extremely silty, with no visibility, and other dangers like getting stuck in the dangerous mudflats left exposed by our huge tides. People do their certifications in Whittier I believe. It is cold water though even in summer, and the visibility is actually better in winter. Whittier is only about 45 minutes from Anchorage.

As far as other places for diving, there are many lakes and rivers etc. but I have only heard of people diving them for search and rescue, scientific research etc. purposes. The lakes get fairly warm, (comfortable for swimming) but that is only near the surface, or in shallow lakes.

We have alot of outdoor activities to choose from here, so you could look into some of those too.

How much should I be prepared to start SCUBA diving?

What is it going to cost me to start SCUBA diving. What equipment should I buy, or which certifications should I get first and what will all this cost me?

1. Costs?

The cost varies by region and country. For example, in the Bay Area, Open Water (OW) certification averages $200. In Hawaii, it’s $475. In Mexico, it’s $350.

When looking at courses, you have to calculate the entire cost of the course. Some Local Dive Shops (LDS) offer a lower price to get you through the door, but there are add’l costs that are not advertised. The lower prices will just be the tuition.

Full Costs include
1. Tuition
2. Books and materials
3. Gear/tank rental
4. Gear purchase
5. Boat fees/park fees

2. What equipment should you buy?

You should buy as little as possible. A lot of LDS require you to buy "personal gear" which is masks, snorkel, boots, fins, and gloves (if you are in cold water). However, some LDS will rent you all the above too.

The only equipment that I believe will truly make OW certification easier is a proper fitting mask. A leaking or fogging mask will decrease enjoyment and increase stress levels significantly. Think of driving in the rain without your windshield wiper – no easy.

Everything else you should try to hold off until 1) you know you like diving and 2) you are more familiar with diving. First off, you don’t even know if you will enjoy diving and are able to do it. Perhaps you have equalization issues and cannot actually dive. If you had bought all your gear, that’ll be thousands of dollars wasted. Second, your diving will change over time. What looks good now will not be the same after you have 10 dives or 20 dives or 100 dives. In addition, what fits or looks good on land may not perform to your preference in the water.

Rent as much as possible.

3. What certification?

You will want Open Water certification (OW). You will hear PADI or NAUI or SSI, but these are just agencies. They all provide OW certification.

Whats the difference between diving with a wetsuit or a drysuit?

I am doing my PADI Open Water Dive Course next week and the week after in Gildenburgh Water lake in the UK. I will be diving with a drysuit as the water temparature is around 4oC! I did my Discover Scuba in Thailand in a wetsuit. I would like to know if it is more difficult diving in a drysuit and what differences are there?????

To expand on the previous posters.
A wetsuit works by trapping a thin layer of water between you and the suit which heats up relatively quickly. Decent seals ensure that the water doesn’t flush through and thus keeps you warm.
A dry suit works by keeping a layer of air between you and the suit. Depending upon what materials are used the suit itself can offer little or no thermal protection (i.e. Trilaminate suits) which is why you usually wear an undersuit.
Because a dry suit contains air it acts as another airspace and must be regulated. To allow this it has an inlet valve and a dump valve. This adds to the complexity of your setup, an extra inflator hose for one; and because of it you will need training on how to use the suit. Generally you use the suit as well as your BCD, keep enough air in the suit to be warm and comfortable, as you descend you will need to add a little air to the suit to prevent a suit squeeze, they can really hurt if your ‘bits’ are not tucked out of the way properly!. Dry suit also have 1 or 2 other potential problems, such as air in the feet which can cause a feet first runaway ascent if not handled correctly and quickly.

In general a drysuit is almost as easy to dive in as a wetsuit but far bulkier, and requires more lead to get neutral buoyancy because of it. The advantage is that in theory at least you are completely dry and you wont suffer from the wind chill effect that you get from a wet wetsuit.

Is there a website that carries scuba gear but is is like for example "Mares approved"?

Uhhhh, sure. Google "Mares dealer <insert your geographic area>"
Mares approves you if you deal their product, that simple.