The Cost Of Scuba Equipment

As a new diver, you will probably be wary about purchasing your own gear but you will still want to have it. The PADI open water manual says something along the lines of a person who invests in some equipment is more than likely going to continue to dive and not just finish the course and forget about it.

I already had a cheap wetsuit I got from Lidl a few years ago. It was intended to be used when kayaking in the ocean but I never used my kayak in the ocean in the end . It was on my to do list but now I wonder if I should sell it and buy more scuba gear? It's a full 6.5mm with a 5mm shortie that can go on top so I think it should be usable in Ireland. It comes with a hood too so it was pretty good value at about €70 or so.

When I first started my course, I didn't like the mask I was given and it makes sense for a mask to be your first investment. I knew from research that a mask is a personal thing so don't order it from the internet, you need to try it on to make sure it provides a good seal. I went to one of the few dive shops in Dublin, Great Outdoors. I opted for a scubapro spectra 2 and a scubapro snorkel too. Actually I could have saved on the snorkel as there is no issue with ordering off the internet there but since I was there I figured I might as well grab one. To be fair, the mask was €60 and is not much more than many internet sites and less than some.
I also grabbed some Mares Superchannel fins while there for €70 which was only marginally more expensive than online, especially taking shipping in to account.

I had my fins for a while but couldn't use them until I got some boots so I got some cheap O'Neill boots and used my fins for my last pool dive (dive 5). Since I had been using lighter full foot fins previous, I found my buoyancy very different with neoprene boots and massive ocean fins. Keeping my feet down at the surface was difficult. I will get to properly try them when I do my open water dives in a few weeks. I didn't bring them to Tenerife as they are big and weigh about 1kg each. I only brought my mask and snorkel with me.

These are the basics you might want to have for yourself to provide a good fit and the rest you can rent. I wasn't content of course. I want everything except perhaps a tank but the cost of the rest of the equipment is considerable.

In the end I used scubastore.com to purchase my BCD. I went for a Seacsub Guru with integrated weight system. They were on special and have since gone up in price. I think they were about €160 or maybe a little more. They are being shipped as we speak so I should have my own BCD for my open water dive in Ireland.

Regulators etc are even more expensive though and since I'm probably going to be diving in Ireland, I need a dry sealed regulator that's not going to have a problem in cold water so that's even more expense. Can't forget about the console either, although a basic console and a decent dive computer and compass are probably a better way to go.

Is that all? No because I also need a dive bag to put this stuff in, a regular bag will not hold up to the wear and tear. I need a dive computer too, I can get away with relying on my instructor for now and I could theoretically just use the RDP and/or other dive planners/tables. There are even apps for that sort of thing but a dive computer is a necessity to track the changes in depth and distance. Then there is the tank, as I said, there is no point in getting a tank at the start. It's not like it makes any sense to bring one with you on holidays and until I know that I am going to be regularly diving in Ireland, there is no point in having one.

Scuba diving is not cheap and when you think about it, you are paying all this money just so you can be under the water for a maximum of 2 or 3 hours per day. Is it worth it? I think perhaps it is, I certainly feel better scuba diving and find myself immeasurably pleased with myself under water. I also find my breathing out of the water to be very clear for a while until regular unfiltered air becomes the norm in my lungs again.

It will be a while before I can invest any more money in scuba gear but if I'm lucky, by this time next year I should be fully kitted out with the possible exception of a tank.

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