| It can be an exciting or terrifying experience - buying | | | | worldwide. Some offer lifetime warrantees for parts. |
| your first scubadiving gear. When you first walk into | | | | Beware buying product over the Internet, as there |
| the Aladdin's cave just groaning with the latest dive | | | | may be no warrantee. In many countries, scuba |
| technology, your question is likely to be "Where do I | | | | dealers will not honour internet warrantees, as the |
| possibly start?" The answer is quite simple. Choose | | | | product was not bought through a licenced dealer and |
| your dive centre very carefully - then, if you enjoyed | | | | ownership is hard to authenticate.You will want to stay |
| your scubadiving course, trust them to outfit you with | | | | warm and may only need a shorty wetsuit in the |
| the best dive gear for your type of diving.When you | | | | tropics. As you move further away from the equator, |
| select your dive centre start by establishing the | | | | you might need a full length 5mm or 7mm wetsuit or |
| credentials of it. Generally, the more status the dive | | | | even a drysuit. Try to buy the best you can afford as |
| centre has, the more it has been audited for quality | | | | you will not enjoy even the most spectacular dive if |
| and customer service. If possible, choose a PADI 5 | | | | you are trying to stay warm. Night diving is fantastic - |
| Star Career Development Centre. Failing that, try a | | | | only if you are warm. Comfort and fit are critical.When |
| PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre and so on | | | | you select your dive mask try every one on display. |
| down the retail status list. Other training agencies have | | | | Ssniff in hard and listen for air leaks to ensure an |
| similar ratings. Word of mouth is another very strong | | | | exact fit. Additionally, press the mask in over your |
| indicator as most people tell others about a bad | | | | nose and brow to ensure there is no contact. Some |
| experience.After you have completed your course, | | | | mask lenses can be changed for prescription lenses. If |
| unless you are totally focused and do it beforehand, | | | | you wear glasses ask your scuba dealer which ones |
| you will want to buy your our scubadiving gear. There | | | | will take prescription lenses. Identify the dive masks |
| are literally thousands of different dive items on the | | | | that fit then try those few again. When you get to the |
| market and each scuba retailer offers a selective few | | | | best two, choose the cheaper one. If your mask does |
| brands. Normally these equipment lines are | | | | not fit well, you will not enjoy your scuba diving. Resist |
| complementary so that the dive centre should be able | | | | the temptation to buy a cheap snorkel. You need a |
| to satisfy novice or experienced recreational divers | | | | good one so you can breathe on the surface face |
| through to highly experienced technical divers. If you | | | | down. Accept the dive centre retailer's advice.Fins are |
| are about to buy your own scuba gear take time to | | | | your propellers. Get fins that fit your feet properly, |
| read our advice.Probably the most critical dive | | | | without placing pressure on your toes or the bridge of |
| equipment is the regulator and buoyancy control | | | | your foot. Always wear your own dive booties when |
| device BCD) combination. The regulator should be | | | | trying on fins. Split fin technology is state-of-the-art |
| selected on performance and reliability, that is ease of | | | | now and worth every cent. |
| breathing at the depths you intend to dive to. Do a | | | | Try for a soft or medium flex fin. If you want to be a |
| careful price | | | | technical diver, select firmer split fins. Get spring straps |
| comparison if your budget is critical. Your scuba dive | | | | if your retailer has them.You will need weight unless |
| centre retailer will guide you here.A BCD must be | | | | you are negatively buoyant at the surface. When you |
| comfortable but most importantly it must be able to lift | | | | purchase your BCD, consider one that allows you to |
| your face clear of the water at the surface. The | | | | carry weight in the BCD weight pockets rather than |
| inflator mechanism must be easy and fast to operate. | | | | around your waist. Many women do get minor bruising |
| Check the lift of a BCD before you start loading the | | | | on the hips through wearing heavy weight belts. With a |
| integrated weight system up with lead weight. While it | | | | drysuit you will generally need more weight than you |
| may lift you wearing a wetsuit, it may be overloaded | | | | would with a wetsuit. Contoured weights are |
| once you take it off to pass it (with any integrated | | | | preferable to slab weights.You are now set to have |
| weight & cylinder) into the boat. Recreational BCDs | | | | fantastic scubadiving adventures. Enjoy the freedom |
| are not designed for technical diving and should not be | | | | of gliding in the ocean current along coral encrusted |
| used for | | | | walls, through underwater canyons, exploring |
| that purpose.You will need to consider your | | | | timeless shipwrecks or absorbing the stillness and |
| instruments as well. Whatever your financial position | | | | tranquillity of a freshwater lake. Wherever you are, |
| you will need a submersible pressure gauge (SPG) and | | | | you will enjoy your scuba diving if you are confidant |
| compass. It may be cheaper to purchase a dive | | | | that you have chosen your scubadiving gear |
| computer rather than a depth gauge and timer / | | | | wisely.Tony Howell is the owner/manager of New |
| underwater watch. Dive computers show dive and | | | | Zealand Sea Adventures, Wellington's only PADI |
| surface interval details as well as guiding your ascent | | | | Career Development Centre. Tony's qualifications |
| speed.Some give integrated information on nitrogen | | | | include: PADI Course Director, PADI Specialty Instructor |
| absorption and gas consumption. With a computer it is | | | | Trainer in over 25 specialtys, TDI Instructor Trainer (IT), |
| easy to retrieve dive information so you can log your | | | | First Aid & CPR IT, Coastguard Tutor/Examiner and |
| dive.There are also Nitrox computers for sport divers | | | | Service Technician IT. |
| and multiple gas computers for tech divers. Get your | | | | Tony has helped hundreds of people to choose the |
| dive instruments in a console for easy reference.For | | | | best scuba diving gear to give them the most |
| regulators BCDs and instruments, check the | | | | enjoyable and safe diving experience. |
| warrantee. If you intend to travel, it should be | | | | |