It is worth buying your own diving equipment once you are sure that you enjoy diving and will keep on diving. You don't have to buy everything at once: it is easiest to buy your gear in two stages.
What a diving course shows you
The diving course you are taking or have finished will help you form a first opinion about equipment. You will see what the dive centre, your instructor and other divers use, and you can talk over its pros and cons.
Two groups of equipment
Roughly speaking, all diving equipment falls into two groups:
- The basics you need to start: mask, snorkel, fins, suit and boots.
- Life-support equipment: regulator, buoyancy compensator (BCD) and dive computer.
Stage one: the basics
Mask and snorkel
The mask and snorkel are important parts of a diver's kit: if they don't fit, diving is uncomfortable and sometimes even unpleasant. A mask is a bit like a toothbrush: everyone has their own and looks after it. We explain in a separate tip how to choose a mask that fits.
Suit
The suit matters a great deal too. You can rent it, like any other piece of equipment, at any dive centre. But rental suits are usually cut to be as universal as possible, so that they fit people of different builds. We are all different, so only a suit you have chosen and bought yourself will fit you precisely.
What you gain
The first stage costs relatively little, yet you will:
- be far more comfortable;
- spend less on renting equipment;
- be ready to take the next step.
Stage two: life-support equipment
The second stage calls for a bigger investment and more careful thought. A regulator, a buoyancy compensator and a dive computer will serve you for much longer than two or three years. They are technically quite complex, so choosing them well will save you money in the long run.
Where to look for advice
The internet is full of advice on diving equipment, but it is not easy to find your way through it, and not everyone giving advice has the qualifications and knowledge to be relied on without question. So stay alert and critical.
It is worth reading articles and reviews by independent testers, because any manufacturer's catalogue is first of all advertising. For example:
- ScubaLab: an independent equipment testing facility with a good reputation among divers. It was founded on Catalina Island, California, by Jon Hardy, who worked in the diving industry for decades and with many organisations, NAUI among them. ScubaLab tests equipment for Scuba Diving magazine (formerly Rodale's Scuba Diving) and gives objective, scientific assessments.
- Tauchen: a German diving magazine that every year selects and ranks what it considers the best diving equipment.
We write about each piece of equipment in more detail in separate tips. You can see and try on equipment in our shop in Vilnius or choose it online.
Frequently asked questions
When is it worth buying my own diving equipment?
Once you are sure you enjoy diving and will keep on diving. On a course you will see what equipment your instructor and other divers use, and you can talk over its pros and cons.
What diving equipment should I buy first?
A mask, snorkel, fins, suit and boots. They cost relatively little but make you far more comfortable and cut your rental costs. The regulator, BCD and dive computer are worth buying later, after careful thought.
Why buy a suit if I can rent one?
Rental suits are cut to be as universal as possible, so that they fit people of different builds. Only a suit you have chosen yourself will fit you precisely.